Writings from Women on the Inside

"Writings from Women on the Inside" is a new anthology of poems and stories by women incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. The writing was produced in "Keeping the Faith" workshops by a Seattle-based performance ensemble, the Pat Graney Company. Below is an introduction to the workshop program and selections from the anthology. For information on ordering the book, visit the company's Web site, http://www.patgraney.org —Ed.

Keeping the Faith - The Prison Project

Writings from Women on the Inside

Keeping the Faith – The Prison Project is an arts residency program designed to enable incarcerated women and girls to discover a sense of identity within themselves and to develop that identity within the context of community — through the vehicles of performance, video documentation and a published anthology of their writings. The Pat Graney Company has conducted this two-month program of movement, writing and visual art at the Washington Corrections Center for Women for the past seven years. Each year, the program culminates in performance where the participating women perform their own movement and writing, and display their own visual art for 200 members of the general public, 500 of their incarcerated peers and the prison administration. Keeping the Faith creates a rare forum for cultural development among incarcerated women by facilitating the exploration and expression of both individual and collective identity.

In 2000, the company embarked upon the National Model of Keeping the Faith, which expands the Washington-based residency to reach incarcerated women across the nation. The National Model is a multiyear program that will occur in four cities from through 2004. Incarcerated women participate in a condensed, two-week version of the Keeping the Faith residency outlined above, and in addition, the Keeping the Faith Artist Team assists local artists in creating their own version of the residency, thereby encouraging the continuity of programming in each locale. To date, National Models have been conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio (presented by Contemporary Dance Theatre), and Tempe, Arizona (presented by ASU Public Events).

The number of women in state and federal prisons increased 386 percent from 1980 to 1994, roughly twice the increase in men's imprisonment. At the same time, funding for programming within prisons continues to be cut. In 2002, the Women's Prison Association found that over 70 percent of women in prison have experienced sexual and physical abuse prior to incarceration. Most of these women are poor, educationally disadvantaged (41 percent have less than a high-school education), and young (50 percent are age 24-34). Additionally, 64 percent of incarcerated women are African-American, Latina, Asian, Alaskan, Pacific Islander or of other nonwhite racial/ethnic identity. In the company's 2000 Keeping the Faith Washington State residency, 80 percent of participants were racial/ethnic minorities, over 90 percent were from low-income families, and over 70 percent identified as sexual minorities.

In 2002, Keeping the Faith was funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Horizons Foundation, U.S. Bank, NW Stone Soup, The National Performance Network, Corporate Council for the Arts, King County Arts Commission, the Washington State Arts Commission and through the generosity of individual donors.

—The Pat Graney Company
http://www.patgraney.org/faith.html

150 Word Autobiography

I am a surviver. I was born influence by drugs and alcohol, addicted from the day I began to breath air even from the day I was conceived. I never had a choice, about this disease, but I do have a choice about weather I let this disease control my life. I am working on it every minute of every day. I don’t blame my parents, I take responsibility for my own actions. I still feel sorry for myself sometimes.

I am a woman who wants to be a mother, but I am afraid to mother a child, in fear of repeating the cycle of dysfunction, created by people before me. I am a friend, who is learning to accept you, like I have rarely been accepted, before.

I am a wiccan who believes in God, some would say I’m somewhat confused, thank goodness I practice solo.

I am free, even in prison.

My Best Day at WCCW (Washington Corrections Center for Women)

My best days here at WCCW was me coming here. I know it kinda sounds dumb, but, in the out’s I was lost. I was drinking, I was in a abusive relationship. I didn’t have my daughters. Now that I’m here I have accomplished a lot of things such as getting counseling, going to school to getting into parenting class graduated from several job classes and now I have my daughters in my life. That’s the best thing that ever happen to me.

Best Time in My Life

Its 2006, Christmas eve, the room is filled with Lights that look like little stars smiling down on us, Holly is dancing about under the stars. I smell cinnamen and knew on the wood stove there was a pot of Hot Apple cider waiting for anyone who needed a hug on the inside. Everyone was standing near the piano waiting for the next Christmas Carol to be Sung when I walked in with my sons Birthday cake all lit up and the brightest smile on my face for I’ve only been out for one week and its been 9 years since I’ve spent Christmas eve, my boys birthday with him and my family.

My Room at WCCW

When the door clicks, on the right is a light switch, that turns on a bright irritating flouresent light, that brings out all the flaws in the room. The toilet made of cold grey stainless steel that scares the urine back inside. Next is two lockers stacked on top of each other taking up all the space. Because I sleep on the floor in a cell that is barely big enough for two, I look directly ahead of me and see a silver long rectangle window that barely brings any light. This place is where I stay. I don’t usually look at it in this way because whether its cold and concrete and metal it is safe. No one can abuse me disrespect me, abandon me, or hurt me here, but myself. It is warm, and provides me with a serene feeling while washing my hands. I look into the mirror that distorts my image like in a fun house.

Dream Room

No walls—maybe windows or screens
Nothing locking—no need for keys or to hear them jingle
I’d like to look up at night & see the sky & stars—maybe a skylight in my bedroom
I want to hear the “pitter pat” of children’s feet, laughter, giggles
I want to smell freshness, natural scents and the aroma of life
Love is what I’m in, so I’d want her there to wrap my arms around & enjoy life with.
Sounds like I’d be most happy…in a tree house with my love.

The photographs are by Barbara Bickart of some of the authors of "Writings from Women on the Inside."

Original CAN/API publication: June 2004