Silence Is Not an Option
For today’s Justice Notes, I’m sharing excerpts from recent correspondence with an incarcerated writer whom I’ve been mentoring through PEN America’s writing program.
I’ve written often about the cruelty of incarceration, the isolation, the humiliation, and the daily struggle to preserve some sense of dignity. But those accounts are largely drawn from my own experience, now several years behind me.
This correspondence is different. It comes from someone still incarcerated, struggling not only with the conditions of confinement but with the difficulty of continuing to write under those circumstances.
I’ve withheld his name and identifying details to protect his privacy. His account of the conditions at his institution is his own, but it offers a troubling reminder of what incarceration can mean for those still living through it.
From an Incarcerated Writer
I have been writing in fits and starts. I now know that I can only write when I have something I want to express. I guess it’s a good and bad thing.
I am dealing with blatant abuses by those in authority at this moment and am deciding on an appropriate medium through which to express it, maybe a short novel or exposé piece or both.
My drive to write is low right now though because I feel as if I cannot dedicate sufficient attention to it and my overall well-being simultaneously.
I have to be constantly alert and aware of the predatory elements who seem to enjoy provoking inmates, luring them off their paths and into confrontations which always lead to the inmates being found to be at fault.
So that’s where I am right now. Hopefully, I will be able to produce something that will be worthy of the next contest.
I’m now housed at a very oppressive institution which seems to thrive off of a deeply entrenched culture of abuse towards inmates and wanton violence that seems sanctioned by the administration.
So my drive to write has been hampered. I intend to bring attention to this issue as it is very rampant and occurs on a daily basis.
Keep me in your prayers as I’m truly bothered by what we are being subjected to.
I have some ideas about how we may address this in novel or short story form, at least for my own sanity’s sake.
Silence is not an option.
Justice Notes is an ongoing series examining incarceration, rehabilitation, storytelling, institutional power, and the lives that exist behind prison walls.
If this piece resonated with you, consider sharing it or leaving a comment. To support this work and help spread awareness about justice reform for white-collar defendants, subscribe to White-Collar Journal and stay connected. John DiMenna is a member of the White Collar Support Group.
To leave a comment, Substack may ask you to verify your email address (a one-time step to prevent spam). You don’t need to subscribe or create an account. Just check your inbox for a one-time link.