Justice Notes: Writing for Justice

A White-Collar Journal forum for criminal justice, lived experience, and the personal search for redemption

OTHER THINGS UNSPOKEN: an anthology of incarcerated writers

PEN America, one of the world’s most prestigious literary and free expression organizations, is the largest of more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. It’s comprised of a nationwide community of more than 4,500 novelists, journalists, nonfiction writers, editors, poets, essayists, playwrights, publishers, translators, agents, and devoted readers who together advance PEN America’s mission to protect and celebrate free expression.

One of its most important initiatives is the Prison and Justice Writing program. For more than five decades, this program has amplified the voices of thousands of writers creating while incarcerated in the United States. By providing resources, mentorship, and audiences beyond prison walls, PEN America helps these writers join and enrich the broader literary community.

Established in the wake of the 1971 Attica Prison Uprising, the program recognizes that the freedom to write within U.S. prisons is one of the critical free expression issues of our time. It works to bridge incarcerated writers to the literary world despite the strict conditions of surveillance and censorship that define carceral life. Its founding initiative, the PEN Prison Writing Awards, receives hundreds of submissions annually in poetry, fiction, essay, memoir, and drama. Winners receive cash prizes, publication opportunities, and mentorship — often marking the beginning of a powerful literary journey.

The program’s newly published anthology, Other Things Unspoken, continues this tradition of excellence. The collection features compelling work by incarcerated writers whose voices are too often unheard yet urgently needed. The writing is raw, reflective, honest, and deeply human. It reminds us that talent, insight, and moral imagination are not extinguished by incarceration.

I am currently a mentor in Pen America’s mentorship writing program, and I strongly encourage our readers to support this important work. Other Things Unspoken is more than an anthology, it is a testament to resilience, accountability, growth, and the enduring power of expression. At White Collar Journal, we believe in second chances and in the transformative capacity of reflection and self-awareness. This collection embodies those values.

You can learn more and purchase the book here: Other Things Unspoken

Supporting this anthology means supporting the idea that voices from inside matter, and that justice is strengthened, not weakened, when we are willing to listen.

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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.

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