courtesy of csolifeline.org

For the ten years we have offered writinginsideVT to women incarcerated in Vermont, we have heard it over and over again. How these weekly opportunities to write and share what is on each participant’s heart, with respect and without judgement, have provided a lifeline through incarceration. For some, it is the first time they have been heard, or even discovered they have something to say. For others, it is a chance to unpack the pent-up frustrations, griefs and crushed dreams that inhabit the underbelly of their daily routines inside.

No matter the content, the fact remains: writing offers a way to re-write (and in the process re-right) past decisions and choose a new path going forward.

The respite our writing sessions offer inside (where, unfortunately, many women remain who would otherwise be receiving treatment for their illnesses) is undeniably healing, hope-producing, enlightening, confidence-building. In short, in the context of epidemic drug abuse and dearth of mental health treatment programs, the moments of quiet reflection, sharing and validation amount to … well … a lifeline for many.

As founding co-director, I have been deeply humbled across this past decade to witness acts of transformation through the safe community we have co-created with our writers. To honor those for whom the program has provided a link to re-visioning a future, I have received funding from BCA Community Fund to publish a collection of writings. Life Lines: Re-Writing Lives from Inside Out will be released in late March by Green Writers Press, Brattleboro, VT. The book and its public presentation will provide for community discussion and advocacy on behalf of the challenges faced daily by these writers.

Stay tuned for updates on the book and its launch. Meanwhile, thank you for your interest in and support of our work over the years.