Everyone, if you’re interested in a writing mentorship opportunity which takes place at your own schedule through the postal mail and costs nothing other than the price of a few stamps, please comment or email me, Cristina Deptula (editor–in-chief) at cedeptula@sbcglobal.net
Over the past several years I’ve become pen pals with several women incarcerated in California’s prisons who are survivors of domestic violence and determined to educate themselves and rebuild their lives. These women are part of the organization Free Battered Women, (www.freebatteredwomen.org) which works with and looks into the stories of women incarcerated for crimes they committed to some extent as a result of the abuse they endured at home. Many of them would receive lighter sentences nowadays for the same actions, now that there is more awareness of the problem of domestic abuse, and also nowadays more shelters and resources exist to protect people in these situations – resources the women might not have had at the time of their crimes.
I acknowledge that anyone of any gender identity can experience domestic violence and support all survivors’ ability to live in safety and to receive education and help rebuilding their lives – this organization, which I’m already familiar with, happens to serve female survivors.
Quite a few of the Free Battered Women ladies take part in volunteer groups and pursue art, therapy, work and job-skills training, etc…one lady I remember was a gardener and raised a collection of plants from her cell as part of a vocational program, another created elegant stationery and holiday charity stockings for others while earning a college degree, another served as a volunteer with the Forest Service’s firefighting program, another works towards a career in journalism to help tell others’ compelling stories.
Many of them write and would love to learn from and be in contact with other writers…some want to create and sell memoirs and give profits to charity, others would like to put together poetry or stories or magazine articles, or are interested in a head start on their education while they wait for room and textbooks to become available in the overcrowded prison education system in California. There are correspondence school programs available to them, however, they cost money – and prisoners here work full time, but only make cents per hour to use for hygiene supplies, stationery, stamps, and maybe education if they can afford it. They often end up receiving parole at some point, and it serves them and society better if they go back into the world with some more education…also many of them have gifts to develop and nurture and writing is a way for them to give back to society.
I, or the organization’s leaders, would love to put you in touch with a person or two who would love to receive encouragement and advice/critical feedback on her writing, and/or suggestions for publication. Please let us know if you would be interested!
California’s inmates don’t have Internet access and are not always able to make phone calls regularly, so the regular mail is the best way to stay in contact. Again, please comment or email me if you are interested, and I will ask one of my pen pals for permission to give you her address!
By the way – as a former Slam poet, I’m very excited and honored to see slam poetry incorporated into Vancouver’s Olympic opening ceremony!