I had the incredible opportunity to sit in on a creative writing class in Idaho State Correctional Center. I was blown away by the introspection in their writing, which was an aspect that instructor Shane Brown really wanted to focus on.

The creative writing class is the first partnership between the Idaho State Correctional Center and CSI. The results have been universally positive, said David Mehlhaff, education program manager at the prison.

On top of everything, the prisoners’ work was fantastic. Frankly, I was jealous of their talent.

I was so lucky to stumble upon this story. Not only because I believe it’s a topic worth exploring, but because it changed the way I think. Spending time with some of these inmates challenged my morals. Watching them read their pieces in front of their families made me realize the complexity of their situations. I still think about my time in correctional center, I think about the writings and things the inmates told me.

As a journalist, I hope that I was able to keep the conversation going with this story.

+11 Sentences: Prison creative writing program allows inmates to find their writing voices, reflect on life Almost one year ago, two Twin Falls instructors headed to Boise to teach a creative writing class to prison inmates for a future performance at CSI. Along the way, it turned into something much bigger.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0