Midwest

Please note: the Justice Arts Coalition does not offer any programs. The following are independent prison arts programs we have identified in this region. To learn more about the programs below, please contact the programs directly.

Wisconsin

  1. The Shakespeare Prison Project Jonathan Shailor, jonathan.shailor@gmail.com
  2. Oakhill Prison Humanities Project oakhillprisonhumanitiesproject@gmail.com

Michigan

  1. Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) Vanessa Mayesky, 734-647-6771, pcapinfo@umich.edu
  2. ARRO Prison Poetry Project
  3. ACE Academy – Visual Art Classes and Empty Bowls
  4. 6 Figures Playback Theatre Company Prison Theatre Program, Dr. Anita
    Rich,  734-487-0797, arich@emich.edu
  5. Project Community, 734-764-6324, projectcommunity@umich.edu
  6. Shakespeare Behind Bars, Curt L. Tofteland, curt@shakespearebehindbars.org
  7. Humanize the Numbers, drawing, photography, theater, printmaking
  8. Children’s Literacy Network – Staying in Closer Touch, 734-645-1320, Elizabeth@childrensliteracynetwork.org
  9. Youth Arts Unlocked, youtharts.unlocked@gmail.com

Illinois

  1. Storycatchers Theatre Nancy McCarty, 312.280.4772, nmccarty@storycatcherstheatre.org
  2. Cradle2Prison Project, cradle2prison@gmail.com
  3. Still Point Theatre Collective, 773-868-1700, stillpointc@aol.com
  4. Beyondmedia Education – Women and Prison Project 773-857-7300, info@womenandprison.org
  5. FreeWrite Jail Arts + Literacy Program ryan@freewritejailarts.org
  6. Chicago Girl Talk chicagogirltalk@gmail.com
  7. Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center Arts Project Alex Moroz, amoroz08@gmail.com
  8. Music Technology at Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School, Alex Moroz, amoroz08@gmail.com
  9. Write to Release, info@writetorelease.org
  10. Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project contactpnap@gmail.com
  11. Circles & Ciphers, restorative justice through the arts, Circles.Ciphers@gmail.com

Indiana

  1. Shakespeare in Shackles Laura Bates, 812.237.3141, laura.bates@indstate.edu
  2. Sisterhood Christian Drama Ministries
  3. Hanover College summer drama program Paul Hildebrand, hildebrand@hanover.edu
  4. Madison Juvenile Correctional Facility Visual art, yoga, art therapy
  5. Indiana State Prison Poetry, essay contests, book clubs
  6. Poets-Behind-Bars Sponsored by the Creative Righting Center, Sherry Reiter, 718-998-4572, sherryreiter@yahoo.com
  7. WVCF Theatre Troupe Dr. Jacquelyn Frank, 217-581-7843, jbfrank@eiu.edu
  8.  Westville Education Initiative (WEI)  ASeroczynski@hcc-nd.edu

Ohio

  1. Reentry Bridge Network
  2. UMOJA Men’s Chorus
  3. Grafton Prison Choir, Jody Kerchner
  4. Toledo Museum of Art partnership with the Lucas County Juvenile Court  Glassblowing & metalwork
  5. Ohio Prison Arts Connection info@ohioprisonartsconnection.org
  6. ID13 Prison Literacy Project

Missouri

  1. Prison Performing Arts (PPA) chris.limber@prisonartsstl.org
  2. Staging Old Masters
  3. Inside Dharma kalen@insidedharma.org
  4. Saint Louis University Prison Arts and Education (SLU PAEP)  prisonprogram@slu.edu

North Dakota

  1. Annual North Dakota State Penitentiary Arts and Crafts Sale

South Dakota

  1. South Dakota State Penitentiary Prisoner Art on Display
  2. Yankton Minimum Unit Garden
  3. Revealing the Inner Inmate: Expressions of Art and Poetry from Inmates in South Dakota Prisons Lawrence Diggs, me@ldiggs.com
  4. 4pm Count Writing and Publishing james.reese@mtmc.edu

Nebraska

  1. Prison Art Contest at the Lincoln Correctional Center
  2. CrossOver Prison Ministries’ Poetry Book 402-733-2795, CrossOverPrisonMinistries@cox.net

Kansas

  1. Arts in Prison info@artsinprison.org or 913.403.0229
  2. Offender Victim Ministries Music, drama, creative writing, visual art, book club
  3. Ellsworth Correctional Facility Theater
  4. Hutchinson Correctional Facility Men’s chorus
  5. Prisoners Paint the Masters Correspondence and Exhibition, Kristin Schodorf, Kristin009@yahoo.com, 620-515-4092
  6. Topeka Correctional Facility, women’s prison: Sisters of Survival creative writing group, daveranney52@gmail.com or Sharon.Sullivan@Washburn.edu

Minnesota

  1. Minnesota Correctional Facility – Stillwater Fine Arts Painting Program
  2. Soul of Red Wing Bea Hasselmann, beahasselmann@gmail.com
  3. Minnesota Correctional Facility – Shakopee Yoga, Mary Jo Parker, mparker@directionsresearch.com
  4. Direct Action Theatre at the Ramsey County CC Heidi Arneson, (612) 333-6816, heidihouse1@yahoo.com
  5. Critical Poetry Project Pauline Geraci
  6. Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop Creative writing, info@mnprisonwriting.org
  7. Voices of Hope Women’s Choir, Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, Amanda Weber, amanda.k.weber@gmail.com
  8. Ten Thousand Things Theater contact@tenthousandthings.org

Iowa

  1. Oakdale Prison Community Choir Mary Cohen, mary-cohen@uiowa.edu, Facebook
  2. Liberal Arts in Prison Program guenther@grinnell.edu