Incarcerated Writers Bureau (IWB) - PEN America
With the proliferation of carceral censorship and surveillance, incarceration in the United States remains one of the defining free expression issues of our time.
The Incarcerated Writers Bureau was developed by PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program to make professional and artistic development opportunities more accessible to and for writers working from prisons across the United States. Launched in 2025, this platform features a database of best practices and ethical considerations for working with, supporting, and being in community with writers through prison walls.
The Incarcerated Writers Bureau features the portfolios and work of seasoned writers working from prison, and also contains a submission hub of accessible opportunities tailored for writers experiencing incarceration.
