Straight from the Pen

• In Event: Filmmaking Criminology: Breaking the Mold

Abstract

Twelve college students joined 24 lifers on a maximum-security prison yard in southern California in a creative writing class that opened the eyes and minds of people in both groups. The college students learned that prisoners are not the hardened, hopeless misfits so often portrayed by popular media, and prisoners learned that by opening up about their lives and challenges, they could better understand themselves, confront their demons, and eventually win their freedom.

Author

• Paul Sutton, San Diego State University