Our Work

We teach formal creative writing and poetry workshops every day inside the jail school, engaging students in the study of contemporary poetry and literature which is relevant to their life experience. Through increased literacy, written self-expression, exposure to and study of the performing, visual and literary arts, our project seeks to reduce recidivism and help our students find meaningful pathways to self-expression and to further education. The LCMP is specifically designed to engage our incarcerated students in the study of literature, enhancing literacy skills, and broadening their exposure to poetry and fiction.

The elements of our program include:

Tutoring

One-on-one, deeply personalized print literacy tutoring. Creative Writing - In collaboration with Young Chicago Authors and the Jane Addams Hull House Museum, we provide creative writing workshops conducted by professional writers.

Publishing

We produce an annual anthology and tri-annual magazine of student writing for distribution within the school and the broader community. We also encourage our students to submit their writing to local and national literary publications.

Library

We maintain a rich library of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, lyrics, and other high-interest reading materials from which students can choose and borrow.

Media Arts Literacy

We offer students the opportunity to engage in industry-standard digital image manipulation, sound editing and sequencing, web design, book publishing, and the maintenance of personal computers from the inside out, including building them from scratch.

Volunteer Coordination

Community members can volunteer to work with incarcerated or recently adjudicated youth inside the C.C.J.T.D.C. or out in the community.

Organizing school-wide Events

We coordinate book fairs, celebrity guest speakers, youth poetry readings, street law and prison-industrial complex seminars.

Strengthening School Culture –

We collaborate with teachers, conducting professional development workshops, and facilitating the formulation of curriculum for the unique student population at NBJ.