This manuscript recounts the writing of inmates in a writing workshop project taught by the author at San Quentin State Prison. Through the process of writing personal narratives the inmates came to render new meaning from their lived experience. The process of writing bypassed rigid defenses developed in prison, and inmates were able to write and share without being left vulnerable. Writing, in this way, helped inmates who participated to escape the monotony and boredom of prison life and provided opportunity for reflection and personal growth.
