Check out this online and print publication – The Beat Within! It is their mission to:
…provide incarcerated youth with consistent opportunity to share their ideas and life experiences in a safe space that encourages literacy, self-expression, some critical thinking skills, and healthy, supportive relationships with adults and their community. Outside of the juvenile justice system, The Beat Within partners with community organizations and individuals to bring resources to youth both inside and outside of detention. We are committed to being an effective bridge between youth who are locked up and the community that aims to support their progress towards a healthy, non-violent, and productive life.
This current issue features poets from Champaign-Urbana that are behind bars at the Juvenile Detention Center.
You can find past issues in their archives.
They also have this great letter project that is piloting.
Writing mentors will be matched with an adult incarcerated writer whose overall goal will be to foster better writing for publication through literary advice, fleshed out ideas, providing writing prompts, basic editing/ grammar education, etc.
Thank you for sharing The Beat Within (est. 1996) with your followers. We are not only an online publication, we also print and distribute the publication back to the young people who participate in our weekly writing workshops in juvenile detention. We are always happy to share the work. You can also follow “like” us on Facebook and Twitter too! Yes, we are thrilled to have the voices of Champaign- Urbana juvenile too. Thanks again for your work and sharing our work. Best!
Of course, David! Thank you for clarifying that The Beat Within is also in print! I look forward to sharing this publication with our newly formed poetry group in our local county jail!
Please do! If you wish, encourage your students to share their stories with The Beat community too. Nice to hear from you.