By Corrections1 Staff
OXFORD, Miss. — The Mississippi Prison Writes Initiative has announced the release of “Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison,” a collection of personal narratives from over 30 inmates housed in Mississippi State Penitentiary’s Unit 29.
The collection stems from a series of writing workshops conducted over three years (November 2021 to June 2024) within Unit 29. The stories offer an unfiltered, deeply human perspective on the incarceration experience, providing readers with a rare glimpse into the lives, struggles and reflections of those living behind bars in this historically significant institution.
“Unit 29 represents the voices of individuals who seldom get the opportunity to share their stories,” said Louis Bourgeois, Executive Director of the Mississippi Prison Writes Initiative. “This collection is not only a testament to their resilience but also a call to broaden the conversation around incarceration in America.”
The Mississippi Prison Writes Initiative, a small non-profit organization based in Oxford, MS, seeks to ensure this powerful collection reaches as wide an audience as possible, sparking dialogue about the realities of prison life and the transformative power of creative expression. Order “Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison,” on Amazon.