Lives Being Rewritten

Indiana Prison Writers Workshop offers one of the nation’s leading prison writing programs, connecting incarcerated individuals to creative writing classes across Indiana, Alabama, Ohio, and Illinois. Founded in September 2018, the organization began when Debra Des Vignes discovered the power and healing of writing while serving as a volunteer. She decided to go off-script and encourage the men to write. That was her “aha” moment. Discovering the raw talent in the room, she decided to create a 12-week creative writing workshop that helps participants express their life stories through reflection, literacy development, and emotional resilience.