On The Inside June 2024
“We grow through what we go through.”
-current student, Wyoming Women’s Center
Thank you for being here, for sharing in our story, and for being curious enough to lean in to what we are creating these days. This month we offer you words from our Board of Directors about what On The Inside means to them, as well as paintings from our students at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.
“Bearing witness to this evolution opens my eyes to the practice of deep care in serving those experiencing incarceration. This work has forever changed the way I see.”
-Elena Brower, Board of Directors
*Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, current student
“In this class that you have started I have found hope. I finally found a place where I belong like this class was made just for me.”
-current student, Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
Facilities we currently serve at:
-Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, since 2018, this is where Caroline and I met and began our work
-Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, since 2021
-Wyoming Women’s Center, since 2021
-Wyoming Women’s Center: Youth Offenders, since 2023
-Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Missouri, since 2023
-Virginia Correctional Center for Women, since 2023
*We lead weekly and monthly classes at these facilities led by our two person facilitator teams, and monthly classes for caseworkers at some of these facilities.
“On The Inside has given me life. In a time where I felt I was good enough to survive it offered me something more. Introspection. What grew from their is confidence in myself, I've learned how to self manage my time, I've put my foot in grant writing, graphic design, somatic emdr. I have learned that failing is never pointless and always a benefit to learn how to do it gracefully. I have gained so many skills. Besides the skills I have witnessed walking into a room full of women tired freshly pulled from their beds full of resentment and watched how two hours of a workshop can open their hearts. I've watched women come in swearing they don't talk about their life and walk out thanking us for giving them the space to process. This work is transformational and I am eager to see what our year 5 is going to be full of!”
-Caroline Cox, Board of Directors
*Believe, by Little Bit, Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
Our support circles are broadening to encompass more facilitators. Caroline and I find that we work well as a team, one of us having lived through incarceration and one of us with experience of the system and facilitating. Our newest facilitator, Julie has just joined us for our recent Dream Team Meeting, a monthly meeting where our six facilitators gather to share ideas, brainstorm, and problem solve. When I asked the Dream Team to each describe themselves in three words, here is what I got:
De Bolton: Resilient. Determined. Ardent.
Julianna Haleen: Dynamic. Persevering. Compassionate.
Caroline Cox: Imaginative. Survivor. Tenacious.
Jennifer Chapman: Creative. Enduring. Hopeful.
Atieno Bird: Attention. Intuition. Love.
Me: Playful. Honest. Curious.
“This class has given me a passion for art and poetry I thought I’d lost.”
-current student, Wyoming Women’s Center
We are seeing more of our inside students released and seeking us out for support groups and for job opportunities. The transition of living inside prison to navigating the world outside of prison are vastly different.
Imagine it for yourself. We had one student recently release from Nebraska after spending 14 years inside. She had worked and served time at this facility for longer than some of the staff!
Our work begins inside, inside of ourselves as we uncover who it is we really are. Where are trauma began, our ancestral lines, and we move into our bodies as we uncover our emotional life. We learn together, to speak to what is hard and true, to write it, to make art about it, and then ultimately to change the narrative.
The power, in our work, and in stories, is that we can change them. We can change ourselves and our perspectives. I think you’ll see that here this month.
“I am most grateful for the ways On the Inside has helped identify and humbled my learned prejudices and assumptions about incarcerated people. I’m grateful that my experience working with On the Inside has expanded my capacity for forgiveness.”
-Reema Zaman, Board of Directors
*Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
*Don’t sit on the outside of this circle- ways that you can take action today:
Become a Monthly Donor to support our ongoing weekly classes across state lines, inside and outside prison.
Sign up for our 4 class series, then join us for biweekly or monthly groups.
Tell a friend about the work we do- share our website or social media with them.
“I am reminded of how to walk in strength and beauty again. I feel less alone when I am in this class”
-current student, Wyoming Women’s Center
“Loving memories
Often loving thoughts
Very structured days
Everyday is a blessing.”
-current student, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
It is an honor to share our work with you, and our growth, thank you to all of you that have been with us since the beginning, that offer your dollars monthly, and that show up in our class circles.
It matters.
Showing up matters.
Thank you for being in our circle.
-Nikki Weaver
Founder
Lifelong Student
Don’t sit on the outside of our circle:
Become a Monthly Sustainer today!
A monthly donation of $20, $50, or $100, or more support our weekly programming inside and outside facility. This is the best way to help us grow and build our programming long term.
Join a four class series.
Offered four times per year outside of facility.
Or join our bi-weekly group for anyone affected by the prison system, offered biweekly virtually.
Or join our monthly class, offered to anyone who has completed our four class or eight class series.
"If I stop pushing through my pain, I’d just fall over.
You showed up for me, you have shown me love.
That’s why I keep showing up here."
-Sharnique, Nikki #1
Your actions matter. Your words matter. How you show up matters.
Much love and gratitude for your ongoing support,
Nikki Weaver
Caroline Cox
De Bolton
Jennifer Chapman
Atieno Bird
-The Dream Team
Facilities we currently serve at:
-Tarrengower Prison in Victoria, Australia
-Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, since 2018, this is where Caroline and I met and began our work
-Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, since 2021
-Wyoming Women’s Center, since 2021
-Wyoming Women’s Center: Youth Offenders, since 2023
-Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Missouri, since 2023
-Virginia Correctional Center for Women, since 2023
*We lead weekly and monthly classes at these facilities led by our two person facilitator teams, and monthly classes for caseworkers at some of these facilities.
Announcing our 2024 Monthly Group Gatherings (2 hours on Zoom)-
**all monthly group meetings are 12pm-2 pm PT/3pm-5 pm ET
Saturday Jan 6 HOPE
Tuesday Feb 6 LET’S GET SEXY
Thursday March 7 AGILITY
Tuesday April 2 TRUTH
Tuesday May 7 CREATIVITY
Saturday June 1 JOURNEYS
Thursday July 11 SHADOW WORK
Tuesday August 6 LOVE
Sunday September 1 COURAGE
Monday October 7 FLEXIBILITY
Thursday November 7 VALUES
Saturday December 7 HOPE
**all monthly meetings are 12pm-2 pm PST/1-3pm MST/2-4pmCST/3pm-5 pm EST/9-11pm Zimbabwe and Croatia/5-7am Australia + a day
SIGNATURE FOUR CLASS SERIES-
Our four class series is a great way to become a part of our work, learn about the class structure, create with us, and build community. Each class occurs over Zoom so you can participate from anywhere. Every class you can expect to: share, create, receive, and learn as we make work that goes into our facilities and work from our inside students is shared with us.
*We only offer our outside class series 4 times a year, these fill up FAST so connect with us to register today. Please confirm which series you would like to join.
*SOLD OUT MARCH SERIES, please join our waitlist for September.*
“This class was by far the best class offered to me while in prison”
-WY Women’s Center
2024 Four Class Series (2 hours on Zoom)-
Thursdays January 4, 11, 18, and 25
Saturdays March 2, 9, 16, and 23
Thursdays September 5,12, 19, and 26
Saturdays October 5,12,19, and 26
**all classes are 12pm-2 pm PST/1-3pm MST/2-4pmCST/3pm-5 pm EST/9-11pm Zimbabwe and Croatia/5-7am Australia + a day
This series is co-led by Caroline Cox, Project Manager at On The Inside, and Nikki Weaver Founder.
Zoom links and instructions are sent out after payment is made. We offer a sliding scale and full scholarships too, all you need to do is connect us. Payment can be made right here. Please connect with us if you would like to join our next class series and specify which four classes you would like to attend. The work builds upon itself so it is essential that you prioritize attending all four sessions. You can join our four week class series, and then continue on in our monthly class by signing up here.
2024 Bi- Weekly Support Group Meeting Dates (60 mins on ZOOM)-
Monday June 10th
Monday June 24th
Monday July 8th
Monday July 22rd
Monday August 5th
Monday August 19th
Monday September 2rd
Monday September 16th
Monday September 30th
Monday October 14th
Monday October 28th
Monday November 11th
Monday November 25th
Monday December 9th
Monday December 23th NO CLASS
**all meetings are 5 pm-6 pm PST/ 6-7 pm MST/ 7-8pm CST/ 8 pm-9 pm EST**
Zoom Links are NOT sent out without confirmation on attendance
Email Caroline@ontheinside.space
To confirm attendance and be provided with the ZOOM Link for the Bi- Weekly Support Group
*Human BEING at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility November 2023
“This work saved my life.”
-Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
Follow along on our social media platforms, you can find us on: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIN.
OUR MISSION
On The Inside builds a creative connection for incarcerated women, both individually and collectively. We do this by telling our stories, igniting our hearts, and sparking dialogue. Creative connection for a greater good, we create community for women on the inside and outside by breaking down the walls that keep us apart.
The United States houses over 1.3 million incarcerated women.
We aim to change that.
Creativity is what keeps us alive, it is what draws us together. Our stories save us and have the ability to heal us. Healing is both collective and deeply personal. We create shared dialogue by holding a container for women to transform themselves. We do this through creative prompts where each woman has a voice in the room, through exploratory movement, creating a rolodex of emotions to draw from, and boundaries to hold.
We begin.
We create.
We play together.
We share.
We seek closure.
We begin again.
We hold weekly classes to gather in a circle. We create weekly newsletters where women on the outside create work (poetry, art, song) for women on the inside, and the women on the inside do the same. We create living, breathing works of art that move us far beyond the page, beyond the stage, and into a space of embodiment.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa Collins
Fungai Mubayiwa
Katie Morell
Caroline Cox
Megan Gaffney
Atieno Bird
Dr.Mercy Nyangulu Nyepudzayi
Jazmin Jimenez
Cindy Lone
Tina Packer
Mia Zara
Marie Gonzalez
Beck Wilschefski
Elena Brower
Reema Zaman
Together, we stretch four continents wide.
Collectively, we are making a difference by creating together.
You are always invited to join our work, join our collective, join our creative expanding circle.
Consider Making a "New" Gift:
Support our work by sustaining a woman through a monthly contribution right here. Your donation will support the ongoing weekly and monthly work we continue to build in person, and online.
-Nikki Weaver
Executive Director
Founder
Ways to Get Involved and Support:
Donate
You can support our work by sustaining a woman through a monthly contribution or a one-time donation.
Your donation will support the ongoing weekly and monthly work we continue to build in person, and online.
Donate Here.
Shop
Visit our online shop to purchase a small selection of goods that support our work on the inside!
Check out our shop here.
Join our Classes
You can join our four week class series, and then continue on in our monthly class.
Sign up Here.
