April 2023 at On The Inside
“Togetherness. These women have that now and they didn’t before. I’m taking that from this class today.”-Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic, and Correctional Center (WERDCC), Caseworker
As this monthly newsletter flies out into the world we will be boarding planes to work in person this month with the women we serve outside of Oregon. In 3 days we will share in laughter, tears, artmaking, pleasure, grief, and humor with the women we serve at the:
-Wyoming Women’s Center
-Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
-Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Missouri
Check out Alexis’s beautiful work from our recent class at the Wyoming Women’s Center (picture below). Alexis mails us a copy of everything she makes, many of her pieces line our office walls. This piece depicts the light and darkness she carries. If you have participated in our 4 class series you may remember the prompt and work we do around this.
You can support the growth of this work by becoming a monthly supporter financially, or joining our outside class series, monthly groups, or bi-weekly groups for folks with a criminal history. We are committed to breaking down the walls that keep us apart.
This month also has us offering our FIRST all genders 4 class series, inspired by students of ours who are trans or identify as male after living inside a women’s correctional facility. We have room for one more lucky person to join us, sign information is below. We are asking ourselves what does gender mean? How do we grapple with it and speak about it? How do you? My daughter often says, “Don’t assume, just ask.” Simple, direct, to the point. Yes to that!
“As long as I’ve been here I’ve never trusted anyone until now .”
-Wyoming Women’s Center, current student
This month also has us beginning to train more women inside as Peer Facilitators, we are expanding our ideas of leadership and looking at what it’s like to lead from the inside. As we figure this out we are collaborating with women inside facility and women who have been released outside of facility to learn how to best do this. It’s an evolving process, we have lots of notes and questions and only a few answers. If you are interested in working with us as a facilitator for this work, please reach out and let us know. We will prioritize training folks with a criminal background or experience within the prison system.
“This class gives us a whole new LIFE. It gives us positivity in a dark place.”
-Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic, and Correctional Center, current student
If you haven’t purchased our book, Breaking Down Barriers.
You can do so now right here.
If the book speaks to you, consider setting up a workshop for you and your clients/staff with us. We are offering 90 minute workshops that include 5 copies of the book in person or virtually. Email us directly to set one up with your friend group or work place.
Breaking Down Barriers: workshop with On The Inside
Mark your calendars with our four class series offerings and sign up today for one that fits in with your life. After you take part in a four class series meet us in our monthly work, or consider becoming a facilitator as we expand into more states.
SUSTAIN our work-
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.
Thank you for being a growing part of our journey, our failures and our successes as we navigate slow and intentional growth to keep this work fresh, accessible, and necessary.
*Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, Fall 2022
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.
Series 1: Wednesdays from 11am-1pm PST/2pm-4pm EST
February 1, 8, 15, and 22.
SOLD OUT.
Series 2: Wednesdays from 11am-1pm PST/2pm-4pm EST
April 12, 19, 26 and May 3.
ROOM FOR 1 MORE!
Series 3: Thursdays 12pm-2pm PST/3pm-5pm EST
May 4, 11, 18, and 25.
Series 4: Thursdays 5-7pm PST/8pm-10pm EST
October 5, 12, 19, and 26.
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.
*Angel’s Giving Tree, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility March 2023
Join us for our monthly gatherings of 2023-
All monthly groups meet from 12-2pm PT/3pm-5pm ET
*Zoom link sent to all those who have participated in our 4 class or 8 class series.
In these classes, we gather and share, create together, move together, and discuss artwork and poetry from our students currently serving time. Your work is also shared inside facilities. It’s a chance to connect and grow with women worldwide.
Announcing our 2023 Monthly Group Gatherings (2 hours)-
**all monthly group meetings are 12pm-2 pm PT/3pm-5 pm ET
Saturday, Jan 7 HOPE
Tuesday, Feb 7 LET’S GET SEXY
Thursday, March 2 AGILITY
Tuesday, April 4 TRUTH
Tuesday, May 2 CREATIVITY
Saturday, June 3 JOURNEYS
Thursday, July 6 SHADOW WORK
Tuesday, August 1 LOVE
Sunday, September 3 COURAGE
Monday, October 2 FLEXIBILITY
Thursday, November 2 VALUES
Saturday, December 2 HOPE
We hope to see you in class this year- join us for four sessions and then move into our monthly group as we deepen the connections, strengthen our creativity, and build long-lasting relationships with women inside and outside prison facilities.
*Wyoming Women’s Center, alumni class 2022
Your actions matter. Your words matter. How you show up matters.
Much love and gratitude for your ongoing support,
Nikki Weaver and Caroline Cox
-Founder and Project Manager
*Ms. Pearson at the WY Women's Center
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.
