On The Inside September 2023
“This group is uncovering what’s on the inside of you, and what has brought us to our addictions. It’s looking at emotions and how we can be present with them and ourselves at the same time.”-current student, Wyoming Youth Center
*drawing from a current student in WY Women’s Center
Welcome to September. These words above come from a current youth who is serving time at the WY Women’s Center in our youth program. She was describing what our work is to a new student that day. It made me stop and think, huh, she’s got it. She’s really got it.
It’s hard to describe what happens inside our prison circles.
For me, prison is a gateway, it’s a place where we meet ourselves. I share and write this as a guest, not an adult incarcerated. This morning, I started my day dancing to Madonna with women inside our Oregon facility, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, where we were beginning to unpack what freedom really means. One woman had tears sliding down her face the entire time and moved as though she was releasing whole worlds. Later she shared, “I cried because it felt so powerful and beautiful to move with you all like that, like we were one.”
Another woman giggled uncontrollably most of the time. When we sat down she said,” My dad just had a heart attack, I almost didn’t walk into the room today cuz I wasn’t sure I could be here with you all. But I’m so glad I came, now I’m in a totally different place. This has changed everything for me.”
And so we dance, and learn to speak the truth.
Tiny moments
That lead to great moments.
Do you know that we mostly work as volunteers? Our Staff, myself included, is greatly subsidized, and we need your support to grow and continue moments and classes like these.
I invite you to join our group of monthly donors, or consider supporting our work in a state, or country you reside in. We serve women, trans, youth, and their families on the outside too through ongoing class series, release care packages, and employment.
Your dollars create these opportunities.
* a collaboration of the above drawing, turned into a watercolor by one of the women we serve inside Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
It’s almost time to play in person at our Nebraska, Missouri, and Wyoming Women’s and Youth Facility. Follow along as we traverse the country to work and play with our students. Follow along on our Instagram page (@ontheinside2) or on Facebook to stay updated.
*Nebraska Correctional Center for Women 2023
“I can’t even explain what this work has meant to me.”
-recent release from our Missouri Facility, shared in our outside monthly class in August.
This month our dream team will gather together for the first time in Missouri to play and learn from each other before co-leading at the Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) where we have been working for the good part of a year
We are working together to create from this place:
Something you wish you were told as a child.
*We invite you to reply to this newsletter and share your thoughts with us. We will share them with the women inside.
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.
*Coffee Creek Correctional Facility with guest author, Board of Directors Member, Reema Zaman
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.
Circles are the great equalizer. It is how we meet, how we gather, and how we share.
Don’t sit on the outside of our circle.
1.Sign up for our final four class series beginning in October, then join our monthly circle after completing our four class series.
2.Become a monthly donor to sustain and build our work.
3.Share our work through your social media platforms to build our collective awareness.
“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
SIGNATURE FOUR CLASS SERIES-
*final one of 2023
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.
FINAL FOUR CLASS SERIES of 2023.
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.
Joins us for our monthly gatherings of 2023-
All monthly groups meet from 12-2pm PST/3pm-5pm EST
*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 over Zoom
Saturday Jan 7 HOPE
Tuesday Feb 7 LET’S GET SEXY
Thursday March 2 AGILITY
Tuesday April 17 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
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
“Hold my hand when I’m sad,
Calm me down when I’m mad…
I’ve been in prison twice now. This time feels different.
I only come out of my room for this class, this work.”
-Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, current class
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
Dr. Lisa Collins
Reema Zaman
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
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.
