At six coffee shops in Tulsa, portraits on the walls are showcasing women in Oklahoma’s prisons who are writers for Poetic Justice. It’s an effort to bring attention to the nonprofit’s restorative writing programs operating behind bars.
The nonprofit started in 2014 with a writing workshop in the Tulsa County Jail. It has since expanded into Oklahoma and California prisons and added projects such as children’s literature and newspapers.
The Mabel Bassett Balance and Eddie Warrior Standard newspapers are written, edited and distributed by women in those Oklahoma prisons who receive training and mentorship from professional journalists — including myself. Both publications have won national awards.
To support the programs, locally-owned Tulsa coffee shops are participating in a “coffee trail” fundraiser that ends Wednesday. A percentage of each sale is donated to Poetic Justice.
For each drink purchased, a person gets a card punched. After visiting five locations, a person receives a free Poetic Justice anthology.
Participating locations are Foolish Things Coffee Company, Chimera Cafe, SheBrews Coffee, Coracle Coffee, Jones Co. Coffee and Inheritance Juicery.
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