From Judy Kleinberg:

We had an excellent discussion of writing to incarcerated people last night in the Zoom Room. Hosted by Zach Charles and featuring Betty King of Bisbee, Arizona, Matt Trease of the CPL board, Katie Sarah Zale, who is a poet and teacher who works with incarcerated writers, CPL Founding Director Paul E Nelson and longtime postcard participant Judy Kleinberg. Judy summarizes your opportunity to reach out to people “on the inside:”

As an optional add-on to this year’s Poetry Postcard Fest, you have the opportunity to send a poetry postcard to someone who is incarcerated.

Following our recent Zoom conversation about the University of Arizona Free Time: Writers Inside and Out with Betty King and Katie Sarah Zale (link to Zoom video here), we invite you to write a poem on a postcard to someone on the inside.

Here are the guidelines:

• You may write and send as many postcards as you’d like.
• You may, but do not have to, write your first name on your postcard.
• Do not address your postcard(s).
• Place your postcard(s) in an envelope and mail to Betty King, PO Box 7, Bisbee, AZ 85603.
• Your postcard(s) will be addressed by a volunteer and sent to someone on the inside.
• This is special Postcard Fest event, not an exchange; you will not receive a reply.

However, if you’re interested in getting more involved, the U of A Free Time program offers training for volunteers willing to make a one-year commitment to exchanging mail with an incarcerated individual. Follow the link above for further details about Free Time and a volunteer application.