A Voice for the Voiceless

JUSTICE MATTERS

BleakHouse Publishing is an independent, not-for-profit press devoted to creative writing, art, and photography on criminal and social justice, The press, founded in 2006 by Robert Johnson, a professor of justice, law, and criminology at American University, is staffed primarily by American University students and alumni. Our mission is to publish works that shed a humane light on the nether world of the criminal justice system— especially prisons, home to the death penalty and other forms of violence and repression.

Robert Johnson, founding Editor & Publisher

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We welcome our newest book

life by phillip Vance smith II

In this debut collection, Phillip Vance Smith II shows us the profound consequences of a life-without-parole sentence. With quiet power, his poems examine trauma and inhumane treatment yet unearth hope for himself and for us all.

 
 

BleakHouse Spotlight

 

WE WELCOME A NEW ESSAY BY PHILLIP VANCE SMITH II

“May my words illuminate the dungeon and my pen sharpen the spear.”

A BleakHouse Book Review: “Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt.” Orisanmi Burton (University of California Press, 2023).

we WELCOME A NEW ESSAY BY CHARLES HUCKELBURY

“The Name is the Game.”

This essay will be featured in the 2023 issue of Tacenda Magazine: An Online Arts & Social Justice Journal, along with other essays that consider the role of language in shaping our perspectives of crime and punishment.

WE WELCOME A NEW ESSAY BY GEORGE T. WILKERSON

“Death Row's Rainbow Effect: A Spectrum of Responses to Living under a Death Sentence”

This essay will be featured in the 2023 issue of Tacenda Magazine: An Online Arts & Social Justice Journal.

Sunflowers and the Old Truck by Allen Hudson

Art for Redemption

Founded by Buck Adams, a formerly incarcerated veteran, Art for Redemption is a one-of-a-kind online marketplace that sells art created by incarcerated artists from all around the country. 

Featuring work from over 100 artists, Art for Redemption not only gives incarcerated individuals a platform to showcase their paintings, drawings and crafts, but also provides them with a source of income while in prison thanks to its commission and royalty based sales platform. 

Creative expression is a vital outlet for many incarcerated individuals, but one cannot overlook the financial burden that is placed on the incarcerated and their families. With unbelievably high recidivism rates and unequal employment opportunities for the incarcerated, the United States presents its recently released with countless barriers between them and the promise of a second chance. Art for Redemption, and other organizations like it, addresses this issue by creating opportunities for its represented artists both inside and outside the prison system.   

To learn more about Art for Redemption, visit their website at https://artforredemption.com

BleakHouse Spotlight

People's Pottery Project

People's Pottery Project is a non-profit art collective that employs formerly incarcerated women, trans and non-binary individuals as ceramicists.

The Project not only trains the formerly incarcerated in pottery, but also offers flexible, ongoing employment in a variety of fields, from ceramic fabrication to business management. 

As stated on their website, "Through our collective work, members gain a platform to connect to others, share their stories, and ultimately transform dominant narratives about those who have experienced incarceration."

Limited Edition PPP Bud Vase

To learn more about the People's Pottery Project, visit their website at www.peoplespotteryproject.com

ANNOUNCING THE 2023 ISSUE OF TACENDA MAGAZINE

INtroducing the BleakHouse Gallery

The BleakHouse Gallery is a space where visual artists with a passion for social justice can show their work. If you would like to submit to the BleakHouse Gallery, or if you have any questions about our submission guidelines, we encourage you to reach out to Robert Johnson at bleakhousepublishing@gmail.com.

We are proud to announce the inaugural recipient of the BleakHouse Scholar Award, Norah Nasser

We are pleased to announce the creation of a new award, the BleakHouse Scholarship. BleakHouse Scholars undertake original works of social science, art, or fiction on social and criminal justice issues. Their work will be published by the press. The award comes with a modest honorarium. 

Our inaugural BleakHouse Scholar is Norah Nasser. Norah is a current undergraduate student at American University. She is pursuing a B.A. in justice and law with a concentration in criminal justice. Norah is extremely passionate about prison reform and other social justice issues and is very excited to work for BleakHouse Publishing. Please join me in congratulating Norah. We look forward to publishing her work.

INtroducing our New column: Brittany Ripper Explains

Photograph by Munira Mustaffa

Photograph by Munira Mustaffa

We are proud to announce the inaugural edition of Brittany Ripper Explains, a scholarly column addressing critical issues in criminal and juvenile justice today. Brittany Ripper, J.D., is a doctoral student in Justice, Law and Criminology at American University and a legal consultant for BleakHouse Publishing. Columns will be published on a regular basis in response to queries from the field. In her first column, Ripper discusses juvenile life sentences, prison adjustment, and rehabilitation.

If you have any questions for Ms. Ripper she can be reached at RipperBrittany@gmail.com

announcing our collaboration with…

Founded by Leslie Lakes, Prison Arts Touching Hearts (P.A.T.H) is a non-profit organization designed to provide a platform for a much needed voice and validation to incarcerated artists. We will now be showcasing works of art created by some of the incarcerated artists P.A.T.H represents on our own virtual art gallery. If you would like to learn more about P.A.T.H, please check out their website.