Scenes from our 2008 ex-prisoner performing arts show "From Prison to the Stage" at the Kennedy Center.


The Prisons Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the arts and education in prison and alternatives to incarceration. We believe that art can not only play a cathartic roll in the life of a prisoner, but that it boosts self esteem, decreases frustration and anger, fosters a sense of productivity and that this ultimately translates into a released prisoner who feels a greater sense of self worth, and a greater sense of "connection" to society and the world around him. At the same time when the general public views inmate art they are forced to confront stereotypes about prisoners and in turn "humanize" the artist/prisoner who has created the work they are viewing. Ultimately we would like to re-form the way people interpret corrections and change the way our society, and indeed our world, views prison and punishment. It should be noted that first and foremost we are an advocacy group and not simply a clearinghouse for art. Profit sharing (where allowed) with inmates rewards them with something tangible for their hard work. The profit percentage Prisons Foundation procures goes towards advocacy work and all of the expected fiscal details of running a nonprofit organization. A percentage of profits from the sale of inmate art also go towards a victim’s advocacy fund, and we strongly encourage inmates to designate a charity when they cannot personally benefit, monetarily, due to facility restrictions. We cannot always guarantee that an inmate’s artwork will be sold, but we can guarantee that it will be seen. We know from years of dedicated advocacy work that gently exposing someone to a new idea is the first step in promoting change. Imagination is > prison.

Meet the Distinguished Board of the Prisons Foundation

Howard Zinn
Noted historian and playwright and author of the bestselling book A Peoples History of the United States.

Bill Frohlich
Editor-in-Chief of Northeastern University Press and publisher of acclaimed books about prison, including Undoing Time.

G. Ashanti Witherspoon
Radio and television talk show host, producer, motivational speaker and former prisoner featured in the documentary The Farm.

Bishop Walter F. Sullivan
Long-time fighter for prison reform and an opponent of the continued use of executions as punishment in America.

Kathleen O'Shea
Author of books on social justice and prison reform for women, including Women on the Row.

Paul Krassner
Legendary publisher of The Realist, author of several books and a much-in-demand performing satirist.

Wayland House
Art teacher and owner of Wayland House Gallerie, a popular Washington, DC art gallery.

Michael Newton
Author of encyclopedias and more than 100 nonfiction and fiction books.

Tom Lagana
Motivational speaker and editor of books in the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, including Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul.

Jimmy Lerner
Writer and poet, author of the prison memoir You Got Nothing Comming

Helen Thorne
President

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1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, DC 20006. E-mail: Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org Phone: 202-393-1511
Notice: The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the Prisons Foundation is a publicly-supported 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and that, in view of its official nonprofit status, contributions made to the Prisons Foundation are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.