Unlocked: Art and Experiences From Inside Virginia's Prisons

Among the approximately 25,000 people currently incarcerated in the Commonwealth of Virginia are mothers, fathers, siblings, and youths, who, like all other human beings, have stories to tell, ideas to share, and questions that can take on a life of their own in the way that all literature can do. With this biannual journal, we seek to amplify the voices of the incarcerated in our state through their poems, spoken word, personal reflections, and artwork. In doing so, we not only lift the concerns and creativity of those behind bars, but we also provide a healing space where imagination and talent serve to restore and empower. Art humanizes, engages, makes us think, and creates connections. It has always been a powerful agent for change if we just unlock it.