Prison Arts
The power of intentional community, plus a time sensitive invitation to strengthen community.
This morning while teaching yoga inside a women’s prison, I asked my class-
“Something that makes you smile, something that makes you cry.”
They are use to me dropping them off the edge with my questions at 8am each Tuesday morning, it is how we gather. I listen for the familiar sighs, held breath, tears, eyes that look up and away, and then someone speaks and the room begins to tune, like an instrument hitting its first note.
The whispers stop and the hearts turn on.
These women, who were strangers only months ago now know each others names and nicknames. They listen weekly for these tiny secrets to reveal themselves in a room.
Today, as we broke down what makes us smile and cry two women said the exact same thing:
“My son. My son.”
Heads nodded, no one spoke.
I spoke of the pain and beauty in living- that a smile and a cry might exist in the same breath.
And so it is.
Each week we gather to question parts of ourselves, and move parts of ourselves. I believe movement ignites change- something internal can connect us to something external. A balancing pose can remind us of the balance of our lives. A heavy heart can expose the underbelly of what we need to speak. When we practice in community we are changed, we are connected, we are exposed.
The fart that slipped out that you hoped no one heard, was heard. The tightness that you felt was witnessed. The grief you shared becomes part of the room, part of someone else, and in the sharing- we can release.
I came home from my class today and got on the phone to Holton Conservation Camp #16. Currently 700 inmates from this facility are working on 22 fire crews across California tirelessly fighting fires. I called and spoke with the Lieutenant on the phone just now, I asked him what they needed and shared a little of who my mother was and what we do. He said, "toiletries, please send toiletries".
As you may or may not know, I founded On The Inside back in 2020 as a non-profit committed to amplifying and strengthening incarcerated voices offering weekly creative classes across the US and now Australia, to provide a space for women and youth to heal and move forward in their lives. We are a team of 8 women now offering weekly classes in 6 US states and 1 Australian state.
I was awakened to the prison world through my mother who was a tireless teacher at Camp Holton when it was a probation center. Holton Conservation Camp #16 now works with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and trains incarcerated men to work on fire crews.
Tomorrow, I am going to mail a large box from all of us. I'll include: deodorant, wipes, antiseptic creams, shampoo/conditioner, hand sanitizer, soap, wash clothes, lotion, chapsticks, etc.
I'll also include a card and our contact information with all of our names on it. If you would like to support us with this donation, please donate any amount to our Venmo account here or you can make a donation on our website here. Be sure to add in the comments: LA Fires so we can include your name in our card and mailing to the facility. Be sure to follow along on our socials: On The Inside Instagram to stay up to date with our current offerings.
*all photos posted here are from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Karen Pride Photographer
In gratitude,
Nikki. xoxo
Thank you for being here, for bearing witness, and taking action. Community and connection matter a great deal to me. Up next, I’ll continue with my Substack series: Letters To My Daughters. You can discover more offerings from me right here.
Pssst. This is me, in my element:) I hope to meet you one day real soon.