Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project, Records, 1971-1982 (C2636)

6 linear feet and 2 audio cassettes

INTRODUCTION

The Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project was a Columbia, Missouri, organization, sponsored by KOPN Radio, which advocated prison reform and prisoner rights and sought to educate the public on prison conditions. The collection includes the records of the Zebra Sunrise radio program, correspondence from inmates, inmate periodicals and literary journals, and subject files on prisons, prisoners, and the criminal justice system. See also Collection No. 3111.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project Records were donated to the University of Missouri by James R. Ellinger on 18 August 1982 (Accession No. 4454).

ORGANIZATIONAL SKETCH

The Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project was sponsored by KOPN Radio in Columbia, Missouri, and funded by grants from the Campaign for Human Development, 1979-1981. The goals of the project, staffed for the most part by ex-offenders, were to improve the quality of life for prisoners, to educate the general public on prison conditions, and to advocate institutional reform in the correctional system.

The main vehicle used to carry out the project's goals was a weekly radio program, Zebra Sunrise. Designed to be by, for, and about prisoners, the radio program reached six of the seven state prisons in Missouri. The project also published a newsletter, Zebra and Created Inside: The Journal of Missouri Prisoner Literature and Art.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records of the Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project contain, in addition to the papers of the project, papers that document the activities of the organization--the radio program, publications, and inmate correspondence. The records are arranged into eight series:

A significant portion of the collection is devoted to material collected by the project. Newsletters, magazines, and literary and art journals published by inmates in prisons and jails throughout the country were collected. The project also collected newspapers and magazine articles, brochures, reports, newsletters, and periodicals relating to crime, prisons, and the criminal justice system. Two audio cassettes are included in the collection: an interview with the Rev. Paul Kabat, a peace activist, and a reading for African poems by Kirk Collins.

FOLDER LIST

Prisoner Advocacy and Education Project Series

f. 1-3Correspondence, 1978-1982
f. 4Advisory board minutes, 1978-1980
f. 5-10Grant proposals and reports, 1978-1981
f. 11-12Campaign for Human Development, brochures and reports
f. 13-19Grants and funding sources, inquiries and rejections
f. 20-24Personnel files
f. 25-26Financial records
f. 27-30Surveys
f. 31Mailing lists
f. 32Photographs

Inmate Correspondence and Legal Papers Series

f. 33-101The staff carried on extensive correspondence with prisoners who wrote for advice or assistance with personal or legal problems or to air grievances about prison policies and conditions. The letters paint vivid pictures of prison life. Legal papers are often included which dealt with prisoners' attempt to overturn their convictions or with law suits against correctional institutions and employees or state officials concerning civil rights violations. The letters are arranged alphabetically by inmate name, then chronologically there under. Some documents are filed under the name of the institution, e.g., Missouri, Penitentiary.

Zebra Sunrise Radio Program Series

f. 102-103Program scripts
f. 104-106Inside Story scripts
f. 107Advertisements; program guide
f. 108-109Reporter notes

Zebra Newsletter Series

f. 110-112Newsletter, 1979-1982
f. 113Poetry and prose writing, articles
f. 114Cartoons and drawings

Created Inside Series

f. 115-116Correspondence, journal, 1980-1981
f. 117-118Advertising, sales, financial records
f. 119-120Journal layout
f. 121Artwork and photographs
f. 122-123Poetry and prose used in journal
f. 124-134Poetry and prose not used in journal

Inmate Periodicals and Literary Journals Series

Magazines and newsletters published by and for inmates of correctional institutions throughout the U.S. The periodicals were about events and people in prison and often contained articles on issues of interest to prisoners, such as, capital punishment, parole, education, rehabilitation, and the criminal justice system. Also literary journals published by and for inmates containing poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing, artwork, and cartoons. Arranged alphabetically by title.

f. 136-139The Angolite, Louisiana State Penitentiary, 1981-1982
f. 140-142Arm the Spirit: A Revolutionary Prisoners Newsletter, 1980-1981
f. 143-145COSMEP Prison Project Newsletter, 1979-1981
f. 149The Jefftown Journal, newsletter of Missouri State Penitentiary, 1979-1980
f. 149-155Joint Endeavor, newsletter of Huntsville Unit, Texas Department of corrections, 1978-1982
f. 158-160The Messenger, South Dakota State Penitentiary, 1978-1979
f. 163-166San Quentin News, California, 1981

Subject Files Series

Collection of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, newsletters, journals, brochures, press releases, and reports on topics, issues, organizations, and movements concerned with prisoners, prisons, crime, and the administration of criminal justice. Organized alphabetically by topic, organization, or periodical.

f. 169-171American Civil Liberties Union
f. 173-174Blacks
f. 175-176Capital punishment
f. 179-181Contact, a criminal justice newsletter
f. 183-185Corrections Compendium, 1979-1980
f. 186-190Corrections Magazine, 1976-1982
f. 191-200Corrections Today, 1979-1982
f. 201-202Crime and crime prevention
f. 203-209Criminal Justice
f. 210-212Drug abuse and drugs
f. 215-222Fortune News, newsletter of Fortune Society, an organization for ex-offenders, 1977-1981
f. 223-225Jericho, newsletter of National Moratorium on Prison construction, 1977-1982
f. 226-227Juvenile delinquency
f. 230-236Missouri Association for Social Welfare, memos, brochures, and newsletters: Citizen's Voice and Legislative News, 1979-1981
f. 237-239Missouri, Boone County Jail, task force report, 1981
f. 245-250Missouri Department of Corrections, correspondence, clippings, and reports
f. 257-265Missouri Penitentiary, clippings and reports
f. 271-272National Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression
f. 277-279Parole
f. 280-281Peltier, Leonard, newsletters
f. 284-286Prison Fellowship, organization of Christian ministry directed by Charles Colson
f. 295-303Prison Law Monitor, periodical that lists important court decisions concerning criminal justice and prisons, 1978-1981
f. 305Prisoners of Life: A Study of Occupational Stress Among State Corrections' Officers
f. 306-307Prisoners--Overcrowding, The Effect of Prison Crowding on Inmate Behavior, 1980
f. 313-314Project CULTURE: Creative Use of Leisure Time Under Restrictive Environments, an organization to advance inmate art
f. 315-321U.S. Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook, New York, newsclippings, articles, and newsletters on STOP (Stop the Olympic Prison), an organizations to prevent construction of federal prison on site of 1980 Olympics, Lake Placid, New York.

Audio Cassettes

a.c. 1Rev. Paul Kabat
a.c. 2Kirk Collins

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.