Mission Statement:
Write On! is a group of concerned students, workers and community members who support and stand in solidarity with people in prison in Canada (both in the Provincial and Federal systems). We believe that providing resources and information to people in prison is a way we can improve the quality of their lives. We also work in partnership with people in prison by learning from them about their experiences and insights into the prison system. We strive to use their voices to advocate for more humanity, social justice, and transparency within the criminal justice system. We work to understand ways that society can change and grow so that incarceration is not needed.
Goals:
1) To provide people in prison with accurate information on legal issues, their rights while incarcerated, community resources support, and other information that can positively impact the quality of their lives in prison and upon release.
2) To use what we learn from the experiences of people in prison to advocate for a more humane criminal justice system, and ultimately for better alternatives to incarceration.
What We Do:
Write On! strives to broaden the access that people in prison have to knowledge, information, and resources by answering their letters and responding to their research requests. This can include requests regarding general legal information, resources, programs and services, information on prison rules and policies, and other types of information.. We do not however offer any kind of professional advice, legal or other. We also strive to learn from people in prison themselves through their letters, about the conditions of prison life and the systemic issues they face. We use the information received to raise awareness about these issues, and to advocate for a criminal justice system where all people are treated with dignity and humanity and receive the help they need to heal and thrive as human beings.
What We Believe In:
We believe that people in prison are part of our community, and should be treated the same way that all people should be - in a just and humane manner where their rights are respected. People in prison have a valid voice and a right to be heard by those on the outside. Our work is not charity, but rather an act of solidarity that addresses as best we can the needs of people in prison. We understand that the reasons people end up incarcerated are complex,and we recognize that locking people up behind bars is not the solution to the violence in our communities. We strive for a world where prisons are no longer part of the solution to social problems like poverty and inequality, racism, oppression and discrimination.