At the music lab at Columbia River Correctional Institution, people come together to make music, try new things, and share what they’ve been working on. One night, something happened that nobody expected. It started with a jam session and turned into a moment that reminded us why making music together matters.
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This story describes a ukulele class at South Fork Fire Camp from the perspective of the facilitator.
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This story examines the experience of passing through prison gates from gendered perspectives.
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Navigating interpersonal conflicts and hostility, which many incarcerated women face, is at the heart of the show.
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When M walked into the chapel for Music Lab his first Sunday night, he was still recovering from intake trauma.… Read More

She didn’t think of herself as a songwriter, just someone who loved music… Read More

She sat in the life skills director’s office, sharing a dream she’d carried for years—to start a nonprofit that would teach people to draw, paint, and express themselves… Read More

She had been busy all week, her schedule packed with obligations that
left little space for herself. Yet, she carved out a sliver of time—… Read More

…more than a hobby. It gave me a mirror.
A way to see not who I was—but who I could be.… Read More

I’ve had one pointed at me before—more than once. I’ve lived through things that demanded toughness, quick thinking, survival. But nothing compared to …… Read More

I climbed up thirty feet into the shop rafters with chains around my neck and a bottle in my hand, ready to end it. I had been running…… Read More

The Ripple That Reached Her She never imagined she’d be standing at a memorial, speaking about a man she never … Read More