Bay State Poetry

One of the few opportunities for communication to flow beyond prison walls is at the Bay State Poetry Society, which regularly meets four times a year.

In the early 70s, poetry readings were introduced to the Massachusetts prison system via the Boston University Prison Education Project by then Director Elizabeth ("Ma") Barker. Since then, a great variety of poets —ranging from street corner to Nobel Laureate — have recited at the Bay State facility and listened to the spoken word of human beings in chains.

On a recent Wednesday evening, a Suffolk University professor and 12 graduate students attended a reading sponsored by the Bay State Poetry Society. It was held in the prison visiting area from 6:30 until 8:30. Out of an audience of 60 attentive participants, 25 approached the lectern. This was the first prison experience for the students who are in the final stages of Suffolk University's Criminal Justice Program. This was also the first poetry reading for many of the students, as well as for several of the prisoners.

After the master of ceremony welcomed everybody, he made some opening remarks to set the tone for the evening. Next, the Suffolk University professor read several poems written by California prisoners about violence, anger, and life through barbed wire. Then a prisoner recited his poems, followed by a Suffolk University student, then another prisoner, and so on until the entire list of 25 was complete. Though the professor read four poems, the students elected to read only one each and the prisoners each read two or three, with commentary in between each reading. Although there was no central theme for the evening, the focus of the majority of the poems dealt with love, family relationships, and changing negative behavior.

Poetry readings help to destroy prejudicial stereotypes about convicted felons and strengthen ties between society and its misfits. The inability to communicate, to verbally express oneself, has been a major factor towards substance abuse and overall criminal acts. If the effort to rehabilitate, to return the human being to the community as a law-abiding citizen is to be authentic, then writing groups and workshops must be viewed (and utilized) as a viable support tool.

[If interested in the Bay State Poetry Society or to attend an upcoming reading, please contact msawzin@aol.com.]