Happy Birthday! Two Years of Changing Lives inside a Women’s Prison
Celebrate Crime & Compassion Inc.’s 2nd birthday!
Two Years of Changing Lives inside a Women’s Prison
Celebrating Crime & Compassion Inc.’s Birthday
Dear Readers,
Today, Crime & Compassion Inc. turns two years old! I feel so blessed and so grateful. I knew back in 2020 that I wanted C&C to exist, but back then, I had no idea what it would be. I just knew I wanted to work with the incarcerated and help give them a voice.
We started as a podcast in 2023, and before long, an idea struck: What if we taught these incredible, talented women how to write novels? What if we believed in them and gave them a voice? What if we told them, “You can do anything you put your mind to”?
I knew I needed a team, so I got my notebook and wrote out the names of the people I trusted, of people who understood the mission of C&C on a heart level. The board had to be people who saw the incarcerated through a different lens—it had to be a team who looked at the women I loved dearly and said, “I love them too. I’m here to help them. I’m here to uplift them. I’m here to show them compassion.”
Our board members are the spirit of C&C! Thank you to Leslea, David, Janey, Kat, Amanda, and Mike for believing in what we do.
So! The board grew, and then came the volunteers . . .
I am very protective of our students, so when I talk to a potential volunteer, I want to make sure they have a heart for the incarcerated first and foremost. I don’t care if they’re a New York Times best-selling author—what matters is that they look at our students inside that prison classroom and say, “You can do this. I’m here to support you. I believe in you.”
I am so grateful to our incredible volunteers who take the time to uplift our students and encourage them. Thank you to all of you for your support. From research requests for short stories, to feedback for full-length novels, you guys are an A++ in my book.
On July 10, 2024, we became an official nonprofit.
I’d like to share with you what we’ve accomplished through our board members, volunteers, and donors:
Two writing programs in the women’s prison
First published novel through Writers Guild Advanced: Ground Zero by Crystal Avilla
First published anthology through Writers Guild Beginners: Unbound Ink: Of Mercy and Madness, Vol. I
First grant rejection
First grant approval (I almost keeled over at the mailbox)
First two official successful fundraisers
First audiobook (thank you to Shae Strong and Justin Fife with Wax & Feathers Narration)
First book club (Unbound Pages) with Second Story Books, where we offer a bridge for the community to read our incarcerated students’ stories
Two books in three bookstores (Thank you to The Lore, Second Story Books, and Bookish for believing in our students)
Wishlist created through The Lore + Bookshop.org to add books to the prison library (you can donate a book right here)
We have so many more beautiful things to celebrate today, but I’ve got a birthday party to get ready for. Tonight, we’re celebrating at my house with our board members and volunteers, and I am so happy I might burst. Thank you to everyone for making C&C a reality!
With Writerly Affection,
Shayla Hale, Executive Director & Founder
P.S. To each of our students at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, we are all so proud of you!
After a 14-year career in publishing, Shayla Hale said goodbye to her authors so she could advocate for the incarcerated. Now a bleeding heart, she teaches writing classes at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud. She also enjoyed two years as a volunteer chaplain at Oklahoma County Jail.
Shayla is the founder and executive director of Crime & Compassion Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives incarcerated individuals the tools to become authors, empowering those in and out of prison to cultivate meaningful work opportunities.
Her classes on the inside encourage creativity and confidence, shining a bright light on incarceration. Her heart’s desires are to unconditionally love the incarcerated, to help them bring their books into the world, and to fight with and for those affected by the US justice system.
In her not-so-free time, Shayla binges documentaries, thrifts for vintage treasures, and reads from her never-ending stack of books. She lives in Norman with her hilarious husband and two very spoiled dogs.
Note: All student work has been featured with written permission from the student.