About Crime & Compassion Inc.
a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit in Oklahoma
From Prison Pages to Published Paperbacks
Literature and compassion are transformative forces, especially when combined for incarcerated individuals. For women at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Oklahoma, writing a book is now an achievable dream through the Writers Guild. Led by Crime & Compassion Inc., this advanced fiction class empowers offenders to accomplish a remarkable feat: write and publish a full-length novel.
Currently, there are 15 students in the class. Completion of the class means the student has written, rewritten, and published a novel. Thanks to self-publishing, all rights will belong to the author, not Crime & Compassion Inc. Having ownership like this ignites a different kind of hope for incarcerated individuals.
Unbound Words, Unlocked Potential
All these beautiful novels will eventually find a home on the shelves of the future Unbound Bookstore, the first of its kind. Unbound Bookstore will house books written by the formerly and currently incarcerated, as well as books that focus on incarceration, the justice system, trauma and healing, and other topics that fit the mission of Crime & Compassion Inc. Seeing our students’ books on these shelves will be an incredible moment!
Breaking ground for the bookstore will be a major celebration; right now, it’s a major motivation.
Reentry Meets the Written Word
Unbound Bookstore isn’t just a bookstore, though. It will also act as a re-entry program that focuses on professional development for released offenders. The top three goals are to:
House books written by, for, and about the incarcerated
Employ newly released offenders at the bookstore
Hone their newfound skills in writing and publishing so they can have a career, not just a job
If they feel called, we’d love to see these released offenders return to teach writing classes in the same chapel where they once learned. For those staying at Mabel Bassett, we’d be thrilled to see these authors continue supporting new students as co-facilitators.
Telling the Stories of Those Who Were Written Off
Crime & Compassion started as a podcast, where host Shayla Hale asks difficult questions to gain a more compassionate understanding of those who were written off. The podcast serves as a safe space for the formerly incarcerated, currently incarcerated, their families and loved ones, and those who work with men and women in US jails and prisons.
Crime & Compassion’s goals are to:
Show love and kindness toward the incarcerated
Educate offenders on writing and help bring their literature into the world through self-publishing
Train newly released offenders at the future Unbound Bookstore to ensure they have the opportunity for a career
Completely flip the narrative on the US justice system by having difficult, timely conversations through our podcast and newsletter
Educate society on why people commit the crimes they do to cultivate empathy and understanding
Setting the Captives Free: Jail & Prison Ministries
Learn how to get started in jail and prison ministries! Shayla Hale will come to your church or organization and present on “Setting the Captives Free.” We need more programs in our jails and prisons, so if your group has a big heart for the incarcerated but needs guidance on how to begin, please reach out here.
