Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers free creative writing classes, mentorship, and literary programming to incarcerated adults in every Minnesota state prison, supported by foundation grants, individual donations, and book sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop does
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop (MPWW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that operates creative writing classes and literary programming inside correctional facilities in Minnesota. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the organization runs weekly, multi-week classes in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, taught by a roster of 20+ professional instructors who are also actively publishing writers (alumni of institutions including Carleton College, Macalester College, Hamline University, Augsburg University, the University of Minnesota, and The Loft Literary Center). Since launching with a single class at Lino Lakes Prison, MPWW has scaled to operate in every adult state prison in Minnesota, with more than 250 classes delivered to over 3,000 incarcerated students.
Beyond classes, MPWW runs a Mentor Program (mail-based one-to-one pairings between incarcerated writers and community writers/editors, with 50+ active mentorships), five Writers Collectives across facilities, an annual Beyond Bars public reading at Hamline University, the virtual Before Time Reading Series, an annual student journal anthology curated by an incarcerated editorial board, an annual Broadside Contest with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and Re-entry Programming for released students delivered via partnerships with The ReEntry Lab, the Loft Literary Center, and Film North. It has also published books including American Precariat (Coffee House Press, 2023), an anthology co-edited by incarcerated writers.
MPWW has no proprietary software platform; technology use is limited to standard content, social, and e-commerce channels (mnprisonwriting.org, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bookshop.org). Revenue is generated through individual donations and monthly memberships ($10 and $20+ tiers), grants from foundations and government agencies (McKnight, Jerome, Bremer, MN Humanities Center, NEA, Poetry Foundation, MSAB, MRAC, MN Legacy Amendment), and product sales (student books, chapbooks, broadsides, and gumball poetry machines at Minnesota bookstores). All programming is delivered free to incarcerated students, with the organization governed by an independent board led by President Michael Kleber-Diggs and Executive Director Mike Alberti.
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
- Legal name
- Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
- Website
- https://mnprisonwriting.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that delivers free creative writing classes, mentorship, and literary programming to incarcerated adults in every Minnesota state prison, supported by foundation grants, individual donations, and book sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prison Literary Arts Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style) (EDAMAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Writing Critique Groups & Peer Workshops (EDAMAMAJ), Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA)
Keywords
Where Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations and Membership Program: MPWW raises funds from individual supporters through one-time donations and monthly membership subscriptions. Members receive bookstore discounts and exclusive benefits like copies of published works.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Funded by major foundations including McKnight, Jerome, Bremer, Minnesota Humanities Center, Poetry Foundation, NEA, Bigelow, MSAB, MRAC, and MN Legacy Amendment. Form 990s are publicly available.
- Book and Broadside Sales: Proceeds from bubble gum poetry machines at bookstores support MPWW. Student books and chapbooks are available for purchase through Bookshop.org and university presses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Others | Free programming for incarcerated students |
| Subscription | Monthly | Member tier at $10/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Member tier at $20+/month |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop delivers in-person creative writing classes and mentorship programs to incarcerated adults in all Minnesota state prisons, covering poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. It complements classes with a mail-based Mentor Program, Writers Collectives, student publications, public readings, and re-entry support for released students.
Product overview
MPWW offers a portfolio of creative writing programs and literary services for incarcerated individuals in Minnesota. The core offerings include Creative Writing Classes (weekly courses in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting), the Mentor Program (one-to-one mail correspondence), and Writers Collectives (self-directed groups). Supporting programs include the annual Beyond Bars reading at Hamline University, the virtual Before Time Reading Series, the annual Student Journal anthology curated by incarcerated writers, the Broadside Contest (letterpress prints at Minnesota Center for Book Arts), Gumball Poetry machines, and Re-entry Programming for released students. MPWW also publishes books including American Precariat, an anthology edited by incarcerated writers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Creative Writing Classes Weekly creative writing courses taught by professional instructors covering poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Classes meet for 10-15 weeks with approximately 30 contact hours, delivered free of charge to incarcerated adults across all Minnesota state prisons.
- Mentor Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 250+ creative writing classes taught to 3,000+ students in all Minnesota adult prisons
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The ReEntry LabcorePartnership to provide returning artists with broader access to job opportunities, resources for smooth reentry, and routes to engage with arts, social-justice, and community-focused organizations
- The Loft Literary CentercoreReturning MPWW students and their children eligible for creative writing classes through scholarship pool, providing continued education opportunities post-release
- Film NorthminorReturning MPWW students eligible for free memberships to empower artists to tell their stories through film
- Hamline UniversitycoreHosts annual Beyond Bars public reading of student work, typically on third Saturday in October
- Minnesota Center for Book ArtscoreArtists adapt MPWW student work into handmade letterpress broadsides through annual broadside contest; winners chosen by guest judges including Natalie Diaz, Hieu Minh Nguyen, torrin a. greathouse
- Magers & QuinnminorBookstore partner offering 10% discount to MPWW members on all book purchases
- Milkweed BookstoreminorBookstore partner offering 10% discount to MPWW members on all book purchases; also publisher of works by MPWW students and staff
- Moon Palace BooksminorBookstore partner offering 10% discount to MPWW members on all book purchases
- Subtext BooksminorBookstore partner offering 10% discount to MPWW members on all book purchases
- Coffee House PresscorePublisher of American Precariat anthology edited by incarcerated writers; offers 20% discount to MPWW members on online purchases
- University of Minnesota PresscorePublished 'This Is Where I Am' by Zeke Caligiuri; offers 20% discount to MPWW members on online purchases
- PEN AmericacoreValuable resource for Prison Writing Handbook, fellowships, and annual writing competition; MPWW directs students to PEN resources
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Poetic Justice Project: California-based nonprofit that produces original theater and writing works involving currently and formerly incarcerated artists. Directly comparable arts-in-prison peer with a similar mission of using creative practice to empower incarcerated voices and challenge stereotypes.
- Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP): University of Michigan–based program running creative arts workshops in Michigan prisons, an annual exhibition, and an arts-based reentry program. Closely comparable to MPWW in mission, university-affiliated instructor pipeline, and statewide-in-state operating model.
- Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop: Washington, DC–based nonprofit that uses books and creative writing to empower incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults, including book clubs, writing workshops, and post-release support. Operates a comparable in-prison writing + reentry model to MPWW, with similar emphasis on bridging inside and outside literary communities.
- Rehabilitation Through the Arts: New York–based nonprofit that provides theater and creative arts programming in state prisons, with a structured reentry component for returning participants. Direct peer in the prison arts education space, though with a performing-arts rather than writing-specific emphasis.
- PEN America (Prison Writing Program): National literary and human rights organization that runs a Prison Writing Program providing mentorship, writing resources, handbooks, and an annual writing contest for incarcerated writers. Most directly comparable peer to MPWW given the explicit focus on creative writing by incarcerated individuals and published-student outcomes.
Broad incumbents
- The Fortune Society: New York–based reentry and alternatives-to-incarceration organization that integrates arts, education, and employment services for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable to MPWW on the reentry side and broader arts programming, though its scope and operational scale are substantially larger.
Emerging players
- Prison Arts Coalition: National network and resource hub connecting and supporting arts-in-prison programs across the country. Not a direct program operator but a thematic peer that reflects and amplifies the same sector MPWW operates in.
- Appletree Institute: Nonprofit supporting arts, education, and humanities programs for incarcerated and at-risk populations, including writers' workshops and reentry support. Smaller-scale but mission-aligned emerging player with overlapping service areas.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop social profiles
Digital presenceMinnesota Prison Writing Workshop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop
What does Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop do?
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop delivers in-person creative writing classes and mentorship programs to incarcerated adults in all Minnesota state prisons, covering poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. It complements classes with a mail-based Mentor Program, Writers Collectives, student publications, public readings, and re-entry support for released students.
Is Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop a public or private company?
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop founded?
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop based?
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations and Membership Program is the primary driver. The others are foundation and Government Grants and book and Broadside Sales.
Who are Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Poetic Justice Project, Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Rehabilitation Through the Arts and PEN America (Prison Writing Program). The Fortune Society is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Prison Arts Coalition and Appletree Institute.
Does Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.
What industry is Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop in?
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop's product category is Prison Literary Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAMAH, Writing Craft & Technique Workshops (Voice, Structure, Character, Style), with a secondary code of EDAMAMAJ, Writing Critique Groups & Peer Workshops. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.