Northern Essex Community College, in partnership with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, recently published the inaugural edition of the literary journal, Handwritten. It contains nearly a dozen original essays, poetry, artwork and creative writing by students at the Middleton House of Corrections.
NECC and ECSD have partnered together to bring educational programs to a wide spectrum of justice-involved individuals. In the jail, the college provides a variety of credit and non-credit classes. NECC Learning Specialist Alexander Hill said he got the idea to start a literary journal when he realized students at all levels were interested in sharing their stories.
The cover of the inaugural edition of Handwritten
“There is so much beautiful writing coming out of these classrooms,” said Hill. “Whether it was an English for Speakers of Other Languages course, or a basic English 101, I realized we needed to find a way to show people this incredible work.”
With support from the Sheriff’s Department and NECC’s Director of Correctional Education Will Haden, Hill solicited submissions from students across the educational programs in the jail. He said he was blown away by the responses.
“I think that there are a lot of preconceptions about who incarcerated folks are. But I’ve seen a lot of these guys here are willing to step up and make big changes within their lives. There’s a lot of critical reflection,” Hill said. “I get to see real-time changes in their emotions, real-time changes in their relationship to education. It’s extremely rewarding.”
“Education has the power to change lives here,” wrote one contributor about his educational journey. “You have a choice when you come to jail. Either to do time or to make changes in your life…I choose to make changes.”
NECC Learning Specialist Alexander Hill
Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger noted the power of the reflections in Handwritten: “This journal is a reminder that people are capable of growth and change when they’re given the right opportunities. The writing and artwork in these pages reflect hard work, self-reflection, and a willingness to learn. I’m proud of the students who shared their stories and grateful to our partners at Northern Essex Community College for helping us provide programs that prepare individuals for a successful future.”
Handwritten was distributed digitally to students on their tablets, and printed copies were provided to staff across the NECC-ESCD education continuum.
Student contributors and the NECC educational team are currently working on a second edition, scheduled for distribution this month.
Across the Sheriff’s Department’s five facilities, the college provides HiSET preparation, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), digital literacy, non-credit electives, and for-credit college classes. As the educational partner for all sites across the ECSD continuum, NECC ensures students experience academic continuity every step of the way. Providing educational opportunities to incarcerated individuals is key to reducing recidivism and keeping communities safe; research shows that nearly 95% of incarcerated individuals eventually return home, and those who participate in correctional education are significantly less likely to reoffend.
Student artwork
