We first connected with Jennifer Myers at a restorative justice conference in the Fall of 2012. A few months later, she and Tish Sjoberg of Expressive Arts San Diego were planning a launch for Jennifer's book Trafficking the Good Life and started talking about including art by women affected by incarceration in the event. Jen called our Executive Director Dove to see if we could work with them and The Inside/Out Project was born.

In 2013, the team conducted a series of workshops with women who had been or were currently incarcerated at Serenity House and at Las Colinas Detention Facility, both in San Diego County. Using visual art, writing, and video media we supported the women who participated in the workshops in sharing their experiences of incarceration, its impact on them and their families, and programs or approaches that they saw as helpful.

The media and art that came out of these workshops were exhibited for two months over Summer 2013 at the Expressive Arts San Diego Gallery, reaching hundreds of people. Attendees were invited to give responses to the exhibit and share their ideas for improving our justice system.

We want to do more! We have already lined up workshops with youth including current/recently incarcerated youth and children with parents in prison and continue to seek opportunities to reach others involved with the justice system in different ways.