In my 22 years incarcerated in Washington state, I’ve worked a variety of jobs, such as a wheelchair pusher, a recycler, and as a law clerk, for which I received $55 per month. But my work on the publication team for our prison newsmagazine, Top of the Mountain, has been the most rewarding.
TOTM was started in September 2023 by resident Jennifer Jaylee and classification counselor Rebecca HaneyNixon after three suicides in one week at the Washington State Penitentiary.
Jaylee wanted TOTM to provide a way to share news and positive stories with residents and help change lives in a positive direction.
“Preventing suicides is very important to me,” Jaylee said. “Giving a voice to the voiceless is a powerful way to express oneself, and this newsletter idea provides a form of therapy for those in need.”
Our staff is a team of six, and each of us encourages the population to submit content to the newsmagazine. Every month, we curate art, including paintings, beadwork and origami; movie, book, video and board game reviews; personal essays; and other uplifting and informative pieces.
As the events reporter, I attend cultural and other special events at Washington State Penitentiary. Recently, I reported on the second annual Pride event, which I enjoy because of the carnival-style atmosphere. I also reported on the Juneteenth event, which celebrates Emancipation but this year also incorporated Native American representatives, who shared about their similar struggles. Occasionally, I take photos to include with my articles, though most of the time the program manager’s secretary, Adi Hernandez, handles the photography.
After we gather the content, Jaylee, columnist and layout designer Talon Cutler-Flinn and I type out sections on our Swintec electronic typewriters, which we purchased for over $450 from a department of corrections-approved vendor. I purchase most of the ribbons, which cost $14.95 each. In addition to these expenses, I spend an average of $50 a month in phone calls and postage reaching out to and conducting interviews with formerly incarcerated people and reentry resources for our newsletter.
Using scissors and glue sticks, we cut and paste photos or clip art to enhance our readers’ experience. Some of the art is from our residents.
Next, Cutler-Flinn arranges the content, adds tape to the photos for scanning purposes, then types out the index. I add the “From the Publication Team” note, giving the readers a taste of what’s inside.
HaneyNixon creates the cover page and a “From the Editor” note, adding her personal reflections at the end. A final read is done by our unit supervisor to ensure safety and security guidelines are upheld.
Finally, HaneyNixon makes copies and distributes them for each unit and a few for the programming building. HaneyNixon distributes an electronic copy to various staff and some other government agencies interested in the publication.
The publication team is not paid for the work we put into the newsmagazine. Instead, each team member gets to hone their skills and take pride in how their work helps residents explore their own talents.
“It helps me discipline myself for my art. I have to delegate the art program. It gives me real-world training instead of just a prison job,” said Steven Eggers, art director and recipe contributor. “It’s a wholesome feeling to be able to help [the residents] showcase their talent.”
Jaylee, the publication’s founder, is currently the only team member who does not have a paid job. She said it is an honor and privilege to provide a space for creativity.
“I spend many hours on newsletter projects,” Jaylee said. “I could never accept funds for this type of work because being financially compensated for just caring for my community would make the caring meaningless.”
Robert Mead is the poetry director. He works as a custodian seven days a week for $160 a month. He spends three to four hours a month on the newsletter because it’s a place to publish his work, he said. It also gives him the opportunity to showcase talent in the community.
Despite odd jobs here and there, I have tried to avoid working for the prison for most of my sentence. But recently I took a job as a unit porter for $80 a month to offset my costs contributing to the newsmagazine. As a porter, I wipe off the dayroom tables and sweep and mop the floors after each meal, five days a week.
I have interviewed formerly incarcerated people, community reentry support groups, program staff, our associate superintendent and even a state senator for TOTM. But my biggest reward is seeing the pride and self-worth an individual gets when their story or photo is published alongside event coverage or because their individual accomplishment was featured in the newsmagazine. Almost daily I have a resident ask about contributing to TOTM or expressing gratitude for being published.
Our editor feels similar satisfaction putting together the newsletter.
“It is a positive, fun way for the population to express themselves,” HaneyNixon said. “I have seen the joy the population gets from reading it.”
