Y Write
"Every person has a story worth telling."
Behind prison walls are voices, experiences and untold stories that are rarely heard. YWrite is a transformative creative writing and prison education project led by Associate Professor Adelle Sefton-Rowston at Charles Darwin University, creating opportunities for people experiencing incarceration to explore, express and reclaim their stories through writing.
“In our workshops, participants used it for exploring who they are, what is important to them and to develop an artistic relationship to the world as a ‘free person’.”
Associate Professor Sefton-Rowston collaborated with local Indigenous artist Shilo McNamee and staff from YWCA to workshop 2020 NAIDOC theme – voice, treaty, truth – through poetry and street art to inspire the design and content of a mural on the wall at Darwin Correctional Centre.
“We found that participants felt better about themselves after completing the workshops. They also seemed to feel they could shape their lives better: they felt they could change and could imagine the future slightly more vividly. We will need to replicate this research to confirm these patterns, but it’s safe to say we saw enough in the pilot project to give us confidence to move towards a more sustainable project.” Associate Professor Sefton-Rowston said the addition of more murals in the prison was on the horizon.
At its heart, YWrite is about humanity. It is about listening to voices that are often overlooked, celebrating the transformative power of creativity, and recognising that every story has the potential to inspire understanding, healing and change.
The program:
The Y Write Project was established in 2019 in response to the Inquiry into Youth Detention and Correctional Systems. It brings together researchers from across disciplines—including creative arts, organisational psychology, and Indigenous education—at Charles Darwin University.
The project was developed as a critical and creative response to the criminal punishment system, with a focus on contributing to justice reform through academic research, community engagement, and creative practice.
Working collaboratively with justice-affected women, the program integrates visual arts, yarning practices, and mentorship frameworks to support personal reflection and social wellbeing.
A core outcome of the program has been the creation of seven large-scale murals within Darwin Correctional Centre, alongside additional workshops and outreach programs in Townsville.
“Graffiti, as a genre of writing unconstrained by spelling, grammar and punctuation, provides a space for people with low literacy to write more intuitively,” Associate Professor Sefton-Rowston said.
Through poetry, storytelling and creative expression, YWrite provides a space for reflection, connection and hope. The project recognises the power of creativity not only as a form of self-expression, but as a pathway to learning, personal growth and positive change. By fostering confidence, literacy and a sense of identity, YWrite empowers participants to imagine possibilities beyond incarceration.
The purpose:
Y Write advocates for a shift from punitive systems toward education-based models of rehabilitation.
The project aims to:
- Promote education over incarceration as a transformative model
- Support rehabilitation and reconciliation for system-affected individuals
- Develop pathways beyond prison, including education, training, and community reintegration
- Centre lived experience through creative expression and storytelling
At its core, Y Write positions Charles Darwin University as a community-based university, supporting people with lived experience of incarceration through accessible and ongoing opportunities.
Program Leadership
- Associate Professor Adelle Sefton- Rowston (Project lead)
- Associate Professor Tracy Woodroff (Northern Institute)
- Kyes Stevens (Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project)
- Partners connected to the Bard Prison Initiative
- International collaborators across the United States and the United Kingdom
- Incarceration Nations Network
Global Collaborations & Stakeholders
Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project
The Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project at Auburn University APAEP offers access to educational opportunities to people currently and formerly incarcerated across the state.
Vera Institute of Justice
Vera brings researchers, organizers, and government leaders together to create evidence-based solutions that build thriving communities and end mass incarceration.
Incarceration Nations Network
A global network that supports, instigates and popularizes innovative prison reform and justice reimagining efforts around the world.
Beyond Bars (Justice arts initiative)
Bridging the gap between creativity and rehabilitation, Beyond Bars Arts Initiative (BBAI) empowers inmates through art, transforming lives and fostering a future filled with possibility.
Research and Publications
Creative Writing And Storytelling With Woman Behind Bars
"This is a really critical time to consider education instead of incarceration"
Flowers grow bigger and brighter in prison
These are true stories about how kindness is a form of protest, a way to retain your humanity within these soulless walls.
Research Outputs
Writing beyond the walls: stories of creativity, resilience and transformation in the NT.
Next steps:
Y Write sits at the intersection of creative research and social impact.
Story Work (Current Focus)
The project explores stories of kindness, support and resilience within prison communities, working collaboratively with system-affected writers to challenge common perceptions of incarceration and highlight the strength of human connection.
Digital Archive (In Development)
A future initiative will establish a Digital Archive of Prison Writing in Australia, preserving and showcasing prison writing as an important literary genre while providing global access to stories that deepen understanding of incarceration and support new perspectives on justice.