The Desert Stream is a monthly publication written and designed by WIP volunteers, graduates, and educators. Our newspaper was created to amplify the voices and encourage the souls of the incarcerated. Each issue contains creative arts, stories, lyrics, Bible studies, mental health tips, de-escalation tools, and features the voices of those who have been locked up or are still locked up.
When Covid-19 hit, our programming came to an abrupt halt. This publication came out of the lockdown as a creative pivot, a way to still connect with our students and provide the tools our programs once did. Our graduates who had been released wrote words of hope and of processing life on the outside. Folks on the inside were reading articles written by someone they used to share a bunk with. As the months continued, many of our friends and colleagues on the inside began to mail us their contributions- artwork, prayers, poems, and testimonies. Pretty soon, not only were those on the inside reading words from friends, they were seeing their own words published. The Desert Stream has become a collaboration of voices inside and out, all pointing each other towards hope. The aching authenticity and hope-filled creativity you will find throughout these pages are treasures that we cherish.
If you would like to contribute artwork or writing, please go to our page titled ‘Submissions’. We’d love to feature your work of hope!
Would you like to help us cover the cost of printing for our readers on the inside?
Join us in supporting those that are incarcerated and building bridges in our community by giving to The Desert Stream.
For any donation 12$ and above, we will send you one issue as a thank you!
To see all of the issues available, click here.
