LOGAN PROGRAMMING

The Logan Initiative, launched in 2022 by members of the PNAP community, was born out of a shared vision to foster long-term relationships within Logan Prison. The initiative focuses on supporting individuals with the least access to educational programs, and is shaped by participant feedback, lived experiences, and a commitment to knowledge production rooted in real-world insights. Its approach emphasizes practical skills that extend beyond the classroom, equipping participants with tools they can use both inside and outside of prison.

Workshops and classes at Logan are designed not only to impart knowledge but also to ensure that lessons can be shared beyond PNAP’s organizational spaces. A key objective is for participants to gain the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to empower themselves and contribute to their communities. The work produced at Logan has also found a platform outside the prison, being showcased in art exhibitions, conferences, and community events.

Logan programming began in 2022 with five months of listening sessions with interested individuals at Logan. In 2023, the Logan team began three courses: Creative Nonfiction, Policy Think Tank (similar to the Think Tank ran at Stateville), and Violence and Society. The next sessions included two new courses: Let This Radicalize You Reading & Writing Course and Arrested Justice: Reading & Zinemaking Workshop.

Current Courses

Legal Writing 101

Faculty: Megan Porter (Loevy & Loevy Attn), Tanya Woods (Attn & Exec Direct at WJC)

Legal Writing 101 introduces students to the fundamentals of legal research, writing, and analysis. Students will learn how to write clear, concise, and organized work that communicates their ideas to different audiences. Each week, students will review real examples of legal writing, participate in writing exercises, and pair-and-share their work with their classmates. Students will learn how to state a claim, choose appropriate authorities to support claims, and persuasively advocate for their point of view. Writing is improved through collaboration. Students should be prepared to work as a team to improve their writing skills by reading and critiquing one another’s writing. This is designed as a beginner’s course. No previous legal writing experience is required.

The instructor for this course is here as an educator, not as an attorney. The instructor will not provide legal advice. Nothing in the course syllabus, course materials, or classroom discussions should be construed as legal advice.

Study Hall

Lead: Taylor Rodgers
Guests: Marshan Allen, Shimere Love-Shanklin, Rachel Domain White, Holly Krig

Study Hall is a supplementary space where students can get support on work, learn information on relevant topics from guest facilitators, and have a collective space to work in.

Think Tank

Lead: Alice Kim 
Support: Yurou Li, Emily Hooper, Gina Fedock, Audrey Catalano, Iman Snobar

In this class, we will explore the material and ideological conditions created by carceral logics. This term we aim to use storytelling as a vehicle to explore the role of narrative in making social change. How can individuals and communities develop platforms to tell their stories and shape new futures? Students will work on developing and telling their own stories.

Past Courses