Oregon 

We are excited to announce that the Oregon chapter of Poetic Justice is our newest addition and is rapidly growing!

Since September 2023, Hannah Kuhn and her co-facilitator, Maddy Clark, have been guiding 8-week poetry workshops at Coffee Creek’s medium security building. Their first class was attended by only four participants, but has quickly grown to 15 participants, with a waitlist of 20, and requests to offer a class in the minimum security building as well.

This chapter continues our mission of using creative writing to empower incarcerated women, offering a unique space for healing, reflection, and transformation. With dedicated volunteers and a growing network of participants, the Oregon chapter is already making a significant impact in the community.

Facility

Opened in 2001, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville is Oregon’s only prison for women. The 508,000-square-foot facility, with capacity to house 1253 people located on 108 acres in Wilsonville currently houses approximately 866 female inmates. Coffee Creek was built in response to increased demand for prison space created by the passage of Ballot Measure 11 in 1994 that imposed mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. The women at Coffee Creek are housed in two buildings, a minimum facility and a medium facility.

Oregon incarcerates women at a slightly higher rate (44 incarcerated women for every 100,000 female residents) than the national average (41 incarcerated women for every 100,000 female residents.

Interested in joining the Oregon team? Learn more.