Project Mend was founded on a powerful premise: self-expression through writing holds transformative potential. The initiative, developed by Patrick W. Berry, associate professor of writing and rhetoric in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, is a multimodal, grassroots-level, open-access national archive centered on the scholarly and creative work of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities. It is grounded in a digital storytelling and publishing apprenticeship for justice-impacted people, providing practical skills and professional opportunities. Complementing this effort is Mend, a print and digital journal which publishes works from anyone impacted by mass incarceration, amplifying voices that are often marginalized or silenced.

Building Collaborative Partnerships

The Coalition for Community Writing's Outstanding College-Community Partnership Award specifically honors initiatives that embody collaboration and reciprocity between universities and communities. The Coalition’s array of programs and member projects help catalyze community-based writing for the public good. Berry's work exemplifies this spirit through meaningful partnerships that center the voices of justice-impacted individuals.

David Todd talked about Project Mend’s transformative role at a panel discussion this spring. "Writing is one of the factors that boosted my confidence," he shared during the dialogue facilitated by the CNY Humanities Corridor's Incarceration and Decarceration Working Group. "I was able to express myself, and when I'm able to express myself, people start to listen to me."

The success of Project Mend has been made possible through partnerships with the Center for Community Alternatives and support from the Humanities New York Post-Incarceration Humanities Partnership, generously funded by the Mellon Foundation and the CNY Humanities Corridor.

At Syracuse University, Project Mend is supported by the Engaged Humanities Network, CODE^SHIFT (Collaboratory for Data Equity, Social Healing, Inclusive Futures and Transformation), the Humanities Center, the SOURCE, Syracuse University Libraries and the Department of Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition. Berry also received an award from the Office of Research's Good to Great (G2G) Grant Program, designed to help faculty secure major external funding by supporting the revision of promising grant proposals.

This multifaceted support has helped Berry strengthen the initiative as it prepares for its next phase of growth. Its new work includes a series of animated films that highlight selections from the pages of Mend. On Thursday, November 13, Wade and animator Evan Bode will premiere Prison and Time, adapted from a piece in the 2025 issue of Mend. In January, Project Mend will also launch Mend Fences, a podcast series of recorded conversations inspired by contributions to the journal.

As Project Mend applies for new grants and reconfigures as a comprehensive national archive, it continues to demonstrate how writing can be a powerful tool for transformation. By giving formerly incarcerated individuals and their families platforms to share their narratives, Berry's initiative creates opportunities for justice-impacted people to reimagine themselves, their communities and their futures.