Over 200 people Tuesday evening attended a virtual ceremony over Zoom for the third annual Stillwater Awards. I was able to tune in with my dad, thanks to my prison’s video-visit technology. (Pops pulled up the ceremony on a second device and aimed me in its direction.)
As the screen filled up with faces of journalists, journalism educators and supporters of the finalists, I unsuccessfully searched for others viewing from prison. (Possibly they were hiding in the sea of black boxes used to protect attendees’ privacy.)
Several times during the ceremony, my video visit cut out, forcing me to log out and back into the visiting app.
Thankfully, the visit stayed connected when my submission for the Best Op-Ed category took third place!
After the announcers read the judges’ comments and a statement that I prepared, they asked if anyone in the audience wished to speak on my behalf.
Pops and I both got a little emotional as he chimed in, thanking everyone invoked in producing the awards and two of my biggest supporters, who were also in the audience. (Sadly, multiple finalists received awards without anyone to speak for them.)
Towards the end of the ceremony, in what I viewed as the evening’s highlight, the staff of the Mabel Bassett Balance, incarcerated at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Oklahoma, appeared on screen to receive an award for their publication. In true rock star fashion, after realizing that their sound wasn’t working, they all formed hearts with their hands and broadcast their love to the crowd.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the third annual Stillwater Awards!
Support prison artists and writers by sharing any of the following links:
“PJP Writers on Their Award-Winning Stories About Life Behind Bars.”
Homestead Happenings – “2026 STILLWATER AWARDS”
Society of Professional Journalists – “Stillwater Awards, 2025 Winners”