As an incarcerated prisoner, it can be hard to have your voice heard. Many prisoners have stories to share that can help others who may be incarcerated or in abusive relationships, or even at-risk youth. When hearing these stories, we are often struck by the amount of courage these folks have to preserve through such harsh and adverse situations.
Here comes along an outlet for these voices to be heard. It is called the Concertina Wire – a radio station who’s mission is to highlight the written work of incarcerated prisoners, especially women and minorities. The main focus of the Concertina Wire is to raise awareness about the impact that educational programs have in correctional facilities – especially in helping to reduce recidivism.
“Crystal” is only 11, but has survived more than your typical adult. Currently in foster care, she is a survivor of abuse and wanted to share her writings from that time in her life on the radio to help other kids who might be struggling with similar situations.
The Concertina Wire began almost one year ago by Lauren Lea, who was a graduate student at Oregon State University. She was working in the Adult Master’s program and realized this was a fantastic way to share these stories.
The title of the radio show – Concertina Wire – comes from the description of concertina wire, which is a type of barbed wire or razor wire that is formed in large coils which can be expanded out like a concertina musical instrument. This type of razor wire was originally used for military obstacles and is used in prisons as well.
This is an interesting analogy – using razor-sharp coils of barbed wire that can be expanded and comparing that to a radio show that helps prisoners and communities expand their awareness of prison life.
Concertina Wire Radio is a biweekly radio show that is broadcast on KWVA Eugene 88.1 FM. This is broadcast throughout the Oregon area and can also be found on kwvaradio.org.
October 4th, 2012, Concertina Wire will be celebrating it’s one-year birthday party. The free party/event will be held at Papa’s Pizza on West 11th in Eugene, Oregon.
For a list of Concertina Wire broadcasts, here is the schedule.
Published Sep 22, 2012 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Jul 23, 2023 at 8:39 pm
