You Can't Jail Minds

Poetry Competition image You Can't Jail Minds was a poetry competition with a difference. Inspired by prisoners who, inspite of everything, found a way to express themselves through poetry, we invited young people in schools across the UK imagined they were in prison and had to write a poem without pen and paper.

The power and creativity of the poems we received was overwhelming, and made judging a tough job, but here they are - congratulations to our winners!

See the winning poems in the You Can't Jail Minds gallery

The winning poets

NATIONAL WINNERS:

Rachel Rowan-Olive, St. Albans School for Girls (KS4)
Josh Lewis, Friary School (KS3)

REGIONAL WINNERS:

East:
Rosie Thurlow, Aylesham High (KS3)
Hannah Ehrlich, Parkside Community College (KS4)

North + Midlands:
Josh Lewis, Friary School (KS3)
Aditi Gaddam, St.Clare's, Oxford (KS4)

South West:
Jack Brownbridge-Kelly, Humphrey-Davy School (KS3)

South East:
Eleanor Reeve, Abbey School, Reading (KS3)
Rachel Rowan-Olive, St. Albans School for Girls (KS4)

Nations + Regions:
Amanda Evans, Bishop of Llandaff School (KS3)

Inspiration

I will live and survive and be asked:
How they slammed my head against a trestle
From I Will Live And Survive, Irina Ratushinskaya | Read poem | About Irina

I don't want fists and paws
I want
to want to be touched
again
From Touch, Hugh Lewin | Read poem | About Hugh

From the window of my small cell
I can see your large cell.
From End of A Discussion with a Jailer, Samih Al-Qasim | Read poem | About Samih

the night is like a day on the other side of the bars
on this side the day is like the night.
From The Doves, Reza Baraheni | Read poem | About Reza