JUSTICE MATTERS

BleakHouse Publishing is an independent, not-for-profit press devoted to creative writing, art, and photography on criminal and social justice. The press, founded in 2006 by Robert Johnson, a professor of justice, law, and criminology at American University, is staffed primarily by American University students and alumni. Our mission is to publish works that shed a humane light on the netherworld of the criminal justice system— especially prisons, home to the death penalty and other forms of violence and repression.

Robert Johnson, founding Editor & Publisher

WHAT WE DO

BOOKS We typically release a book of poetry once a year. You can explore our publications here. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Our superb editors make our poetry collections the heart and soul of BleakHouse.

TACENDA MAGAZINE Another annual undertaking, Tacenda Literary Magazine features prose and poetry about incarceration and the criminal justice system. We accept submissions on a rolling basis. You can find submission guidelines here.

ART GALLERY Our online art gallery features illustrations and photography that express BleakHouse’s belief in the beauty and grace inherent to every person. Some art is curated for Tacenda Literary Magazine. For art submission guidelines, click here.

AWARDS The BleakHouse fellowship is awarded to someone whose writing or scholarship best exemplifies the press’s mission. The fellow works with our publisher, Robert Johnson, on special projects during the year. The press also awards the Victor Hassine Memorial Scholarship. Generously sponsored by Hassine’s family, this $500 stipend recognizes someone who—like imprisoned author Victor Hassine—uses art or writing to educate others about pressing issues in our justice system.

MEDIA RELATIONS We feature partner organizations on our website. If your organization would like to be a BleakHouse partner, please contact us at bleakhousepublishing@gmail.com.

For more information on BleakHouse, continue to visit this site as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages.

MEET OUR TEAM

Highlighted Works

A death row Notebook by a roving prison chaplain

WE ARE PLEASED TO SHARE A REGULARLY UPDATED NOTEBOOK BY REVEREND DR. CARI WILLIS, WHO VISITS DEATH ROW PRISONERS AND HAS OFFERED SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE TO PRISONERS IN THE DEATH HOUSE.

Rev. Dr. Cari Willis worked for 20 years in the corporate world before hearing God's call to "go love." She never expected that she would end up ministering with those on death row. She now has close to 20 years in prison ministry and over 10 years traveling to see her friends who reside on the row. Her life has been transformed through her friendships. Cari received her Masters of Divinity at Duke Divinity School and her Doctorate of Ministry from Campbell Divinity school. She is a trained Chaplain and Spiritual Director.

Execution Anomalies: The New Normal

WE ARE PLEASED TO SHARE A NEW COLUMN BY ELIZABETH REED, A REVIEW ESSAY ON FATAL SECRETS OF THE KILLING STATE.
Elizabeth Reed is a senior at American University pursuing a double major in Justice and Law (Criminology concentration) and Psychology. She is deeply interested in the intersection of law, morality, and human rights, particularly as they relate to capital punishment. With experience in legal research, policy analysis, and advocacy, Elizabeth has contributed to projects examining wrongful convictions, systemic inequities, and the human impact of incarceration. She is passionate about amplifying marginalized voices, challenging the use of the death penalty, and envisioning more humane approaches to justice.

In this collaborative work, death row prisoner George T. Wilkerson, criminology professor Robert Johnson, and poet Kat Bodrie use poetry, prose, and fiction to explore the dynamics of life under sentence of death. Grounded in the first-hand experiences of the authors, and enriched by interviews and surveys with prisoners on death row, Bone Orchard examines the ways a death sentence poses unique existential and emotional burdens on the condemned and those who love them. "Like all great art," noted one reviewer, "this somberly magnificent book tells us things beyond our previous imaginings and makes us see familiar things in a new light... The oppressions of life we all share, and which condemned prisoners bear with a special intensity, are transmuted into rare beauty through the vivid poetry and prose of these pages."

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commentaries and reviews on crime and punishment: new columns

We are pleased to share a new column by Sophia Nakos in our series Commentaries and Reviews on Crime and Punishment. Sophia, a sophomore at American University studying Justice and Law with a minor in African American Studies, is the 2025 BleakHouse Scholar. Click below to read Sophia’s column. Previous columns in the series can be found on the Columns page.

Does Compliance Prevent Incarceration?

We are also happy to share a new column by Elizabeth Reed in our series Commentaries and Reviews on Crime and Punishment. Elizabeth, a rising senior studying Psychology and Justice and Law with a concentration in Criminology, is the 2025 PAPL Scholar for ‘Living with Death Sentences’. Click below to read Sophia’s column. Previous columns in the series can be found on the Columns page.

The Return of the Executioner

a new review of the poetry collection, life by Phillip Vance Smith II

We are proud to share a review of Phillip Vance Smith’s book, “LIFE: Learning Instructions for Everyone… in Prison and Out.” The reviewer is Christopher Santiago, who is serving a sentence of life without parole in South Carolina.

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INtroducing the BleakHouse Gallery

The BleakHouse Gallery is a space where visual artists with a passion for social justice can show their work. If you would like to submit to the BleakHouse Gallery, or if you have any questions about our submission guidelines, we encourage you to reach out to Robert Johnson at bleakhousepublishing@gmail.com.