The fellowship will commission six writers to create written works of “lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration” and “ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies.”

The fellowship is open-genre, and proposed projects may include—but are not limited to—fictional stories, works of literary or long-form journalism, theatrical, television or film scripts, memoirs, poetry collections or multimedia projects.

Fellows will receive an honorarium of $10,000 and may request up to $5,000 in additional funding for travel and research.

PEN America is currently accepting applications online here. The application deadline is July 1, 2018, and fellows will be announced in September.