Publications
Prisons of Creativity, Routledge, 2025
Request a copy to review here. The ISBN number is 9781032902166.
Also on Amazon.
"The size of this volume belies its value. With a startling breadth of research, Whitman provides an engrossing history of arts in criminal justice settings, laying out a convincing argument for the value, also, of prisoners' creativity and how it can benefit all of us."
Amanda Gardner, Ph.D. (Amazon review)
Prison Arts Resources Project
Co-author, Arts in Criminal Justice and Corrections (Routledge, 2025)
"This is a wonderful book. Creative, wise, scholarly, and sometimes surprising. The prose is accessible and engaging. The touch is light."
Dr. Benjamin Justice
Distinguished Professor of Education, Rutgers University
Past President, History of Education Society
From the book:
Acquiring a piece of [prison] art makes one inquisitive about the artist, and so each one shared his backstory with me. I thus came to appreciate the profound truth of Bryan Stevenson's assertion in his revelatory and inspiring book about the unjust and unmerciful hardships experienced by too many people in prison, Just Mercy, that "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done" (Stevenson, 2014, pp. 17-18, emphasis in original).Viewing and purchasing what I considered art worth owning deepened my curiosity about creativity in prison and launched me on the path to write this book. To prepare for writing this story, I first wanted to learn more about creativity, the origins of the Intellectual Property clause of the Constitution of the United States, and how the prison came to be a modern institution, surprisingly enough, well-suited for developing creative talent. Let's turn to what I found.

“As a lifelong corrections professional and advocate for incarcerated people, I wholeheartedly endorse this text for its insightful exploration of the historical and cultural shifts in prison practices and its compelling argument for harnessing the creative potential of incarcerated individuals to benefit society.”
—Carole Cafferty, Corrections Superintendent (retired)
“A unique addition to the current discourse towards an inclusive creative ecosystem and the national campaign to cultivate the many undeveloped tracts of American talent. Its thesis of personal redemption and individual dignity through artistic contribution will resonate with policy makers and social activists alike.”
—Lateef Mtima, Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law; Director, Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice
“A sweeping account of the wasted creative potential of incarcerated persons and the resulting loss of innovation and economic benefits to society. Whitman argues for a national creative carceral policy grounded on the Constitution, which secures intellectual property rights for creators regardless of class or status. A trove of arts-in-corrections programs provides a framework to promote creativity and rehabilitation for the entire prison population, numbering more people than many nations.”
—Alma Robinson, Executive Director, California Lawyers for the Arts
Prisonopolis, forthcoming
See more publications at Sangrian