Gullveig Press is now the Pagan Prison Resource Center. We network with the few Pagan Prison Ministries in the U.S. and create and find for resources to improve the quality of life for Pagans in prison. We work directly with prison Chaplains, volunteers, and incarcerated Pagans. We now provide Pagan materials for 46 states’ Department of Corrections.
The Pagan Prison Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to locating, creating and distributing high quality materials for spiritual and psychological growth to Pagan residents, Chaplains, volunteers and others involved with the prison system. Created and led by Heather Awen, author, editor and publisher of Steel Bars, Sacred Waters: Celtic Paganism for Prisoners, Gullveig Press has a small volunteer staff of Pagans both in and out of prison as well as occasional paid assistants. Awen’s personal money and all profits from Steel Bars, Sacred Waters sold to the general public via Amazon or this website are used to send free copies to books-to-prisoners organizations and prison Chaplains or libraries. Over 100 copies are now in American prisons.
If you would like to purchase a copy for someone in prison or work with incarcerated Pagans, a copy costs $12. For those not involved with Pagan Prison Ministries, the cost is $24 if ordered directly from Gullveig Press. Chaplains, Volunteer Coordinators and Pagan Prison Ministries may receive a free PDF copy by contacting us. Montana DOC put it for free on Pagan residents’ tablets, something Awen offers to all prisons. California has put 103 Pagan materials from Gullveig Press including the book on an internal site that all residents’ can access from their tablets, reaching everyone in the second largest state prison population.
Awen has sent approximately 100 free written materials about Paganism, Wicca, Heathenry, African Diaspora Religions, Thelema, Druidry, Luciferianism, and other Pagan religions directly to the Chaplaincy for Texas TDCJ, the Chief Chaplains of South Carolina DOC, Illinois DOC, New Jersey DOC, North Carolina DOC, Massachusetts DOC, Virgina DOC, Connecticut DOC, Idaho DOC, New Hampshire DOC, Minnesota DOC, Maryland DPC, Arkansas DOC, Heads of Religious Programming for California CDCR, Georgia DOC, Florida DOC, New York DOCCS, Ohio DOC, Oregon DOC, Virgina DOC, Louisiana DOC, Oklahoma DOC, Kentucky DOC, New Mexico DOC, Alabama DOC, Mississippi DOC, Maine DOC, Nebraska DOC, Montana DOC, Pennsylvania DOC, Delaware DOC, West Virginia DOC, Kansas DOC, Washington DOC, Utah DOC, South Dakota DOC, Rhode Island DOC, Missouri DOC, Alaska DOC, Wyoming DOC, Michigan DOC, and Colorado DOC, all facilities in Vermont, Mental Health workers at TDCJ, and individual Chaplains or Coordinators at Iowa, Wisconson and Indiana state prisons.
These Chaplains, Mental Health workers, and Volunteer Coordinators also receive Awen’s Prison Rites, as described below. Awen also makes a free weekly newsletter for Pagans in Pennsylvania’s DOC prisons that other prison Chaplains and Volunteer Coordinators are welcome to print and distribute. To aid Chaplains in understanding the variety of Pagan religions, Awen made the free PAGAN Q&A for Chaplains.
Most Pagans in state prisons cannot meet unless they have a volunteer present, which is sadly rare. Pagans generally do not volunteer and so a Buddhist volunteer may double as volunteer for the Pagan groups. For this reason, Awen was asked to write solitary rites for important Pagan holy days. These may be performed with only tap water, pencil, paper and the body. Eight times a year Awen emails three 2-page rituals: one for Wiccans about the Sabbat, one for those involved with Orisha Religions, and one for Heathens. They provide historical background information on the holy day and easy to do rites to celebrate them. She writes many essays and practices for incarcerated Pagans and sends materials from a wide variety of writers. To be included on the Gullveig Press Prison Rites mailing list, please contact us.
UPDATE: Heather Awen has created a series of materials for teaching pan-Pagan and specific Pagan religions. Wicca, Thelema, Luciferianism, Heathenry, African Diaspora Religions, animism, Druidry and different reconstructed polytheist religions are included in these essays. And of course, they are free! Focusing on theology, cosmology, ethics, self reflection, and critical thinking skills, they are made to help incarcerated Pagans take their practice to a deeper level. Other materials teach important skills from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to pathworking, including Magick based on the items easily found in prison. The only prison materials for people who are devoted to the Orisha and lwas have also been created. There’s even a handout on Santa Muerta.
Awen has made materials from the donated writing of authors such as former ADF Druidry Arch Druid Rev. Skip Ellison, Bob Trubshaw, Nimue Brown, and others. Trained in writing for people with low literacy skills, she makes these works more accessible. Reclaiming Tradition Witchcraft donated all of their songs, chants and guided meditations to prisons via Awen. Sheet music for original Pagan hymns was donated by the Church of Asphodel.
The creator of the ALL Religions Prison Chaplain Resource List, Awen maintains the most comprehensive collection of free resources available to prison Chaplains and residents. The Resource List includes Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, Native American Traditional, Jewish, Christian, Islam, and General Spirituality. If you are a prison Chaplain, volunteer, librarian, or otherwise work with prisoners and would like a list of the ALL Religions Prison Chaplain Resource List, please contact Gullveig Press.
Awen also connects busy Chaplains and Religious Coordinators with Pagan Prison Ministries. During the pandemic several states have been using closed circuit television or DVD viewing for all religious services and classes due to having no volunteers. Lady Crowmoon, Wiccan volunteer at 8 South Carolina prisons, has created a highly praised free series on Wicca, which she sends on a flash drive or by email, and offers a free DVD for each Sabbat. The Appalachian Pagan Ministry, active in 22 prisons, has a great Asatru series and a few Wiccan lessons available on their YouTube channel. They also send 2 free DVDs on Asatru to facilities, while offering the only free Pagan correspondence classes. These have allowed Pagan inmates who have never had a volunteer to learn from highly skilled Pagan clergy proper information tailored to the regulations of prison. Knowing how overworked prison staff are, Awen often coordinates the sending of the video content to different DOCs and individual facilities. She also provides Chaplains and Volunteer Coordinators with the contact information of Pagan Prison Ministries in their area if there is one. IF YOU ARE A PAGAN PRISON MINISTRY, PLEASE CONTACT GULLVEIG PRESS. IF YOU HAVE MADE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ON A PAGAN RELIGION THAT PRISONS MAY USE FOR FREE, PLEASE CONTACT GULLVEIG PRESS.
The Pagan Prison Resource Center also produces the Pagan Prisoner Resource List. Copies are made for residents in prison and mailed to Pagans looking for pen pals. Via word of mouth, the Pagan Prison Resource Center receives many requests for the Pagans in Prison Resource List. If you would like a copy, please contact us or give our mailing address to any incarcerated Pagan: P.O. Box 126, St Johnsbury, VT 05819 (A self addressed stamped envelope is appreciated.) A letter for their Chaplain on the success of the Pagan Prison Resource Center in meeting the needs of prison Chaplains is included. In this way, the Pagans may advocate for other free, useful resources.
Awen emails Pagan materials to loved ones of Pagans in prison who will print and mail them. She also provides resources on other topics about incarceration. If you have a Pagan loved one in prison, please contact us for emailed materials.
Awen also organises the Vermont Prisons Diverse Religion Book Drive. Vodou manbo Sallie Ann Glassman is the first author other than Awen to donate copies of her book. If you have used, clean (no mold, writing, yellowing or dust) paperback books about Paganism, Buddhism, Hinduism, the occult, mythology, New Age topics, sci-fi/fantasy, yoga, tai chi, art, graphic novels, LGBTQ issues, starting and running a business, addiction or trauma recovery, history, and/or dictionaries, please contact us.
In these ways, the Pagan Prison Resource Center offers a wide variety of different ways for prison residents to learn accurate Pagan information and assists dedicated staff in providing their Pagan population with high quality religious educations.
We gratefully accepts donations of postage stamps, Amazon gift cards, credit at our locally owned copy shop, good condition used books and money. To help, please contact us.
“Three candles illuminate the darkness: knowledge, truth and nature.” – Irish Triads
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