PBS News Weekend

Seven former prisoners received $20,000 each in funding last year through a fellowship called "The Right To Return USA," allowing those who were once incarcerated to create original artworks with a message of pushing criminal justice reform. The fellows are a diverse group of emerging and established artists, with the inaugural class covering genres such as poetry, hip-hop, and performance and multimedia arts. The fellowship also aims to align the individual artists with advocacy groups on topics like the treatment of women in prisons, immigration, and drug use. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Alison Stewart spoke with the fellows about their work, their pasts, and moving forward.