Florida student starts global letter-writing project for incarcerated people
Megan Markus founded the Paper Wings Project to provide human connection to prisoners through handwritten correspondence.
Florida high school student Megan Markus has established a youth-led organisation that sends letters to people in prison. According to the Times of India, her initiative, the Paper Wings Project, has distributed over 5,200 messages across 105 countries and territories and all 50 US states in 18 months.
The project uses volunteers to write to individuals identified through state and federal prison databases in the US. For international outreach, the organisation contacts prison officials directly to share information about the project and its literary magazine, Chrysalis Review.
Markus, who grew up in Pinecrest, Florida, was inspired by her parents, who are both criminal defence lawyers. She created the nonprofit to offer dignity and personal expression to those serving time, aiming to remind them they are not forgotten.
The initiative also includes Chrysalis Review, a biannual magazine for creative work by incarcerated artists and writers. The first issue, titled Cocooned, was released in March 2026, and the second issue, Breaking Free, is currently in development.
Addressing questions regarding the platform provided to prisoners, Markus said the project does not excuse wrongdoing or judge circumstances. She stated that accountability and human dignity can exist together and that the goal is to recognise their humanity.