Collaboratory team member Noor Moughni conducted an oral history interview of Mary Heinen McPherson for the publication “Incarcerated Body, Liberated Mind,” the first major publication from the Oral History Project of the Documenting Criminalization and Confinement (DCC) research initiative. The November feature tells the story of McPherson, an activist, self-proclaimed “artivist,” and formerly incarcerated woman who co-founded U-M’s Prison Creative Arts Project.
As part of the Confronting Conditions of Confinement research team, Moughni—a first-year student in philosophy and Middle Eastern studies—has been collecting written testimonials from currently incarcerated people and researching archival materials relating to commissary prices and religious opportunities at women’s facilities in Michigan. A transcript of Moughni’s conversation with McPherson is included as part of the multimedia StoryMap.