Oscar Brown

Oscar Brown has been incarcerated since the age of 19 and is serving a death by incarceration sentence in Pennsylvania. 

While incarcerated, he has pursued education, writing, and community-based work inside the prison system. He is a co-founder of the Elsinore–Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice and a co-author of Life Sentences: Writings from Inside an American Prison. 

Oscar has earned an Associate’s Degree from International Christian College and Seminary, a diploma as a drug and alcohol counselor from Stratford Career Institute, and holds Pennsylvania state certification as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. In this role, he works with other incarcerated individuals, providing peer-based support and mentorship. He also served as a certified dog trainer for a number of years, preparing dogs to be support animals.

Oscar’s writing examines the realities of prison life, the conditions that funnel people into incarceration, and the ways institutions resist or refuse to accept the possibility of change. 

He is currently seeking commutation through Pennsylvania’s legal process and hopes for the opportunity to build a future beyond prison.