Indiana Women’s Prison History Project
Community of Scholars
Over the past decade, dozens of women at the Indiana Women’s Prison participated in the Prison History Project. Some were there for only a semester, others were involved for years. Though they may not all have authored their own chapters, they all contributed to its success and the sisterhood that developed within the Project. These women include:
D’Antonette Burns
Azizi Carter
Lori Fussner
Leslie Hauk
Lisa Hochstetler
Sonya Hulfachor
Chelsea Johnson
Lori Record Logan
Cynthia Long
Carissa Miller
Lisa Kay Morrison
Gracie Michelle Myers
Amy Perman
Beanca Newgent
Selina Porter
Cynthia Averitte | Susan Byrd | Shelley Dillman | Kelsie Wilt
Graduate Studies Program
The Graduate Studies Program grew out of the Women’s Prison History Project, and provided context and method to our research. In addition to women who authored chapters in Who Would Believe (Kim Baldwin, Lara Campbell, Rheann Kelly, Michelle Daniel Jones, Natalie Medley, and Anastazia Schmid), the graduate program included Leslie Hauk, Nan Luckhart, Melinda Loveless, Sarah Pender, and Michelle Stancati.
(foreground) Michelle Daniel Jones (first row, left to right) Anastazia Schmid, Lori Record Logan, Michelle Stancati, Jeneth (PeeWee) Hughes,Melinda Loveless (back row) Kelsey Kauffman, Nan Luckhart, Leslie Hauk. Not pictured: Sarah Pender.
The Duchess of Stringtown
Twenty of the women at IWP spent all of spring semester 2017 practicing and producing two splendid performances (albeit censored) of The Duchess of Stringtown, an original play by Michelle Daniel Jones and Anastazia Schmid.
left to right: Jeneth (PeeWee) Hughes, Cindy White, Connie Bumgardner, Lisa Hotchstettler (mostly hidden), Michelle Williams, Michelle Daniel Jones. Photo by Andy Spear.
left to right: Lisa Hochstetler, Lara Campbell, Michelle Daniel Jones, Irene Price, Cindy White, Heather Shaw, Natalie Medley, Michelle Williams, Shirwanda Boone, Nan Luckhart, Jeneth Hughes, Danielle Green, Connie Bumgardner; (not pictured) Rheann Kelly, Heather Lace, Lori Record Logan, Melinda Loveless, Dominique Parks, Tiara Shelton. Photo by Andy Spear.
Sisterhood is Powerful
Some of the history project scholars participated in an Inside/Out Prison Exchange class with IU students. Women in khakis are prison residents. Other students are from Indiana University. Top left is Professor Micol Seigel who was a key mentor in the History Project. Women in the photo who were members of the Prison History Project are Lisa Hotchstetler, Lori Record Logan, Natalie Medley, Michelle Williams, Michelle Daniel Jones, and Toni Burns
Off to the 2019 NCHEP conference: (front row) Elizabeth Nelson and Monica Deck, (second row) Molly Whitted and Kristina Byers, (third row) Anastazia Schmid and Ray Cummins
Anastazia Schmid, Molly Witted, Elizabeth Nelson at the MUMI conference
Anastazia Schmid and Nicole Hayes at a conference in Indianapolis two weeks after Nicole’s release from prison in February 2020
At the MUMI conference: Michelle Daniel Jones, Anastazia Schmid, Elizabeth Nelson, Molly Whitted, Monica Deck
Collaborating on the book at Rabble Coffee Shop, Indianapolis, November 2019: (clockwise from left) Marlen Huesca, Monica Deck, Anastazia Schmid, Molly Whitted, Micol Seigel, Michelle Daniel Jones, Kelsey Kauffman, Elizabeth Nelson
Celebrating at MUMI: (clockwise from left) Michelle Daniel Jones, Paméla Cappas-Toro, Anastazia Schmid, Monica Deck, Elizabeth Nelson, Molly Whitted, and Andy Eisen (director of the history project at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Florida)
At the 2018 Jefferson Awards Dinner: (left to right) Brittany James, Wendy Jordan, Ericka Flye (WRTV), Christina Kovats, Lori Record Logan, Lori Fussner
After the Duchess photo shoot: (left to right) Michelle Daniel Jones, Nicole Hayes, Molly Whitted, Anastazia Schmid, 2019
Diana O’Hara (left), survivor of two Magdalene Laundries in New York state, joins forces with Michelle Daniel Jones and Elizabeth Nelson at the American Historical Association national conference, Chicago, January 2019
Rheann Kelly and Michelle Williams receive their diplomas from Marian University on August 7, 2023 (photos by Mykal McEldowney / Indy Star)
At the gravesite of Joanna Kitchen, the real Duchess of Stringtown highlighted in the play Michelle Daniel Jones and Anastazia Schmid wrote based on the people they researched for the book. (standing) Anastazia Schmid, Molly Whitted, and Christina Kovats; (seated) Michelle Daniel Jones and Nicole Hayes)