2 New Mexico inmates win honors in prison writing contest

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two New Mexico prison inmates have won honors in the prestigious PEN America's Prison Writing Contest . The organization announced in November that Dominic Murphy, convicted in 2005 of first-degree murder, took second place for poetry. Murphy is serving a life sentence in the Northeast New Mexico Detention Facility for killing two men in 2003. Dylan Jeffrey, convicted of child rape, took third place for drama writing. Jeffrey currently is incarcerated at the Otero County Prison Facility and serving a 54-year sentence for his 2005 conviction. Every year, hundreds of inmates from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction and dramatic works to PEN America's Prison Writing Contest. Founded in 1971, PEN's prison writing program works to provide inmates with skilled writing teachers and audiences for their work.