prisonjournalismproject

Prison Is Like a Pawn Shop

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. When I wake in the morning, I look forward to the day. That is, until I hear the officer shout, “Mess out!” ...
prisonjournalismproject

The Best Job in This New Jersey Prison Is Still Exploitative

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. People often tell me I hold one of the best jobs an incarcerated person can have at New Jersey State Prison. But ...
Prison Journalism Project

The Surprising Power of Getting Your Picture Taken in Prison

Illinois River Correctional Center allowed incarcerated people to have their photo taken in 2024. The change has brought hope ...
prisonjournalismproject

Six Fathers on What It’s Like to Parent From Prison

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Photo illustration by Sarah Rogers. Photo from Adobe Stock More than 5 million kids in the United States have had ...
prisonjournalismproject

The Value of Mentors in Prison

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. The day I was processed into prison 10 years ago was the lowest point in my life. After setting fire to two ...
prisonjournalismproject

At San Quentin Prison, a Huge Milestone for Incarcerated Youth

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. San Quentin’s Youth Offender Program guides youngsters under the age of 26 to better choices and outcomes in the ...
prisonjournalismproject

6 Stories About All the Ways You Can Die in Prison

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Dying in prison is becoming more common for people without a death penalty or life sentence. Prison Journalism ...
prisonjournalismproject

I’ve Spent More Than Half of My Life in Prison

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. For more than half of my life, I have not been free. I was sent to prison when I was 15 years old for ...
prisonjournalismproject

Q&A: Why These Women Oppose Death by Firing Squad

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Interior of Idaho State Capitol building. Photo by Kingofthedead (CC BY-SA 4.0) In late March, Idaho became the ...
prisonjournalismproject

What It’s Like to Live in One of the Country’s Deadliest Prison Systems

Alabama’s prison homicide rate is among the highest in the country, leaving many changed people to die behind bars. I remember the first day I stepped foot inside a prison. It was 1995. The place was ...
prisonjournalismproject

When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Nothing in prison is soft and cuddly. Prisons are concrete and steel and stocked with hard people doing hard time ...