In the past several years, there have been numerous court rulings that have declared segregation in prison housing unconstitutional. The United States as a whole has abandoned old policies of segregation for 50 years – everywhere but the prison system. [...]
On April 4th, 2011 I was pulled over for a taillight being burnt out. No big deal, right? Usually no, however I was “methin’ around” (high on meth) at the time and my kids were with me in the vehicle. I [...]
Those who claim to know such things tell us that ten thousand hours given to any one task leads to mastery of that task. So, after 205,000 hours in prison I'm going to qualify myself as a prison expert in [...]
Flames surged out of cell A-250, well-fueled by rolled-up newspapers, cardboard, and clothing collected by the cell’s lone occupant, Ryan Nieves. He wanted the fire to be hot and quickly intense, and it was. An accelerant had been poured. The paint [...]
One of the best ways to insure that you can make a bad situation in here worse is to become a "rock kicker." A rock kicker is someone that does nothing all day except hang out on the yard [outside [...]
The situation, simply put: for families of the incarcerated, life is brutal. Sad. Devastating to family structure and closeness. Difficult financially. Painful. Wrenching, forcing families to drive six hours on Sundays to visit with no gas money. Getting rejected for a [...]
Courtesy: Jermon Clark PART TWO: BY JERMON CLARK Read Part One of "My First Day In Prison As A Teenager" Everyone in the group began to ask the guard, “What unit am I going to?” He answered some [...]
How do I begin to tell you about my crime and the insane, muddled mess I made out my life in just a few days? It feels like an enormous, devastating monster made from spontaneity, loneliness and regret came crashing out [...]
Gabriele was an upbeat cat for a prisoner with a life sentence. I remember the day that I met him. I was having a difficult day trying to navigate all of the negativity that prison has to offer when suddenly [...]
The people in the position to help the most have the power to hurt the most. "I'm sorry" should not be the intermission between disrespectful acts. Every prisoner represents multiple victims and many represent lives lost. If you think that perfection [...]
Before 1977, ALL California prisoners were sentenced to Indeterminate sentences, a term that included “imprisonment for life” (i.e. five years to life for armed robbery). After serving a certain amount of time, a prisoner had to appear in front of a [...]
Courtesy: Charles Norman Prisoners beaten to death by guards. A prisoner boiled alive until he died. A murder contract taken out against a released inmate by racist Ku Klux Klan (KKK) prison guards. Systemic brutality, widespread contraband smuggling, false statements, [...]
Courtesy of Charles Norman Big Willie Taylor came to my cell one evening after supper with a question. I knew it was a question because he never came to my cell unless he had a question that stumped [...]