Robert Blankenship describes unsanitary prison conditions at a Virginia prison, including rats, roaches, bedbugs, and alleged retaliation for complaints. Would you send your child to…
Jayson Slaymaker describes severe back pain, delayed treatment, a hospital visit, and the daily realities of inadequate prison medical care. I’ve known for years that…
James Berman reflects on life in prison and how a simple cup of coffee becomes a source of comfort, friendship, memory, and hope for freedom.…
Justin Welch says he has completed every educational and programming opportunity available to him in maximum security. Now, he argues that being denied transfer to…
Love after prison brings new challenges for couples. Michael Philpot shares advice for making a relationship work when incarceration ends and reentry begins. If you…
Dennis Dickerson recounts how he learned about drug trafficking at Angola involving inmates, correctional officers, an FBI informant, and drugs shipped from California. Twenty-two prison…
Dani Harris reflects on drug addiction, overdose, parole, and the consequences when substance use affects everyone living around it. There seem to be some prisoners…
Robert Haas examines prison labor exploitation and how state-run industries generate millions of dollars while paying incarcerated workers pennies per hour. Prison industries were sold…
Andrew Krosch examines a prison strip search, the humiliation, control, and the lasting cost to human dignity. Looks like I’m on my way to a…
Jeffery Shockley, serving a life sentence, reflects on independence day in prison and what it means to be judged forever by the past. Freedom. Independence.…
Sean Steele writes about wildfire smoke that filled an Ohio prison without air conditioning, leaving incarcerated people trapped in dangerous heat and smoke. The smoke…
Richard Gross, serving a life sentence, reflects on transformation, purpose, and finding meaningful life in prison after years of anger and loss. One of the…
Chris Dankovich explains why public speaking in prison can be more terrifying for incarcerated college students than violence, solitary confinement, or other dangers they have…
Matthew Neumann describes Waupun prison conditions, including lockdowns, drug overdoses, isolation, staffing shortages, and a growing mental health crisis. Located in the heartland of central…
Arnold Barnes explains how thriving in prison requires developing a purposeful routine, working toward personal growth, and turning incarceration time into an asset. There’s a…
Jerry Metcalf describes suicide watch in prison, including solitary confinement, Bam-Bam cells, degrading conditions, and what suicidal prisoners say about the experience. In federal prisons,…
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