Robert Haas explains how stagnant prison wages and rising commissary prices force incarcerated people to choose between food, hygiene, and communication with their families. Feeding…
Charles Norman went to prison in 1978 on what he has been claiming ever since was a wrongful life sentence. He wrote this article exactly…
In this story, Lucas from Texas describes a weekend prison “lock-in” at the Jester 3 Unit that unexpectedly became a powerful emotional experience—one that made…
Jayson Scott Slaymaker explains how one of the rare prison programs that fostered real growth and accountability inside administrative segregation became vulnerable once it began…
Marqui Clardy writes about how Virginia’s Enhanced Earned Sentence Credit (ESC-2) policy has become a flashpoint in the state’s criminal justice reform debate, exposing the…
Marjorie Jay writes about how education is proving to be the most effective tool in reducing recidivism and offering incarcerated people a real chance at…
After a tragic car accident during a police chase left an innocent man dead and led to my 50-year prison sentence for felony murder, I…
Jayson Hawkins explains how learning to write during incarceration gave his life purpose, from short stories and novels to co-authoring books and creating a guide…
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…
Joseph Dole writes about why parole reform for violent offenders is essential to reducing mass incarceration while maintaining public safety. The Purpose of Parole The…
Marjorie Jay shares her journey from dropping out of school to earning her secondary diploma through the Penn State Muncy Tutoring Program, showing the power…
Tyler Bowman writes about how education and faith can work together to transform life behind bars—from despair and idleness to purpose and hope. Day in…
Richard Gross talks about restorative justice as a path to making amends, self-transformation, and building hope within the walls of SCI-Phoenix. At SCI-Phoenix, the Lifers…
El Presynt writes how prison reform is a critical step in dismantling the systemic injustices of mass incarceration and building a more humane and effective…
I’m a repeat offender. This is my 4th time in penitentiary. I’m the “poster child” for getting out of prison. First time I was 17…
Anthony McCarcary writes about how a broken prison system can derail brilliant minds, trap the innocent, and make reentry into society nearly impossible. People often…
Troy David offers some advice for pursuing rehabilitation in prison — tips that will prepare you for reentry. He says these are the rules he…
Richard Gross describes the restorative justice workshops he facilitates in prison. He shows us how the experience can be profound, transformative, and cathartic. I’m a…
Tony Scott started a brotherhood group to show others how to turn their lives around and thrive in prison. For some, incarceration hardens the heart.…
Tracy Lee Kendall continues his profile of Monty Lee Johnston, a white supremacist gang leader who got out of prison and returned to volunteer at…
Despite a rocky childhood, Kevin “Rashid” Johnson hopes for “a world where all life can coexist as a community and interdependent whole.” He’s found redemption…
Larry Stromberg makes the case for giving Pennsylvania prisoners with a sentence of life without parole a second chance to return to society. He explains…
John Ruffin describes the period when he was at a crossroads. He could continue down the negative path he was on — or he could…
Malik Shabbaz reflects on his past choices, the consequences that followed, and his journey toward redemption and self-discovery through pain and perseverance. I did so…
Matthew Muniz gives himself a pep talk while counting down the days before he’s released. This time, he says, it’s goodbye prison, forever. 16 and…
Iceman and Cowboy capitalized on this by envisioning the "Aryan Circle" (possibly the first white prison gang originating in Texas), formulating their bylaws and constitution,…
Ramelle Kamack describes his work for a prison body shop where clients get their cars restored and repaired for free. About a month ago, I…
Joseph Colon has spent decades living in private prisons across the country. He describes how the basic needs of prisoners are neglected in for-profit prisons,…
Felix D’Allesandro explains who and what is stopping him from getting a college education in prison and describes why it’s an serious issue with a…
The District Attorney of Los Angeles and his entire office is recommending that the Menendez brothers be resentenced, and if the judge agrees, one or…
Chris Dankovich describes how a group of prisoners experimented with “Holotropic Breathwork” in prison with astonishing results. Nathan puts his hand to his head. “Bro, this…
Dan Grote describes what happens when you match up a violent drug kingpin with two life sentences — with a dog in prison named Fred.…
Shawn Johnson, a 21-year-old Asbury Park man convicted of killing a city resident and wounding another in two alleged gang-related shootings, was sentenced to 60…
On Juneteenth, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 362. New Jersey’s clemency initiative is geared towards providing relief from the inequalities that…
Training a service dog in prison taught me lessons I never expected. My heart fluttered as I stared through the window at the beautiful strawberry-blonde…
This is why I return to prison over and over again. Straight to the point: me thinking I can game the system, beat it, get…
As the call for systemic change echoes across America, sparked by the recent anniversary of the tragic killing of George Floyd and countless others, a…
There are three problems with becoming a rehabilitated prisoner. 1) No one believes you’re rehabilitated. As the old adage goes: Actions speak louder than words.…
I was sitting here talking with my buddy Joshua (Nova) earlier, and he made a good point. Everyone in the entire world talks to one…
I was busted with a knife and been here in the hole (solitary) ever since. Winter months in North Dakota State Penitentiary (NDSP) are the…
Dear Commonwealth of Virginia: Almost needless to say that the Second Chances bill being tabled again was a huge disappointment. It revealed to me more…
Let me be the first to say that I have been around some men who should never get out of prison. They should never see…
I am an incarcerated felon who entered our broken criminal justice system (CJS) at age 53, after nearly 30 years as a husband, father, and…
For those of you who have never been to prison, here’s a prison primer — some firsthand knowledge that can give you a…
It’s hot when i walk inside the production area of my first job after prison, and within five minutes I am already sweating so bad…
Captive Voices Writing Program at New Jersey State Prison is a rehabilitative and therapeutic outlet for its participants. In March of 2022, freelance writer Tariq…
What does a person do when a simple house plant, thriving due to mindful attention paid to it, evolves in its growth beyond the parameters…
Buying all new wardrobe … after 27 years in prison, Saul is out! Home Sweet Home!
The night before my release from prison was turbulent and restless, with fear and uncertainty running rampant through my mind. As I lay on my…
Arthur Bell’s trial was a sham. Help us get him out! Please contribute and share!
The elderly in prison creates unique challenges for the criminal justice system, including higher medical costs and the need for special housing and programming. CDOC’s …
Michigan’s legislature is debating the House’s “day-for-day” legislation that would instantly cut prisoner sentences in half, including those currently incarcerated. However, I oppose these bills.…
My name is Stacey and I’m a transgender woman living in a men’s prison. I wanted to share some of the heartaches and triumphs I’ve…
Yikes. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with my life after prison – although I had plans. But I definitely wasn’t…
When I entered prison, I did not imagine being here seven years later, or still alive. People talk about how it feels to hit rock…
The triad of rehabilitation is: Education, Self-Help, and Healthy Social Networks. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves balancing on two shaky legs, as the institutions that…
2021 is my year for being released from prison and I'm scared, nervous and concerned. I try to keep this positive mindset that it'll all…
This is not the wild west. Gunslingers seeking bounty and maverick, overly aggressive politicians should not define American justice. The phrase “tough on crime” is…
During my time in freedom, I recall parking in airport long-term parking lots. I recall the thick layer of dust that turned into dirt on…
Most of us will get out. Something like 95% of prisoners get out, eventually. Some will stay in prison for only a few months; others will…
On Wednesday, November 6, 2022 the Northern State Prison inmate population received a surprise visit by former New York Mets baseball all-star Darryl Strawberry. The…
Civil commitment is additional incarceration, often for an "indeterminate" period of time, after a person has served their entire prison sentence for a sex offense.
People in the Florida prison system suffer a mortality rate 2.5 times higher than free people living under Medicaid—the healthcare system created for low-income Americans.…
Mr. District Attorney Alvin Bragg, My name is Sheldon Preston Johnson. I have been incarcerated twenty-five years on a fifty year sentence. I am writing…
The United States has roughly 2.3 million people incarcerated. An approximate average expenditure of $36,000 a year per prisoner translates to around $80 billion on…
By definition, redemption is: the act, process or result of redeeming something or someone, such as the act of making something better or more…
Before 1977, ALL California prisoners were sentenced to Indeterminate sentences, [or Life on Parole: a term that included “imprisonment for life” (i.e. five years to…
Roman Noel reflects on “fear in prison” which is his greatest worry behind bars, above violence or time — losing the ability to grow. Drawing…
In October of 2008, my then-girlfriend and I were denied an apartment, forcing us to move back to Arlington from Chicago. At the time I…
America was built off of profits made from the stolen bodies and labor of African hostages—slaves. History teaches us that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was…
My earliest release date is 2041. According to the World Almanac, my life expectancy as a Black man is 67 years old. I’ll be 66…
When you google "TommyLee Dean", you will not find a full description of everything I am passionately pursuing today, but you will find legitimate productivity…
A life sentence can be death by incarceration. When a person serving life without parole (LWOP/DBI) reforms and rehabilitates his/her life, they should be allowed,…
I have a very intimate understanding of the effects of long-term isolation on a person's mental and physical health. I spent a long time in…
I came clean. "I struggle with feeling remorse for Frank because, if he didn't try to pull that move, he'd be alive and I wouldn’t…
Getting a prison education in California is a joke. Allow me to explain why. When a prisoner gets assigned to school, that is basically his…
Over the past 18 months, twenty-three incarcerated men died at the Jessup Regional Hospital (JRH), according to an unnamed staffer at JRH. Many were elderly…
Some people knew her as Arlene Mohammed, but her name was Mo and she brought people together. Mo was a strong black woman from another…
How does prison work? The worst thing about prison is not how it captures men, but how it releases them. We are given nearly nothing.…
It’s surely proof that the world has gone to hell, when I become the voice of reason and defend the Boys in Blue. As a…
The study also showed that the release of 1,000 prisoners who had earned bachelor degrees while in prison would save Texas $59,000,000 yearly.
I hope not to die in the next 145 days. Unfortunately, the possibility of death remains real. In the event of my demise, I ask…
The best thing about being in prison is getting out. To do that, an inmate has two options, aside from dying while inside. The…
When I walked into my third date with the parole board, I thought that over our previous two dates together, covering the past twenty-five years,…
The antisocial behavior of criminals is a symptom of a deeper illness that is not only the cause of crime but also the driving…
I've watched countless faces pass through what seems to be a revolving door, leading out, and—all too often—right back into my home. It's rarely difficult…
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).…
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…
Illinois currently finds itself in a dire fiscal state. A main cause of this has been years of passing laws without any consideration of the…
“Where am I going?” I asked the big-boned, manly female C.O. [Corrections Officer] as she pulled me out of the line going towards recreation.…
1. Start looking at results. When prisoners are released and are successful and do not come back, see what is the same amongst them. Do…
Solitary confinement is now firmly embedded in this country’s prison system. Indeed, the control units that specialize in housing prisoners in solitary by the tens…
Prison is more so a school for the advancement of criminalization. Where crime, corruption and cold-blooded murder is often encouraged, praised and applauded.
Nationwide, 43.3% of prisoners return to prison within 3 years of their release. However, for prisoners holding a Bachelor’s degree, the recidivism rate plummets to…
After almost two months of being free… I sometimes wish I was still locked up… there’s was a lot less things to worry about and…
Just read this, okay? What does whatever I, or any other prisoner, have to say matter? We’ve “committed the crime, now do the time.” Yes,…
Do you know what pisses me off? The fact that I can’t get it together. I’m trying so hard to build a future for myself…
I’ve had people ask me if I’m happy to be going “home” soon and the truth is, I’m not quite sure what I feel. It…
Enter PrisonWriters.com. Here we have an organization that is going out of its way to make sure that our voices and stores are escaping this…
When I walk through the towers to be processed out and I walk through the final gate, no, my mom won’t be there because...
A common perception about prisoners is the well-worn statement, delivered with a roll of the eyes, “They all claim they’re innocent.” Prisoners’ innocence claims have…
I was on death row for many years before Illinois banned the death penalty in 2011. I’m a “lifer” now, serving a life-without-parole (LWOP) sentence.…
Troy David has been released from prison! After saving up money for the first six months — while he worked and lived in a halfway…
Let me first off start out by saying that I’m not one of these prisoners who thinks that prisoners are awesome or that most are…
Other than a person’s age there is no greater indicator of whether someone will recidivate than one’s level of education.
A decade ago Steve Bogira’s Courtroom 302 gave us a glimpse of the corrupt culture of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s courthouse at 26th…
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