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Unsanitary Prison Conditions
Unsanitary Prison Conditions: Rats, Roaches, and Bedbugs in Virginia
October 10, 2026
Koka
Robert Blankenship describes unsanitary prison conditions at a Virginia prison, including rats, roaches,...
JS Slaymaker2
Prison Medical Care and a Serious Back Injury
October 7, 2026
Koka
Jayson Slaymaker describes severe back pain, delayed treatment, a hospital visit, and the daily realities...
coffee
Life in Prison: Finding Comfort in a Cup of Coffee
October 3, 2026
Koka
James Berman reflects on life in prison and how a simple cup of coffee becomes a source of comfort, friendship,...
Justin Welch is serving time in Wisconsin for murder.
Why Prison Rehabilitation Matters Before Release
October 1, 2026
Koka
Justin Welch says he has completed every educational and programming opportunity available to him in...
Michael Philpot
Love After Prison: Making a Relationship Work After Release
September 30, 2026
Koka
Love after prison brings new challenges for couples. Michael Philpot shares advice for making a relationship...
Angola
Drug Trafficking at Angola Prison: How I Watched the Ring Unravel
September 26, 2026
Koka
Dennis Dickerson recounts how he learned about drug trafficking at Angola involving inmates, correctional...
Daniel Harris
Drug Addiction and the Price We Pay
September 23, 2026
Koka
Dani Harris reflects on drug addiction, overdose, parole, and the consequences when substance use affects...
Andrew Krosch
Prison Strip Search: What 25 Years of Them Does to a Man
September 16, 2026
Koka
Andrew Krosch examines a prison strip search, the humiliation, control, and the lasting cost to human...
america 250
Independence Day in Prison: America Forgets Its Past. Why Can't I?
September 12, 2026
Koka
Jeffery Shockley, serving a life sentence, reflects on independence day in prison and what it means to...
Sean Steele
Wildfire Smoke: Breathless and Caged in the Heat
September 9, 2026
Koka
Sean Steele writes about wildfire smoke that filled an Ohio prison without air conditioning, leaving...
Prison
Serving a Life Sentence: Finding Growth in a Prison Wasteland
September 5, 2026
Koka
Richard Gross, serving a life sentence, reflects on transformation, purpose, and finding meaningful life...
prison
Waupun Prison Conditions: Drugs, Lockdowns, and Mental Health
August 31, 2026
Koka
Matthew Neumann describes Waupun prison conditions, including lockdowns, drug overdoses, isolation, staffing...
Arnold Barnes
Thriving in Prison: How to Turn Your Time Into an Asset
August 26, 2026
Koka
Arnold Barnes explains how thriving in prison requires developing a purposeful routine, working toward...
Prison Writers Contributor
Suicide Watch in Prison: What I’ve Witnessed as a Prisoner Observation Aide
August 22, 2026
Koka
Jerry Metcalf describes suicide watch in prison, including solitary confinement, Bam-Bam cells, degrading...
Heart_in_prison
A Broken Heart in Prison
August 19, 2026
Koka
Eric Mills writes about his broken heart in prison. After discovering a passion for art and finding true...
Chiron Francis
Prison Lockdowns: The Humiliation of the Annual Shakedown
August 15, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Chiron Francis writes about the dreaded ritual of prison lockdowns, when cells are searched, possessions...
Gordon Grilz
What Should You Call People in Prison?
August 4, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Gordon Grilz writes about the loaded language used to label people in prison — and why labeling people...
Barbed wire and a fenced prison area as the sun sets.
Can We Undo the North Carolina Prison System Collapse?
July 25, 2026
Koka
Eugene Trent explains how sentencing policies, overcrowding, staff shortages, and prolonged lockdowns...
Image
Religious Discrimination in Prison Against Shi’a Muslims
July 22, 2026
Koka
Jibreel Mehdi explains how religious discrimination in prison prevents Shi’a Muslims from practicing...
Prison gates
Prison Wages Leave Incarcerated Workers Unable to Afford Basic Needs
July 18, 2026
Koka
Robert Haas explains how stagnant prison wages and rising commissary prices force incarcerated people...
Scrabble
Scrabble in Prison: Coping With Life One Word at a Time of
July 15, 2026
Koka
James Berman describes how four incarcerated men cope with prison life through scrabble in prison, trading...
Shakeil Price
Surviving in Prison Without Losing Your Identity
July 11, 2026
Koka
Shakeil Price describes how surviving in prison requires fighting for freedom, health, dignity, and identity...
Daniel Harris
Living With HIV in Prison: Love, Loss, and an Uncertain Future
July 8, 2026
Koka
Daniel Harris reflects on living with HIV in prison, finding unexpected love, and facing the painful...
Jeremy Busby copy
Mental Illness in Solitary Confinement: Speaking Bird With the Warden
July 4, 2026
Koka
Jeremy Busby describes how mental illness in solitary confinement is ignored by prison officials, even...
Chris Dankovich
The Keryx Prison Ministry Works Miracles Through Hugs and Tears
July 1, 2026
Koka
Chris Dankovich describes how transformative the Keryx prison ministry is, working miracles in the least...
JS Slaymaker2
The Death of Jamall Brown From Medical Neglect
June 27, 2026
Koka
Jamall Brown died in prison after being denied insulin while in custody at Riverside County Jail. Jayson...
Arnold Barnes
Spirituality in Prison: Feeding the Spirit Behind Bars
June 24, 2026
Koka
Arnold Barnes explains how spirituality in prison can renew a person’s energy, offer a new perspective,...
A lone woman at sunset
Trans in Prison: Waiting for Gender Affirmation Surgery
June 20, 2026
Koka
Jinx explains the pain, isolation, and lack of support she experiences as a trans person in prison while...
prison dorm
Prison Overcrowding: Living With Broken Toilets, Bad Heat, and No Space
June 17, 2026
Koka
Brian McNamee describes prison overcrowding inside a North Carolina unit, where 42 men share space built...
NJ Prison
K2 in Texas Prisons: Dying for a Stick Behind These Bricks
June 14, 2026
Koka
Dying for a Stick Behind These Bricks I walked into a dormitory-style prison unit for the first time...
Background
Crack Addiction and Burglary: A Life With Nowhere to Go
June 10, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Dwight Jackson writes about crack addiction and burglary, tracing how his first break-in, at 23 years...
Marcus Barry
An Incarcerated Father: The Pain of Leaving Children Behind
June 6, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Markus A. Barry writes about being an incarcerated father and the lasting pain of leaving his young daughters...
Inmates Share their Real Stories
Inmate versus Convict versus -- ? Here's What "Prisoners" Think
June 2, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
The debate over whether we should call incarcerated people “inmate” versus “convict”...
byron Hunter
It's Out of Sight, Out of Mind When You're in Prison
May 30, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
As Byron Hunter explains, when in prison, there’s something that happens to almost everyone inside,...
Arnold Barnes
Hustles in Prison: How People Make Money Behind Bars
May 27, 2026
Koka
Arnold Barnes III writes about hustles in prison and the many ways incarcerated people use talent, labor,...
Prison Writer Kenneth Kyle
The Wild World of Prison Nicknames: From Diablo to Skittles, Here's What They Really Mean
May 20, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
There are the ubiquitous ones - Stretch, Preacher, Shorty, Lucky, Cowboy, Solo, Fats, Junior, Nephew,...
Chris Dankovich
Can You Find Peace in Prison?
May 15, 2026
Koka
Chris Dankovich reflects on peace as something that can exist even in prison, challenging the assumption...
Jeremy Busby
Life Changing Advice From My Friend On Death Row
May 10, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Jeremy Busby writes about a friend on death row whose influence transformed his life in prison and whose...
Prison Writer Marcellus Smith
Locked Up at 8: How Child Incarceration Shaped My Life Behind Bars
May 5, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Marcellus Smith writes about how child incarceration shaped his life long before he ever stepped into...
1
Supply And Demand and The Economics of Prison
April 30, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
When it comes to the prison economics of prison, you have to live inside here to understand it. For example,...
Prison DAting
Prison Relationships: Here's How These Two Manage It
April 27, 2026
Koka
Charles Smith and Amanda Coles reflect on their prison relationship — and how it reshapes love,...
lockdown sandwich
Surviving Prison Lockdown: What It Takes to Get Through
April 24, 2026
Koka
Arnold Barnes explains that lockdown in Texas prisons requires preparation, endurance, and simple strategies...
prison
Entering Prison: Derrick Walker's Top Tips for First-Time Inmates
April 20, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Derrick Walker talks about entering prison for the first time and what people need to know to stay safe....
Patrick Jones
Catfished in Prison?
April 12, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Was Patrick Jones catfished in prison? He describes his experience finding connection behind prison walls,...
Adam and Jason
A Bad Idea? NY State is Allowing Teenage Prison Guards Due to Staff Shortages
April 6, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Teenage prison guards and the incarcerated teenagers they’ll oversee share more than proximity...
Jeffrey Shockley
How a Life Sentence in Prison Changes the Meaning of Time
April 3, 2026
Koka
Jeffery Shockley describes how serving a life sentence in prison changes the meaning of time itself,...
Arnold Barnes
Survival Tips for Prison Without Losing Yourself
March 30, 2026
Koka
Arnold Barnes offers survival tips for prison, offering hard-won lessons for navigating the unpredictable...
Daniel Harris
Synthetic Drugs Sprayed on Paper Are Killing People in My TX Prison
March 22, 2026
Koka
Daniel Harris recounts how synthetic drugs sprayed on paper is the new prison crisis unfolding inside...
Prison kitchen
Prison Kitchen Cake: Finding a Human Moment Behind Bars
March 18, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
In this essay from inside a prison kitchen, James Berman writes about baking a strawberry-frosted prison...
Gordon Grilz
The Florence Prison Complex
March 17, 2026
Koka
Gordon Grilz, reflects on prison violence in the Florence Prison Complex in Arizona, while recalling...
480871604_1643605219596982_5730608619624998288_n
Incarcerated Women Matter Too: Trauma, Separation, and the Need for Compassion
March 12, 2026
Koka
Monique Houston reminds us that incarcerated women are too often overlooked, even as they endure deep...
Michael Philpot
Guilt, Shame, Self-hatred and Remorse in Prison
March 6, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Michael Philpot writes about his remorse in prison, knowing his victims will “never see a beautiful...
Robert Porter
I Refused to Commit Violence in Prison — and Paid the Price
March 2, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Robert Porter IV explores what it means to refuse to commit violence in prison, arguing that true strength...
Leonard Andre Scovens, Jr.
Sentenced to Life in Prison at 23: Learning How to Survive a Cage
February 28, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
How’s a 23-year old kid supposed to process having to spend the rest of his life in prison, in a cage?...
Daniel Harris
Collective Punishment in Texas Prisons: Doing Another Man’s Time
February 27, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Daniel Harris writes about the frustration of collective punishment in Texas prisons — when lockdowns,...
480871604_1643605219596982_5730608619624998288_n
Prison Advice for Women: Lessons After 19 Years Behind Bars
February 25, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
This prison advice for women comes from Monique Houston, a woman who entered prison at just 20 years...
laugh
Whistle Bets and Prison Humor: When a Tier Became a Stage
February 25, 2026
Koka
Jeremy Nuckles recalls the day a simple whistle set off an unforgettable prison bet that turned an ordinary...
Prison Writer Jeremy Busby
Prison Food Illness: Jeremy Busby on Why Incarceration Makes People Sick
February 23, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Jeremy Busby writes about prison food illness and why meals served inside jails, prisons, and immigration...
Heart_in_prison
Prison Advice About Relationships, Depression, and Staying Sane
February 20, 2026
Koka
Chris Dankovich, a lifer in Michigan, offers prison advice on romance, finances, and mental health. Question:...
Paul-Brown
On Death Row: I Was A Witness To Murder At Age 10
February 19, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
    In the ghetto, there’s lots of improvisation. As young boys, we were very active and had...
Antwaun Johnson
Racist Prison Guards: What Really Happens When Rural White Officers Are Given Power Over Black Inmates
February 18, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Antwaun Johnson believes racist prison guards are not an abstract concept — they are a daily reality...
Depositphotos_34986741_XL
The Underground Prison Economy
February 17, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Little did you know, there’s an underground prison economy and, just like in the free world, you can...
Michael Himes
Getting a Job In Prison: The Persistance That Opens Doors
February 15, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Michael Himes writes about getting a job in prison and how persistence, discipline, and attitude matter...
prison
Personal Growth in Prison: A Young Black Man’s Journey from Rage to Redemption
February 13, 2026
Koka
Terry Sellers describes how personal growth in prison began with a blunt warning from an older mentor...
Waupun prison warden
Life Inside Waupun Prison: Lockdowns and Survival
February 13, 2026
Koka
Matthew Neumann recounts life inside Waupun prison, Wisconsin’s oldest maximum security prison, where...
Prison
North Carolina's Prison Tablet Program Exploits Inmates With Overpriced and Limited Access
February 6, 2026
Koka
Derrick Walker writes about how the prison tablet program in North Carolina prisons charges inmates high...
Andrew Krosch
Prison Legal Papers and the Fight for Access to Justice in Minnesota Prisons
February 1, 2026
Koka
Andrew Krosch describes how new Minnesota DOC policies restricting prison legal papers threaten incarcerated...
prison
LGBTQ+ Lives on the Line: Gangs, Prison Culture, and the Rise of Outkasst in Florida
January 21, 2026
Koka
Orion Flowers recalls how being perceived as LGBTQ+ inside Florida prisons can instantly place a person...
mental illness
Mental Illness in Prison: When a Psychiatric Crisis Leads to Solitary Confinement
January 20, 2026
Koka
MarQui Clardy recalls a terrifying night in prison that exposes how mental illness is routinely mishandled...
InmatesNYTIMES
Prison Programs That Threaten the System: When Change Actually Happens
January 17, 2026
Koka
Jayson Scott Slaymaker explains how one of the rare prison programs that fostered real growth and accountability...
commissary-patrons-will-be-seeing-plenty-of-back-to-921df2-1024
Commissary Day in Prison: Anticipation, Power, and Survival
January 12, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
Chiron Francis describes how commissary day inside prison becomes a highly anticipated event, revealing...
prison
How the Broken Justice System Shapes Daily Life Inside Waupun
January 7, 2026
Koka
Matthew Neumann describes how the broken justice system continues to devastate innocent people while...
Carlos Mendoza
Life as a Latin Kings Hitman
January 6, 2026
Prison Writers Staff
I’m a stick-up kid who robs any thing that moves. If they had money or drugs, or better yet, both, I...
Life in SING SING
Finding Strength and Peace While Serving a Life Sentence
January 3, 2026
Koka
Jeffery Shockley reflects on the deep personal transformation, grief, and resilience that come with serving...
Death Row Sign
Life After Death Row: Healing, Purpose, and Redemption Behind Bars
December 29, 2025
Koka
Edgar Garcia reflects on finding life after death row, where years of isolation and loss became the foundation...
Death-Row
From Death Row to Clemency
December 27, 2025
Koka
Edgar Garcia writes about 17 years on death row, the clemency that granted him a second chance at life,...
classroom
From Prison to College: A Journey of Higher Learning Behind Bars
December 27, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Tutankhamon Waterman describes how stepping into a college classroom for the first time while incarcerated...
food
Prison Food at the Crossbar Inn: The Infamous State Sandwich
December 25, 2025
Koka
James Berman describes the infamous prison food staple known as the state sandwich, enlightening us on...
James Duckett
Florida Death Row in 2025: Remembering the Men Executed and the Friends Left Behind
December 24, 2025
Koka
James Duckett reflects on decades spent on Florida Death Row, recalling shared meals, friendships, and...
InmatesNYTIMES
Virginia’s Criminal Justice Reform Debate and the ESC-2 Policy
December 22, 2025
Koka
Marqui Clardy writes about how Virginia’s Enhanced Earned Sentence Credit (ESC-2) policy has become a...
Parole
Why New Jersey Parole Board Reform Is Long Overdue
December 21, 2025
Koka
Phoenix Ra explains how New Jersey Parole Board reform is urgently needed as the Board repeatedly exceeds...
Prison Guard
Abuse and Neglect Inside the Arkansas Department of Corrections
December 20, 2025
Koka
Deontae Fulton explains how abuse within the Arkansas Department of Corrections has become a daily reality,...
books
Learning to Learn: How Prison Became a Personal University
December 15, 2025
Koka
Charles Smith recalls how learning inside a maximum security prison transformed incarceration into an...
Prison Education
Prison Education Programs Slash Recidivism Rates in Pennsylvania
December 15, 2025
Koka
Marjorie Jay writes about how education is proving to be the most effective tool in reducing recidivism...
Gordon Grilz
The Spice Epidemic Inside Arizona Prisons: A Deadly and Unstoppable Crisis
December 10, 2025
Koka
Gordon Grilz explains the growing spice epidemic inside Arizona’s prisons, revealing how synthetic cannabis...
drugs in prisons
Inside the Fragile Balance of the Prison Economy
December 6, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Devin Giordano explains how the prison economy operates on scarcity and survival, where even efforts...
Justin Welch
Justin Welch: My Escape From Prison
December 3, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
This is the story of my escape from prison in 2010.  What you're about to read is 100% true and you can...
Charles Norman
All About Gangs in Florida From a Lifer Who's Seen It All
December 3, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Charles Norman writes about prison gangs in Florida in a way only someone who has been in prison for...
Derrick Walker
Religious Rights Violated: North Carolina Prison Denies Inmate Access to Bible
December 3, 2025
Koka
Derrick Walker explains how restrictions on religious materials in North Carolina prisons have resulted...
Screen Shot 2020-10-28 at 3.41
The Stanford Prison Experiment Summarized
December 2, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
The movie, THE STANFORD EXPERIMENT, is a fictionalized account of the notorious study conducted by Stanford Professor...
storage
Segregation and Property Loss: How Prison Packups Destroy Possessions and Hope
December 1, 2025
Koka
Andrew Krosch writes about segregation—one of the most traumatic experiences in prison, because of the...
sadness
America’s Prison Crisis: The Mental Health Epidemic Behind Bars
November 29, 2025
Koka
Brandon Lewis explains how the failure to address mental health in prison leads to tragic, preventable...
Tracy Lee Kendall
What Thanksgiving in Prison Really Looks Like
November 26, 2025
Koka
Tracy Lee Kendall shares that Thanksgiving in prison is shaped far more by the inner lives of incarcerated...
Prisoner in Bad Condition in Demolished Solitary Confinement und
From Violence to Vocabulary: One Man’s Transformation
November 24, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Charles Smith explains how a lifelong sentence beginning at age 16 led to years of violence, isolation,...
vaccine
Surviving a Staph Infection in Prison
November 22, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Tutankhamon Waterman explains how a staph infection in prison became a life-changing experience, exposing...
Charles Diorio
Double-Bunking in Mass. Prisons Fuels Violence, Drugs, and Inhumane Conditions
November 19, 2025
Koka
Charles Diorio explains how double-bunking forces inmates into unsafe, inhumane conditions. At Souza-Baranowski...
father
Finding Purpose Through Fatherhood in Prison
November 17, 2025
Koka
Jeremy Busby shares how fatherhood in prison transformed his life and gave him renewed purpose despite...
prison guard
The Return of Inmate Guards Inside Louisiana Prisons
November 14, 2025
Koka
Brandon LaVergne explains how inmate guards were once outlawed in Louisiana due to widespread brutality,...
Free woman in prison image, public domain people CC0 photo
Living a Life Sentence in Pennsylvania: Reflections From 26 Years Inside
November 12, 2025
Prison Writers Staff
Jeffery Shockley reflects on what it means to live with a life sentence, navigating decades of loss,...
Ventura Department Juvenile Justice
The Dangerous Game of Prison Politics and Deception
November 10, 2025
Koka
Steven Williams explains how prison politics mirror the corruption, deception, and manipulation seen...

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