incarceration

How We Still Find Joy After Decades in Prison

After nearly 30 years in prison, I still find moments of joy and happiness. I wondered if anyone else was…

May 13, 2024

For Decades, Tattoos Helped Me Make Sense of Death and Prison

I got my first tattoo at 15, a Grim Reaper profile with the scythe arcing over its head. My father…

November 17, 2023

WV Governor, Chief of Staff Fighting Subpoena for Jail Civil Rights Suit

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) is fighting a deposition that would require him to testify in October 24 in…

October 20, 2023

Trying to Make Friends as an Adult, After an Adult Life Spent in Prison

The other day I was in Walmart when a little girl, maybe 8 or so, struck up a conversation. Her…

October 13, 2023

Harm Reduction Meets People Where They’re at, Unless They’re at a Prison

Harm reductionists on the outside often say the work happens in a legal gray area. That real harm reduction plays…

June 27, 2023

Making Phone Calls From Our Prison Costs Us More Than Just the Money

Thirty years ago, Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) prisoners were only allowed one 15-minute phone call per month. You made…

June 12, 2023

GA Escalation of Gang Prosecutions Boosts Gang Power in Prisons

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has been bolstering his "tough on crime" agenda by promising that the state will prosecute…

June 7, 2023

WA Prisons Staffing Model Is Harmful. No Other States Use It. Why Keep It?

Around 30 years ago, Washington State Department of Corrections (WDOC) took an unusual approach to the way it allocated staff…

June 6, 2023

WA Drug Penalties Uncertain as Legislature Adjourns in Stalemate

On April 23, Washington state lawmakers ended the current legislative session still in limbo over whether to increase penalties for…

April 24, 2023

A Team of Prison Braille Transcribers Works, in a System That Doesn’t

In the Georgia Braille Transcribers (GBT) shop within Central State Prison, a sign informs visitors that the program has a…

February 16, 2023