Prison Journalism Project
@prisonjournalism.bsky.social
An independent national nonprofit initiative that trains incarcerated writers in the tools of journalism and publishes their stories.
Support our work: https://bit.ly/4rioDIW
Support our work: https://bit.ly/4rioDIW
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
"If I could have one thing from the outside to warm me up, I would have a loved one. What better warmth is there but the warmth from those you love?"
What Extreme Cold Feels Like in Prison
Prison writers from across the U.S. describe how cold their prisons get in the winter — and what small dignities could make it more bearable.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 12:18 AM
"If I could have one thing from the outside to warm me up, I would have a loved one. What better warmth is there but the warmth from those you love?"
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
"Now, I want to go to college, but opportunities are limited. Prison policies, waiting lists and lack of funding make higher education almost impossible. Correspondence courses are rare, and programs like Adams State University’s are available only in certain states."
How I Got My High School Diploma in Prison
Education has made me feel like I have a second chance at life.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 9:30 PM
"Now, I want to go to college, but opportunities are limited. Prison policies, waiting lists and lack of funding make higher education almost impossible. Correspondence courses are rare, and programs like Adams State University’s are available only in certain states."
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
An incarcerated writer reports on Luigi Mangione's brief stay at a PA prison.
When Luigi Mangione Came to Our Prison
Luigi Mangione was incarcerated at my Pennsylvania prison, SCI Huntingdon, for close to two weeks in December. Here's what we saw.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 30, 2026 at 4:01 PM
An incarcerated writer reports on Luigi Mangione's brief stay at a PA prison.
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
Mayor Mamdani names criminal justice reformer Stanley Richards as NYC’s new Department of Correction commissioner
Richards is the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the city’s jails system
@gothamist.com @wnyc.org
gothamist.com/news/mamdani...
Richards is the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the city’s jails system
@gothamist.com @wnyc.org
gothamist.com/news/mamdani...
Mamdani names reformer Stanley Richards to steer chaotic Rikers complex
Exactly one month into his term, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed a formerly incarcerated person to manage the facility.
gothamist.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:37 PM
Mayor Mamdani names criminal justice reformer Stanley Richards as NYC’s new Department of Correction commissioner
Richards is the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the city’s jails system
@gothamist.com @wnyc.org
gothamist.com/news/mamdani...
Richards is the first formerly incarcerated person to lead the city’s jails system
@gothamist.com @wnyc.org
gothamist.com/news/mamdani...
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough. Story via @inquest.bsky.social.
“One Minute Remaining” - Shebri Dillon - Inquest
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough.
inquest.org
January 31, 2026 at 4:04 PM
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough. Story via @inquest.bsky.social.
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
But many of us here in Texas prisons fear collective punishment will only make prisons more violent. That’s because people sometimes assault a violator who causes a prison lockdown. This form of vigilantism is known as being 'put in the bowl.'"
Will Texas Prisons’ New Collective Lockdown Policy Increase Violence?
Texas prisons are instituting 15-day lockdowns for drug offenses. These long lockdowns might increase violence and damage relationships.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 2:44 PM
But many of us here in Texas prisons fear collective punishment will only make prisons more violent. That’s because people sometimes assault a violator who causes a prison lockdown. This form of vigilantism is known as being 'put in the bowl.'"
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
"Luther runs a unsanctioned library out of a broom closet, for which his fellow prisoners pay him $5 a week from a mutual aid fund of their own money. He logs every book ... and writes short reviews on index cards to help people decide what to read next."
"Somehow, nowhere does anyone propose training incarcerated people to work as librarians."
“An Attempt to Shift This Dynamic”—House Revives Prison Libraries Act - Filter
On January 27 lawmakers reintroduced the Prison Libraries Act, the first federal bill to establish and expand library services within ...
filtermag.org
January 29, 2026 at 4:45 AM
"Luther runs a unsanctioned library out of a broom closet, for which his fellow prisoners pay him $5 a week from a mutual aid fund of their own money. He logs every book ... and writes short reviews on index cards to help people decide what to read next."
An incarcerated writer reports on Luigi Mangione's brief stay at a PA prison.
When Luigi Mangione Came to Our Prison
Luigi Mangione was incarcerated at my Pennsylvania prison, SCI Huntingdon, for close to two weeks in December. Here's what we saw.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 30, 2026 at 4:01 PM
An incarcerated writer reports on Luigi Mangione's brief stay at a PA prison.
With no educational programming and scant communication features, like video calls, residents here have grown frustrated with prison tablets.
Prison Tablets: Nothing More Than ‘Digital Pacifiers’
With no educational programming and scant communication features, like video calls, residents here have grown frustrated with the devices.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 30, 2026 at 2:29 PM
With no educational programming and scant communication features, like video calls, residents here have grown frustrated with prison tablets.
In 2024, PJP Released a First-of-Its-Kind Journalism Handbook for Incarcerated Writers
PJP Releases First-of-Its-Kind Journalism Handbook for Incarcerated Writers
PJP has released “Prison Writer’s Guide to Media Writing,” a first-of-its-kind handbook and certificate program about prison journalism.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 30, 2026 at 1:57 PM
In 2024, PJP Released a First-of-Its-Kind Journalism Handbook for Incarcerated Writers
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
During a freezing cold storm in Missouri, prisoners were being sent out to shovel snow at all hours of the day while small utility vehicles with snow plows and brushes remained idle. The air temperature was below 10 degrees and the wind-chill was -10 degrees continuously from Friday until Sunday.
Prisoners in Missouri Report Being Forced to Shovel Snow in Subzero Temperatures
Incarcerated people were reportedly punished with administrative segregation or discipline if they refused.
buff.ly
January 28, 2026 at 12:00 AM
During a freezing cold storm in Missouri, prisoners were being sent out to shovel snow at all hours of the day while small utility vehicles with snow plows and brushes remained idle. The air temperature was below 10 degrees and the wind-chill was -10 degrees continuously from Friday until Sunday.
"Now, I want to go to college, but opportunities are limited. Prison policies, waiting lists and lack of funding make higher education almost impossible. Correspondence courses are rare, and programs like Adams State University’s are available only in certain states."
How I Got My High School Diploma in Prison
Education has made me feel like I have a second chance at life.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 9:30 PM
"Now, I want to go to college, but opportunities are limited. Prison policies, waiting lists and lack of funding make higher education almost impossible. Correspondence courses are rare, and programs like Adams State University’s are available only in certain states."
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
For good causes but high prices, the fortunate people here can buy the occasional cheeseburger, pizza, energy drink and more.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 28, 2026 at 4:47 PM
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
Shirley Raines, the beloved nonprofit founder and CEO who helped care for the homeless on L.A.'s Skid Row, has died. The mother of six worked a full-time job, but somehow, she managed to find the time to cook for 400-600 people every week in her one-bedroom apartment. Story via ABC7.
Shirley Raines, Beauty 2 The Streetz founder who cared for Skid Row's homeless, dies at 58
Shirley Raines, the beloved nonprofit founder and CEO who helped care for the homeless on L.A.'s Skid Row, has died, her organization said.
abc7.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Shirley Raines, the beloved nonprofit founder and CEO who helped care for the homeless on L.A.'s Skid Row, has died. The mother of six worked a full-time job, but somehow, she managed to find the time to cook for 400-600 people every week in her one-bedroom apartment. Story via ABC7.
But many of us here in Texas prisons fear collective punishment will only make prisons more violent. That’s because people sometimes assault a violator who causes a prison lockdown. This form of vigilantism is known as being 'put in the bowl.'"
Will Texas Prisons’ New Collective Lockdown Policy Increase Violence?
Texas prisons are instituting 15-day lockdowns for drug offenses. These long lockdowns might increase violence and damage relationships.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 2:44 PM
But many of us here in Texas prisons fear collective punishment will only make prisons more violent. That’s because people sometimes assault a violator who causes a prison lockdown. This form of vigilantism is known as being 'put in the bowl.'"
"If I could have one thing from the outside to warm me up, I would have a loved one. What better warmth is there but the warmth from those you love?"
What Extreme Cold Feels Like in Prison
Prison writers from across the U.S. describe how cold their prisons get in the winter — and what small dignities could make it more bearable.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 12:18 AM
"If I could have one thing from the outside to warm me up, I would have a loved one. What better warmth is there but the warmth from those you love?"
Hi y’all, I’m back! Feel free to pretend to have missed me, lol. Thank you to Carla for holding down the fort while I was on vacation. I have a lot o catching up to do, so please bear with me this week. I’m working on thank yous to our EOY donors next week. I didn’t forget. Forever thankful.
January 28, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Hi y’all, I’m back! Feel free to pretend to have missed me, lol. Thank you to Carla for holding down the fort while I was on vacation. I have a lot o catching up to do, so please bear with me this week. I’m working on thank yous to our EOY donors next week. I didn’t forget. Forever thankful.
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
For good causes but high prices, the fortunate people here can buy the occasional cheeseburger, pizza, energy drink and more.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 28, 2026 at 4:47 PM
How Prisons ‘Clean Up’ and Profit From Hunger
"I thought the idea of a patio in prison was a useless and irrelevant gesture," writes Lisa.
"But I was wrong. This patio has changed my life."
"But I was wrong. This patio has changed my life."
We Built a Patio at My Prison. It Has Changed My Life
Incarcerated women built a patio, and we use it for Bible study, leisurely picnics, to engage in mindfulness or yoga, and to play cards or crochet.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 27, 2026 at 7:26 PM
"I thought the idea of a patio in prison was a useless and irrelevant gesture," writes Lisa.
"But I was wrong. This patio has changed my life."
"But I was wrong. This patio has changed my life."
Reposted by Prison Journalism Project
In today's story, PJP contributor Jeffery Shockley shares the resume he’s built up while doing time.
How Jobs Work In Pennsylvania Prisons
Kitchen, laundry, maintenance, peer support and more.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 27, 2026 at 3:24 PM
In today's story, PJP contributor Jeffery Shockley shares the resume he’s built up while doing time.
In today's story, PJP contributor Jeffery Shockley shares the resume he’s built up while doing time.
How Jobs Work In Pennsylvania Prisons
Kitchen, laundry, maintenance, peer support and more.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 27, 2026 at 3:24 PM
In today's story, PJP contributor Jeffery Shockley shares the resume he’s built up while doing time.
“Do stories about bad prison food celebrate resilience — or distract from the deadly consequences of poor nutrition behind bars?”
The Case Against #prisonfoodporn
These stories claim to celebrate resilience. But sometimes they distract from the deadly consequences of poor nutrition behind bars.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:40 PM
“Do stories about bad prison food celebrate resilience — or distract from the deadly consequences of poor nutrition behind bars?”
While others lamented Arizona’s ban on smoking in prisons, Chastyn saw it as a once-in-a-prison-lifetime opportunity.
When Arizona Banned Cigarettes in Its Prisons, Bartering Went Berserk
How one prison writer made money off the market disruption.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 26, 2026 at 10:18 PM
While others lamented Arizona’s ban on smoking in prisons, Chastyn saw it as a once-in-a-prison-lifetime opportunity.
“All of a sudden, we went from sharing phones with 1,600 people to each having our own.”
How Tablet Phone Calls Are Reshaping Life in Prison
Thanks to electronic tablets, we have the access and privacy needed for meaningful conversation.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 26, 2026 at 9:16 PM
“All of a sudden, we went from sharing phones with 1,600 people to each having our own.”
Nonbinary writer K.C. Johnson soon learned that behind bars, even their underwear was subject to deliberations.
Boxer Shorts Blues: My Path to Gender-Affirming Underwear in Prison
Getting what you need can be difficult in prison. Stepping out of the gender binary makes it harder — but not impossible.
prisonjournalismproject.org
January 26, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Nonbinary writer K.C. Johnson soon learned that behind bars, even their underwear was subject to deliberations.