Dems Claim to Oppose Mass Incarceration, But Blue State Commutations Are Falling
Commutations plummeted from 2020 record highs in California and Illinois. Are presidential ambitions to blame?
Mutual Aid Inside: How Incarcerated Communities Survive Together
Inside prisons, letter writing, networking, storytelling, education, resource distribution, mentorship, collective mourning, nursing, nurturing, listening, and performing other rituals of mutual aid belong to the legacy of incarcerated caregivers.
I’m Serving 40 Years in Federal Prison. Here’s a Glimpse Into My World.
Every day, the conditions of incarceration work to strip away my humanity.
How Oil Money Turned Louisiana Into the Prison Capital of the World
A series of events in the 1970s led to the state’s penal system becoming intertwined with the swings of its oil economy.
Santa Was in Solitary and Jesus Got the Death Penalty
By Jean Casella / Solitary Watch It’s Christmastime once again in Incarceration Nation. Amid the celebrations, fears, and hopes the season brings this year, it is worth stopping for a…
In Prison, Christmas Can Help You Feel Human
Two PJP staffers on spending the holidays inside, and what it means to give hope.
An Incarcerated Christmas
PJP contributors share their reflections on celebrating the holidays inside.
The Psychological Torment and Unconstitutionality of the State’s Intent to Kill
The threat of a death sentence creates a crucible of dehumanization that no one should have to experience and no one has the right to inflict.
The 13th Amendment Legalizes Slavery—and Many States Have Their Own Version
Like many states, California backs up the federal exception for involuntary servitude in its own state constitution. These activists are fighting to change that.
I Faced Death by Incarceration. The UN Heard My Plea to Abolish Life Sentences.
The United Nations is calling on the U.S. to abolish life without parole prison sentences.
As a Muslim Incarcerated in New Jersey, I Worry I Will Be Cremated When I Die
I will likely live the rest of my days in prison. But before I do, we need a process to ensure our Islamic burial rites.
Private Equity Is Using Prison Phone, Food and Health Systems to Rack Up Profits
Private equity firms are capturing systems people in prison use and making them even more brutal and unaccountable.
How Incarcerated People are Helping At-Risk Youth Avoid Prison
By sharing our lived experiences, I have seen how incarcerated people can stop the pipeline funneling troubled teens to prison.
Escalating Jail Mortality Rates Nationwide
By Jessica Adler / The Conversation The family of Samuel Lawrence, one of 10 people to die in Georgia’s Fulton County Jail in 2023, is fighting for answers and accountability.…
Surviving Solitary Confinement in Arizona
Efforts to ban isolation have repeatedly failed. Since it’s sticking around, here’s a little tour of our hell-in-the-hole.