Crime Waves and Moral Panics
From train robberies to organized retail theft to murder, are we really gripped by a crime wave?
Black Woman Correctional Officer Graduates at Age 62
Segregated schools, cotton, SNCC, and more. A 2004 essay in Long Line Writer, Arkansas DOC Cummins Unit, reveals the perils of life in the Delta.
Writing Poetry in Prison as an Act of Resistance
A writer recounts her uncle's experiences writing poetry in prison and advocating for Indigenous rights. His death and his typewriter are intertwined.
Were Early American Prisons Similar to Today’s?
A correctional officer’s history of 19th century prisons and modern-day parallels. From Sing Sing to suicide watch, torture treads a fine line.
50 Years Later: The Evolution of Prison Policy
Buried within Adelante is evidence of a fleeting attempt at prison reform and oversight in Connecticut. Is history repeating itself?
What Does Thanksgiving Look Like in Prison?
Our American Prison Newspapers collection provides a peek at Thanksgiving celebrations in prisons throughout the decades.
How Veterans Created PTSD
Now a cultural staple, PTSD is a newer diagnosis. How have conceptions of trauma morphed and what does it mean for US institutions and society?
Prison Abolition from Behind Prison Walls
The Anarchist Black Dragon was produced inside of the Walla Walla State Penitentiary. One of their journalists was murdered. Could the paper survive?
Introducing American Prison Newspapers, 1800-2020: Voices from the Inside
This overlooked corner of the press provided news by and for people who were incarcerated. A newly available archive shows it worked hard to reach outside audiences too.