The cover of Adelante from April 1, 1972

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?
An illustration of a turkey whose neck is tied

What Does Thanksgiving Look Like in Prison?

Our American Prison Newspapers collection provides a peek at Thanksgiving celebrations in prisons throughout the decades.
A soldier in shadow, holding a gun

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?
The cover of issue #10 of Anarchist Black Dragon, Spring 1982

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?
Collage of American Prison Newspapers

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.
Art from underground publication

How Women Fought Misogyny in the Underground Press

Men dominated the underground papers of the 1960s. Feminist journalists like Robin Morgan and Sheila Ryan called them on their sexism.

Five of the Best R. Cobb Drawings in the Underground Press

The artist turned a critical eye toward American society, but he didn't want to be called a political cartoonist.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.28033142

The Summer of Love Wasn’t All Peace and Hippies

Articles in the underground press capture what's missing from our romanticized memory of that fateful season.
A young woman with a Chiquita sticker on her forehead above the title Bananas

Smoking Banana Peels to Get High Was Briefly a Thing

But it didn't work. The rumor, spread by the underground press in 1967, probably led to many disappointed hippies.
Volume 4, Issue 1 of Berkeley Barb from January 6th, 1967

Remembering the Human Be-In

More than 20,000 participants in the counterculture gathered in San Francisco’s Golden Gate park to do little more than simply “be” together.