Prison Journalism Project
Online/Digital
We are an independent non-partisan journalism organization that works with incarcerated writers and those impacted by incarceration to train them in the tools of journalism and help them reach a wide audience through our publication as well as through collaborations with mainstream media.
The genesis of our organization is based on a simple question: how can we unleash the enormous power of journalism to elevate and amplify the voices so often left out of the public conversation about justice and imprisonment in our society?
We believe that the deep reforms that are necessary to fix the U.S. criminal justice system can only happen by shifting the narrative. Intentional, responsible and well-crafted journalism from within the incarcerated community can break stereotypes, bring more transparency and drive change.
Our solution is to provide the necessary training to create the first nationwide network of prison journalists who know the system from the inside. Source
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Media Outlet details
| Scope | Local |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesPeople in Prison Saw My Wheelchair Before They Saw Me
The monotony of prison life is exhausting. The boredom forces us to look for something to find meaning in our new, unsatisfying lives. Many people find that motivation in jobs or programs. But as a person who now uses a wheelchair, people assume I am intellectually disabled. When prison staff first talked to me, they would speak loudly and slowly.They also assumed I was unable to work. With my background as a librarian, I applied for a job in the prison library.
In Prison, If We Didn’t Teach Each Other, No One Would
The most focused classroom I’ve ever been in didn’t have desks, a whiteboard or even quiet. It was a prison dorm holding 85 women, with rows of metal bunks pressed shoulder to shoulder. The atmosphere was frenetic and loud — feet shuffling along the concrete, plastic bags crackling, the sharp, staccato shouts from officers. We didn’t wait for calm because it wasn’t coming. We carved out space where we could: a corner of a table, the edge of a bunk, sometimes just a strip of floor between beds.
How South Carolina Prisons Are Limiting Access to Books
In October, the South Carolina Department of Corrections began restricting the number of places from which prisoners can receive books, which has caused major disruptions for people in my facility. The approved vendors include Hamilton Book, Books N Things Warehouse, Books to Inmates, SureShot Books Publishing and the online stores of Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Noticeably absent from the list was Amazon and any of the nationwide free books-to-prisoners organizations.
Lives ‘Worthy of a Narrative’
In one of the latest PJP Learning+ assignments, we asked students to write a profile using strong reporting, interviewing and narrative writing skills. Each profile spotlighted people the writers genuinely admired, and was written with care and curiosity. The excerpts below show a leader who found purpose after hard-won growth, a teacher helping others write their stories, and an artist who turned creativity into healing.
Q&A: I Sat Down With a Correctional Lieutenant To Discuss the California Model
When people think of California, they picture palm trees, beaches and perfect weather. But there is a dark reality inside the Golden State’s prisons, which are historically plagued by gangs, violence, corruption and abuse. I have been behind bars since 2009. I know from experience that prison environments can be violent for both staff and incarcerated residents. In my time, I have witnessed gang-related stabbings, race-related riots and numerous drug overdoses.
In Pennsylvania, Women With Life Sentences Could Have a New Shot at Freedom
Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting produced this story in partnership with Prison Journalism Project. To hear more stories from women lifers at State Correctional Institution, Muncy, listen to the podcast Dying on the Inside. Beth Markman, who has been incarcerated for 26 years, said she’s trying to focus on the present and not set herself up for disappointment as she and others await news of what will happen with their second-degree murder convictions.
How One Veteran Survives PTSD in Prison
Kevin Meyers dreamed about the arm against his windpipe in the war in the Middle East. Everything became a blank void except the man at his back. Meyers was flailing, then stopped. His training kicked in and he grabbed the man’s head, giving him control; whoever had control would win this fight. With his right hand, he grabbed his K-Bar, a Marine-issued knife strapped to the chest of his flak jacket, and stabbed the man. Meyers woke up, startled, trying to figure out what had happened.
An Unexpected Bird Delivered a Spark of Gentleness to This Prison Block
Mid-November dawn filtered through the barred windows of Cell Block C, where I began my morning vigil from my bunk. The chill had already seeped into the concrete walls of Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a New York state prison 75 miles north of Manhattan. The air smelled like institutional bleach and unwashed linens from the laundry cart. Outside, the yard was a barren patch of frost-kissed asphalt, enclosed by razor wire fences humming faintly with electricity.
Incarcerated Americans on the 250th Birthday of the United States — In Their Own Voices
Editor’s note: Below is a transcript of our audio story, “Incarcerated Americans on the 250th Birthday of the United States.” We recommend reading as you listen, and hope you enjoy. Next week, the United States of America will mark its 250th birthday. No matter what you think about the state of the country, 250 years is a long time for the “land of the free” to exist.
The New Jersey Prison That Fought Lockdowns — With More Lockdowns
In July 2025, South Woods State Prison in New Jersey, where I used to be incarcerated, reduced our ability to leave our cells on the weekends. The “modified weekend schedule,” as it was referred to in an official prison memo, essentially shut down facility operations midafternoon every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.