This is a story I keep going back to.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/11/the-last-seven-minutes-of-one-mans-life-in-an-oregon-prison/

Did you know PJP is a two-time finalist in the 6th annual Anthem Awards? Our Journalism as Literacy program and our Cancer in Confinement reporting are recognized in the human and civil rights category.

To win, we need your help! Please, take a moment and vote for us!
https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting#/

Woods has been a corrections officer since 2017, but this was his first time accompanying someone on a field trip. He said the event gave him a different perspective on corrections.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/14/the-prison-field-trip-that-prepares-you-for-a-return-home/

"Ever since the switchover, we have struggled to access old grievances and file new ones. Men I spoke to for this article told me they cannot appeal denied grievances that occurred before the change. In other words, the paper trail is dead."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/22/hard-to-make-grievances-in-new-jersey-prisons/

Mail Scanning Has Isolated Me From My Loved Ones

It’s been four years since I last touched my son’s homemade cards.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/22/mail-scanning-isolated-me-from-my-family/

Our reporting on cancer in prison is nominated for an Anthem Award in the Human & Civil Rights category. PJP set out to understand why people in prison have worse outcomes than those on the outside.

Show your support and vote for us here. It's free!

celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting#/
https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting#/

Trying to Read Behind Bars

Prison Banned Books Week started on October 19, with a focus on the Kafkaesque appeals process incarcerated people must use to challenge censorship.

story via @theprogressivemag.bsky.social
https://progressive.org/latest/trying-to-read-behind-bars-marquis-20261020/

This week is Banned Prison Books Week 2026, and this year's focus is on grievance appeals. Our learning manager and managing editor of PJP Inside, E.B. Zimmerman, curated this collection of stories navigating that process.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/20/grievance-process-in-prison/

Did you know that October 19 - October 25 is Prison Banned Books Week 2026? This year's focus is grievance appeals. Our stories this week focus on that topic.

Here's a new story about how one writer's broken typewriter led to a lawsuit (and win!) against the Pennsylvania DOC.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/20/how-i-won-a-lawsuit-against-the-department-of-corrections/

Voting is FREE!

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PJP is a finalist for not one, but two (!) Anthem awards in the human & civil rights category. The Anthem Awards recognize outstanding work making a social impact around the world.

We need your help to win. Follow the link to vote, and share this post. Thank you so much for your support!
https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting?utm_source=Prison+Journalism+Project+Inside+Story+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2481a43374-Oct18_InsideStory&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d209fd71d2-516590586#/2026/education-art-culture/individual-recognition/non-profit

In Pennsylvania, We Can Do Better Than Caging Kids

While most teenagers were learning how to drive, I learned how to survive in a maximum security prison.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/09/19/its-time-for-the-united-states-to-stop-incarcerating-kids/

After Christa Pike's failed execution, we asked our contributors their thoughts surrounding capital punishment.

PJP wants to know: What do you think about the death penalty in the United States?
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/15/christa-pikes-failed-execution/

Why You Should Start an Unauthorized Prison Writing Club

At our California prison, the practice helped us share emotions and creativity.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/15/informal-prison-writing-group-provides-space-for-self-reflection/

Maybe I should have clarified… this isn’t a story from me, but one way better than I could have ever written by a PJP writer named Cameron, writing from California.

I just related. Give it a read, though! It’s extremely accurate.

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When I first got to prison, I was told by the property officer that they were out of headphones for the tablet, and I would have to buy some from commissary. That took a while, because I had very little money, but once I bought them, the tablet was a game changer for calls to family and friends.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/01/13/how-tablet-phone-calls-are-reshaping-life-in-prison/

We at PJP are so proud of our alum Joe Garcia for not only being published again in @newyorker.com, but also for the documentary they produced which followed him as he approached his release after more than 20 years inside.

story via @newyorker.com
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/an-unlikely-taylor-swift-fan-gets-out-of-prison-in-daylight

Hey guys! Just a reminder about who I am. I'm @kashawntaylor.bsky.social and I'm so glad to be here. I'm a formerly incarcerated writer and PJP alum.

I'm curious. Why do YOU follow us here at PJP? What's your connection to the work we do?

Could Body Cameras Prevent Prison Abuse?

Idaho prisons are in the midst of a three-year pilot program that some believe could curtail abuse and promote accountability.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/03/19/do-prison-guards-use-body-cameras/

With some of the recent news about executions, here is a story about the firing squad in Idaho.

What are your thoughts?
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/04/09/does-the-firing-squad-still-exist-in-idaho-it-does/

Should prisons have internet access?

One writer makes the case for why they should.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/13/people-in-prison-should-have-internet-access/

How a botched execution and proposed livestream of a firing squad fit in to the US’ death penalty history

story via @theconversation.com
https://theconversation.com/how-a-botched-execution-and-proposed-livestream-of-a-firing-squad-fit-in-to-the-us-death-penalty-history-294052

"But more than that, my job gives me a sense of responsibility, purpose and motivation. I take pride in what I do."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/13/a-day-of-work-in-my-prison/

People in Prison Saw My Wheelchair Before They Saw Me

I was doubted because of my disability. To prove them wrong, I started an interview show.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/07/16/i-was-told-my-wheelchair-meant-i-couldnt-hold-a-job-in-prison-so-i-made-my-own-job/

"I entered my cell and found my cellmate babbling, a spaced-out look in his eyes. The pungent scent of burnt paper was overwhelming.

The K2 crisis in prisons has made me realize it is not realistic to eradicate all illegal drug usage behind bars..."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/08/its-time-to-allow-marijuana-use-in-prison/

The Case for Prison Entrepreneurship

This place conditions you to devalue your economic potential. It’s time to throw off the chains and invest in your talents.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/08/first-person-account-hustling-in-prison-to-get-ahead/

Q&A: Incarcerated Women Share Thoughts on ‘Touchy Subjects’

Excerpts from a conversation among women in a Virginia prison about suicide, death and family support.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/02/27/incarcerated-women-discuss-suicide-family/

No Medicine, No Nothing

story via @inquest.bsky.social
https://inquest.org/no-medicine-no-nothing/

Prisons Are Preventing Toilets From Flushing

At this Pennsylvania prison, toilet lockouts, which last an hour, are aimed at water conservation and cost savings. But they are also inhumane and nasty.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/06/why-prisons-stop-toilets-from-flushing/

"Whether prison systems allow tattoos or not, people are still going to get them. And getting illicit tattoos will always be less safe than through approved and regulated programs. We can provide people with job training while keeping everyone safer."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/10/06/how-to-get-a-prison-tattoo/