My Prison Has No Interest in Keeping Us Healthy

Even though I’m on blood pressure medication, my blood pressure wasn’t checked for eight months.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/04/24/my-prison-lacks-basic-health-care/

Bringing this back because there will be a short film on Joe Garcia, a PJP alum, released very soon. We are so proud of all Joe has accomplished. Read his essay on listening to Taylor Swift in prison. Story via @newyorker.com
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/listening-to-taylor-swift-in-prison?fbclid=IwY2xjawUw3mtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4av0H-MpToQC51YOZVJH3Ahp5e6j1-e2WXlx-qc-IHJa06nTus1m8zfF1nRA_aem_Iv0BTVv-XEGzVRvp77N_kQ

How Plants and Pups Helped Transform This Prison Unit

Much-needed changes at Washington State Penitentiary have given us the keys to better mental health.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/01/10/new-way-prison-mental-health/

How Tablet Phone Calls Are Reshaping Life in Prison

Thanks to electronic tablets, we have the access and privacy needed for meaningful conversations.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/01/13/how-tablet-phone-calls-are-reshaping-life-in-prison/

The Daily Schedule That Helps Me Survive Prison

All the alarms and beeps and bells became music to my ears once I decided to embrace the freedom that comes from a well-structured day.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/09/05/one-prisoners-daily-routine/

How I Taught My Daughter Math in Prison With Cheetos

I helped my daughter conquer her hardest school subject with a lot of orange dust.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/03/26/taught-math-prison-with-cheetos/

A Day in My Cell: ‘The Little Things’ I Enjoy in Solitary Confinement
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/08/20/how-i-spend-each-day-in-solitary-confinement/

“We Have These Beautiful Dreams”

How a literary prize judged by incarcerated readers builds connection across prison walls and nurtures imagination in the face of oppression.

Story via @inquest.bsky.social
https://inquest.org/inside-literary-prize-2026/

The PJP team had an amazing listening session today with Suave, whose eponymous podcast about reentering society after 3 decades inside won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. We got to meet some of his students in his I Am More reentry program at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Suspected Overdoses Soar in NY Prisons. Where Are the Drugs Coming From? Story via @thecityreporter.nyc
https://www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/09/28/ny-prison-contraband-overdoses-fentanyl-narcan/

With recent events in the court system, this 2025 story hits in a whole new light.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/09/25/some-people-in-prison-delay-parole-to-avoid-deportation/

How I Found a Chosen Family in Prison
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/08/27/how-one-trans-woman-in-prison-built-her-own-support-system/

Today, the PJP team visited Eastern State Penitentiary — the world’s first penitentiary. We are featured in an exhibit on prison journalism.

Here's a poem (along with some of their art) from one our writers about coffee! #nationalcoffeeday
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2022/07/27/black-coffee/

"The most-consumed beverage in prison is coffee. Tea is an option available to those who prefer to be less jittery. Similar to cigarettes, coffee and tea help set the tone for the day."

#nationalcoffeeday
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/05/04/10-things-brighten-my-day-prison/

Today is International Right to Know Day, which was established to celebrate freedom of information laws. But people inside prisons have difficulty getting access to critical information, oftentimes about themselves.

This 2023 story from Erin highlights just one consequence.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/03/07/prisoners-have-right-to-see-medical-records/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Facebook

Having spent most of my time in the addiction treatment unit of my prison, stories about addiction and recovery hit close to home. Check out this 2025 story about how one man's prison often perpetuates addiction.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/04/01/the-rapid-rise-of-k2-and-suboxone-in-a-michigan-prison/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Facebook

Happy Monday!

For many of us, Mondays can feel like the worst day of the week, but for some inside, Mondays bring excitement. Check out Tony's 2021 story about his Monday privileges.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2021/06/18/my-monday-privileges/

Finding a job after prison comes with extra challenges. Here are ways to overcome them. Story via @apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/job-after-prison-record-second-chance-5b4516ef29b6d7ef5f4c66bbf5b3ba0b

Happy Sunday! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. Oftentimes I think about my weekends when I was incarcerated. Weekends inside can be tough, for many reasons. Here's a story about lockdowns that I felt illustrated what those days are like.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/06/25/a-new-jersey-prison-increases-its-lockdowns-to-fight-lockdowns/

Incarcerated Women Are Pushing for Decarceration, Not “Trauma-Informed” Prisons. Story via @truthout.org
https://truthout.org/articles/incarcerated-women-are-pushing-for-decarceration-not-trauma-informed-prisons/

The ‘lionesses’ who sued to get air conditioning in every Texas prison — and won. Story via 19th News.
https://19thnews.org/2026/09/women-advocated-air-conditioning-texas-prisons/

“I thought we had more time,” read one of the notes, which were scribbled on plain white copy paper with blue Bic pens.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/11/the-last-seven-minutes-of-one-mans-life-in-an-oregon-prison/

The Cancer Sign That’s Everywhere in Prison

I’ve seen “cancer face” more times than I’d like. It usually means that death is close.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2024/07/11/cancer-in-prison/

Missouri’s Ban on Hormone Therapy for Incarcerated People Was Sudden and Cruel

"These days, I am full of uncertainty. I worry that people will no longer see me as a woman."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/24/missouris-prison-ban-on-hormone-therapy/

Extreme heat in prison isn't just a Texas problem. All over the country, incarcerated people experience high temperatures with little to no relief. Check out our 2024 special project on summer heat in prison.

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Federal judge orders Texas to air condition all prisons by the end of 2029. Story via The Texas Tribune.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/22/texas-prison-air-conditioning-lawsuit-ruling/?utm_source=TMP-Newsletter&utm_campaign=953bbe2d78-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_09_23_10_41&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e02cdad9d-953bbe2d78-174947221

Tracing Women’s Lives Behind Bars and Beyond in Photos

Sara Bennett’s new book is an important addition to the visual history of mass incarceration.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/23/tracing-womens-lives-behind-bars-and-beyond-in-photos/

What a great question. That's going to vary, depending on the prison they're in. Different states have different policies, but when I was inside, we had a TV in the dayroom and personal televisions. We also had tablets on which we could subscribe to AP news.

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It's definitely going to differ from person to person. When I was inside, I tried to fill my day with reading, writing, and self-help groups. Here's a story from one of our writers about his typical day to get you started.

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