I'm curious, what would you like to know about life inside? What kind of stories interest you most? What would you like to see more of?

Today is World Perimenopause Day. Take a look at this Stillwater Award-winning story about what it's like to get your period in prison.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/09/24/what-its-like-to-get-your-period-in-prison/

Last week, we were surprised and delighted to learn PJP was included in Alcatraz's prison newspaper temporary exhibit.

If you're in the area or planning a vacation to California, check out the exhibit at Alcatraz.

📸: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

The newest edition of On Assignment is here! Three PJP Learning students shared stories on how heat impacts people in prison.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/20/how-summer-heat-impacts-people-in-prison/

Good morning, Bluesky! It's @kashawntaylor.bsky.social here, ready for my first full day manning PJP's account. I'm a formerly incarcerated writer and a PJP alum. I absolutely love the work that PJP does, and without PJP, I don't think I would have had the confidence to write from prison.

Alabama Prisons Debut New ‘Fresh’ Food Program

Most incarcerated people have been happy with the incentivized meal program.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/21/alabama-prisons-debut-fresh-food-program/

Alright, Bluesky friends. It's been awesome growing this account with you all. I thought I'd be here through the night, but I must go outside and touch grass. Please be well. I’ll see you all somewhere on the sky! Be dope to Kashawn! --Lyneka

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GLP-1 Shots in Prison? Yes, but It’s Complicated.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/18/glp-1-weight-loss-prison/

Today is the final day of our reader referral campaign, and it’s also my (@lyneka.bsky.social) last day at PJP. So I’d love to make one final push for something I’ve cared deeply about: helping more people discover the work of incarcerated writers.
https://mailchi.mp/prisonjournalismproject/ykc7aq8bxo

Prison Journalism Project writers recommend books every student in America should read.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/D7pF_Slc8-8

👥 Nine to go!

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Idaho’s prison boom is an unsustainable path. Story via Idaho Statesman.
https://amp.idahostatesman.com/opinion/from-the-opinion-editor/article317272434.html

What Happened After I Started Caring for Others in Prison
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/17/i-found-purpose-through-caring-for-developmentally-disabled-people-in-prison/

20 new subscribers to go!

We set a mini-goal of 29 new subscribers from Bluesky by Friday, and we’re getting there.

If you haven’t subscribed to The Inside Story (or KITES) yet, now’s a great time. Help us get more stories by incarcerated writers in front of more readers.

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The next edition is out tomorrow!

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Did a Nagging Toothache Contribute to a Prison Suicide?
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/10/what-role-did-a-toothache-play-in-a-prison-suicide/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky

James ‘Buck’ Martin Suffered Severe Pain, Then Died. Did His Prison Do Enough to Help? — Prison Journalism Project
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/08/18/deaths-in-new-york-prisons/

We've added five of our goal of 29 from Bluesky. 24 more to go!

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Hi friends! @kashawntaylor.bsky.social, our engagement fellow, will be manning our Bluesky account going forward. I’m still here through the end of the week, but I wanted to make sure you all were properly introduced. Please give him a warm welcome!

We’re SO close to Friday, but we’re not at our goal yet 👀

We’re looking for 250 new subscribers to The Inside Story, PJP’s FREE weekly newsletter featuring stories by incarcerated writer.
https://mailchi.mp/prisonjournalismproject/ykc7aq8bxo

Innocent until proven guilty? More like condemned upon arrival.

"My stay in jail was disorienting and isolating, reckless and cruelly indifferent. I am no longer incarcerated, but even in that short period of time, I learned something disturbing about justice in this country."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/15/what-it-was-like-to-be-detained-in-a-maryland-jail/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky

I created new legal precedents for my fellow incarcerated transgender women. But in 2025, I faced my toughest decision yet as the Trump administration prepared to take office.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/15/fighting-for-the-rights-of-trans-women-in-prison/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky

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

Horacio Orozco spent 13 years in solitary confinement. On his first excursion outside prison, he ate at a restaurant and visited a Walmart. He knew what to expect upon release, thanks to the efforts of corrections staff.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/14/the-prison-field-trip-that-prepares-you-for-a-return-home/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky

More than 100 people died in Virginia prisons last year. Story via Radio IQ.
https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-09-09/more-than-100-people-died-in-virginia-prisons-last-year-one-was-16-years-old?utm_source=Prison+Journalism+Project+Inside+Story+Subscribers&utm_campaign=79c519a62a-Sept13_InsideStory&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d209fd71d2-488364920

‘Read Me a Story’ helps incarcerated parents stay connected with their children. Story by KLKN-TV.
https://www.klkntv.com/read-me-a-story-helps-incarcerated-parents-stay-connected-with-their-children/?utm_source=Prison+Journalism+Project+Inside+Story+Subscribers&utm_campaign=79c519a62a-Sept13_InsideStory&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d209fd71d2-488364920

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"Perhaps prison would have persisted this way forever. Perhaps our granite hearts and iron wills would have never crumbled. Perhaps the prison mentality, that we be cold and heartless, would have endured.

Perhaps. But then there were kittens."
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2024/10/23/cats-came-to-my-california-prison/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky

He Spent 27 Years on Death Row as a Wrongfully Convicted Man. What Comes Next? Story via @propublica.org.
https://www.propublica.org/article/louisiana-angola-death-row-wrongful-conviction-jimmie-duncan?utm_source=Prison+Journalism+Project+Inside+Story+Subscribers&utm_campaign=10c3a7a293-August30_InsideStory_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d209fd71d2-488364920

An Indiana prison allows some residents to raise kittens thanks to a partnership with a cat shelter.

"I am thankful that after all these years, my nightmares have dissipated with the healing imprint of Lady’s paw. Other prisoners have experienced the same rehabilitative results with this program. "
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/08/12/cats-can-live-their-whole-lives-at-this-prison/?utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=PJP-Bluesky