prison

Brown woman holds pregnant belly, rest of frame is black

Miriam Zoila Pérez Sep 4, 2014 8:45AM EDT

Minnesota Law Provides Birth Doulas for Incarcerated Women

It’s the first state to provide imprisoned women with this emotional and physical support.

Jamilah King Jun 20, 2014 10:43AM EDT

Critics That 'Orange is the New Black' Can't Win Over? The Formerly Incarcerated

One woman who spent four years in state prison reviews Netflix’s big summer hit.

Julianne Hing Jun 16, 2014 11:41AM EDT

Prisons' Fastest Growing Population: Mentally Ill, Aging Inmates

Today, prisons function as “society’s psychiatric institutions.”

Brentin Mock Jul 3, 2013 3:26PM EDT

Federal Judge Needs Evidence Louisiana Prison Gets Extra Hot in July

Judge denies preliminary injunction that would protect death row inmates from extreme heat. Says he needs more evidence

Hatty Lee Feb 1, 2012 9:14AM EST

The Prison Industrial (Retirement) Complex, by the Numbers

After decades of indiscriminately locking people up and throwing away the key, states are discovering yet another consequence of over-incarceration: rapidly aging prison populations.

Julianne Hing Nov 21, 2011 10:00AM EST

Secrecy Surrounds Inmate Suicides in California State Prisons

Three inmates have committed suicide in recent months, but families and advocates are being left out in the dark.

Noelle de la Paz Nov 11, 2011 10:08AM EST

New Report Finds Private Prisons a Threat to Criminal Justice Reform

As state’s struggle to close record budget gaps, private prisons have become an easy way to make millions.

Jorge Rivas Oct 5, 2011 1:58PM EDT

Study: Incarcerating Hordes of Youth is Costly and Ineffective

The Annie E. Casey Foundation says that prison is no place for kids.

Noelle de la Paz Oct 5, 2011 10:00AM EDT

Guards Retaliate Against Inmates In Growing Prison Hunger Strike

As the strike spreads to Arizona, Mississippi and Oklahoma, prison officials have begun to crackdown on its leaders.

Miriam Zoila Pérez Oct 4, 2011 9:31AM EDT

The Movement to Stop Prisons From Shackling Women in Labor Builds

Four more states passed laws banning the practice this legislative year, but the vast majority of state prisons still maintain the absurd idea that a woman in childbirth is a security risk.

Jen Marlowe, Kung Li Sep 30, 2011 10:05AM EDT

Troy Davis's Legacy: A New, Deeply Personal Movement

Thousands of young, black men and women in the South are declaring “I am Troy Davis” as if their lives depend on it. And they do. The fight against systemic racism in the justice system may have finally exploded out of the courts and into the community.

Julianne Hing Sep 27, 2011 10:17AM EDT

California's Prison Hunger Strike is Back On

After refusing meals for nearly a month last summer, inmates say their demands still haven’t been met.

Channing Kennedy Sep 26, 2011 9:20AM EDT

Where Were You When Troy Davis was Killed? [Reader Forum]

A roundup of our Troy Davis pieces from last week, and reader reactions to his execution and to the movement’s next steps.

Julianne Hing Sep 20, 2011 9:00AM EDT

California Puts Into Motion Alternative Custody for Incarcerated Moms

But most of these women won’t be going home any time soon. Here’s why.

Julianne Hing Sep 12, 2011 9:45AM EDT

Harsh Immigration Policies Push Latino Majority Into Federal Prisons

The aggressive prosecutions are driven by a failed political strategy, immigration experts say.

Liliana Segura Aug 4, 2011 10:03AM EDT

Dispatch From Angola: Faith-Based Slavery in a Louisiana Prison

Angola is the largest maximum-security prison in the country. At least 90 percent of its inmates will die there. And Evangelical Warden Burl Cain has made sure their lives look as much like “slavery times” as possible.