Christopher William Blackwell, 44, is a Washington-based award-winning journalist currently incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center. He is serving a 45-year prison sentence for taking another human’s life during a drug robbery--something he takes full accountability for. He has been incarcerated since 2003.
He was raised in a mixed Native American/white family in the Hilltop Area of Tacoma, Washington. During his childhood, Hilltop was one of the roughest places to live in the country — ravaged by over-policing, gangs, violence, and drugs. His first experience of incarceration came at the age of 12. By the age of 14 he had dropped out of school and followed in the path of neighborhood role models by becoming a drug dealer. He was in and out of juvenile detention centers until the age of 22 when he was given his current prison sentence.
A lot has changed in the 30 years since his first experience with incarceration. Today he's earned a college degree, become a leader in prisoner-led mentor programs, a restorative justice facilitator, and a voice for many behind prison walls experiencing extreme injustices on a daily basis.
Christopher and his wife, Dr. Chelsea Moore, co-founded Look2Justice, a grassroots organization led by criminal legal system-impacted people that works to transform the legal system by providing civic education and empowerment programs for incarcerated people and their loved ones.
Having experienced the injustices and traumas of the system — long stents in solitary confinement, abuse at the hands of staff, and retaliation — Christopher has opened up to share his and many others’ stories in hopes of educating society.
His work has been featured across the country in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, HuffPost, Marshall Project, Insider, Jewish Currents, BuzzFeed, The Appeal, and many more. He is currently in the process of working on a book manuscript about solitary confinement.
Christopher William Blackwell’s journalism has been featured in major national publications, including: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, HuffPost, The Marshall Project, Insider, Jewish Currents, BuzzFeed, The Appeal, and many more.
Through his work, he sheds light on systemic injustices within the prison system, drawing from his own lived experience. He is currently working on a book manuscript about solitary confinement, further exploring the harsh realities of incarceration.
Civic Education & Empowerment
Chris is the co-founder and executive director of Look2Justice, an organization that works to empower incarcerated people and their loved ones with the skills to navigate legislative and policy change so that they may advocate on their own behalf and are not dependent upon the charity of organizations run by people who do not have lived experience. Through this work, Chris has been invited to testify in front of the Washington State Supreme Court and the Washington State Legislature.
Restorative Justice
Chris is a trained and certified restorative justice facilitator who is affiliated with Collective Justice, a transformative justice nonprofit founded by survivors of violence. Chris uses his restorative justice skills to mentor other incarcerated people and help them heal from trauma.
Journalism & Media Advocacy
Chris provides consultation and support to mainstream media outlets on how to meaningfully include the voices of incarcerated people in their publications. In this capacity, he has spoken on panels and developed guidelines for media outlets.
Christopher co-founded and leads the Writers Development Program to teach other incarcerated people how to tell their own stories and work with mainstream media outlets. Through this program, Chris has mentored two cohorts of incarcerated writers. In its first year, his mentees collectively published over 70 pieces in national outlets, furthering the reach of their stories and perspectives. The program has now expanded to a women’s prison in Texas.
