Incarcerated journalist Christopher Blackwell speaks with Val and Hedge about reporting from prison, tech barriers, dehumanization, and the importance of building community inside and out.

The article critiques “Scared Straight” programs for their ineffectiveness and highlights how incarcerated individuals can positively mentor at-risk youth by sharing relatable experiences and offering guidance.

Now serving 45 years, Christopher Blackwell reflects on his path from troubled youth to journalist, mentor, and prison reform advocate, finding healing and purpose through prison’s “heal circle.”

NY suspended key HALT Act provisions after a CO strike, sparking backlash from activists who say it harms human rights and reverses progress on limiting solitary confinement.

I was raised an Eagles fan. Their Super Bowl win reminded me of painful lessons my father and his father gave me.

I was recently moved to a cell with a window after years without one. I never realized how much I’d taken nature for granted.

Spending Christmas in prison and away from my family leaves me depressed. But, after the guys on my unit started a Secret Santa, I briefly felt a happiness that eluded me for years.

Public records reveal how Washington Department of Corrections uses a nebulous victim rights policy to bar incarcerated people from participating in public debates.

The article argues that solitary confinement is not only inhumane but also counterproductive, as it exacerbates violence within prisons and hinders successful reintegration of inmates into society.