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Prison Life

Jeff Östberg for The Marshall Project
Election 2024
‘What Now?’ People Behind Bars React to Trump’s Win
Most people in prison can’t vote. But they share concerns about inflation, misinformation, racism and the state of our democracy.
An illustration in grayscale shows, on the left, a person's head with a speech bubble coming out of their mouth, with a pair of handcuffs in it. On the right, there is a person’s head with “VOTE” in a speech bubble coming out of their mouth.
A Black man wearing glasses, dark green prison pants and a tan sweater is holding a microphone as he asks a question to a woman in the foreground, who is sitting on a chair with her back turned to the camera. Alongside the man sit four other men in the same green prison pants and a variety of shirts. Members of the audience look on from their blue-colored seats.
Feature October 29
Incarcerated Men at Sing Sing’s First Film Festival Reflect on Movies, Justice, and Change
The diverse group of jurors shared how their favorite films have shaped their perspectives on community and life behind bars.
By and
A black-and-white illustration of a man alone in a prison cell with his left leg up on his bed, as light streams in from the windows.
Life Inside October 25
Life Inside, Remixed: Inside the Underground Economy of Solitary Confinement
Here’s how people in “the box” use their ingenuity, collaboration skills and a form of “fishing” to get the goods they need.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows, from left: The silhouettes of three people against a blue background with the word "Ohio" layered over the bottom of the silhouettes; a gavel in black; a pale blue shape of a donkey symbolizing Democrats; a simplified indication of barbed wire in the shape of four upside-down "v"s; a keyhole over a map of Ohio in marigold yellow; and a pale pink shape of an elephant symbolizing Republicans against a coral-colored background in the bottom-right section of the illustration.
Cleveland October 24
Election Views From Behind Bars in Ohio: Divided Just Like the Rest of U.S.
We asked nearly 3,000 people living in prison and jail for their thoughts on the presidential race pitting Harris against Trump and his 34 felonies.
By and
An illustration shows, from left, a person speaking with a raised fist in a speech bubble; an elephant symbolizing Republicans; a person speaking with an exclamation point in a speech bubble; a hint of barbed wire and a person’s head with a check mark; a person speaking with handcuffs in a speech bubble; a person’s head with “VOTE” in a speech bubble; a donkey symbolizing Democrats; a person with a thumbs-up in a speech bubble; a simplified image of a flag; and a person with medium-length hair speaking with a gavel in a speech bubble. The color scheme of the drawing is in marigold yellow, coral, blue, black, white and light gray.
Election 2024 October 17
What People Behind Bars Really Think About the ‘Cop vs. Felon’ Election
People in prisons and jails weigh in on Harris’ qualifications for president, Trump’s potential sentence and more.
By
An illustration shows, from left, a woman with her arm around a person who is holding a ballot; the word “Republicans”; a person with their arms in the air; a keyhole; a badge with a star on it; a person wearing a red, white and blue hat; a person with their arms out around two people confronting each other; a person speaking through a megaphone; a justice scale; and the words “Democrats” and “Independents.” The color scheme of the drawing is in marigold yellow, coral, red, blue, black and pale yellow.
Election 2024 October 17
‘Trump Remains Very Popular Here’: We Surveyed 54,000 People Behind Bars About the Election
Support for the former president is strong inside prisons and jails — even as his party tries to roll back voting rights for people with felony convictions.
By , and
Feature September 26
The Future of Prisons?
Inspired by Germany, South Carolina let prisoners design their own units, write house rules and settle their own disputes. Then came politics.
By
Inside Story September 24
Inside Story Season 2 to Premiere Soon
The video series, developed by formerly incarcerated people, about the criminal justice system returns for another season.
By and
An illustration shows a yellow and orange illustration of a person, wearing a tank top, pants and shoes, laying down in a fetal position within a box.
Life Inside September 19
How We Survived Extreme Heat in Prison
Incarcerated journalists detail the first signs of a heat wave in prison — and how they’ve coped with record-breaking temperatures.
By Prison Journalism Project Contributors and
An illustration shows two torn images. In the left image, a medium-skinned man, wearing a green prison uniform, sits at a red table in a visiting room with people in the background. On the right, the image is upside down. It shows the man's parents also sitting at a red table. The mother wears a burnt orange hijab and dark green sweater, while the father wears a jade green long-sleeved buttoned-up shirt.
Life Inside September 6
A Serious Case of Prison Visit Blues
Tariq MaQbool reflects on disruptive COVID-era visitation restrictions that remain in effect at New Jersey State Prison.
By Tariq Maqbool
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