Coverage of Criminal Justice

Rahsaan Thomas, an imprisoned journalist, has long fought to change the way outside media describe people in prison. One of his toughest crowds? His fellow reporters.

While we have to be aware that any word we choose has influence, no amount of Googling will reveal the magic word that brings justice into American prisons.

Rethinking the words journalists use to talk about people who are currently or previously incarcerated.

Journalism is a discipline of clarity. That’s why we’ve solidified our policy about how we talk about people who are currently in or have previously been in prison and jail.

I didn’t always detest this term. But hearing officers use it as an insult reminded me to call incarcerated people — including myself — by our names.