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Prison Life

Jeff Östberg for The Marshall Project
Closing Argument
New York Prisons Are Getting More Cameras. Will It Make Them Safer?
The state plans to install cameras in “blind spots,” following two high-profile prisoner deaths and extensive reporting about abuse by guards.
Six corrections officers wearing black jackets hold a man in a green prison suit on a gurney. A man, second from left, is seen kicking the man wearing the green prison suit.
An illustration with blue, green, purple and pink tones shows pointed shapes and a Black man in a blue jumpsuit listening to music through headphones while lying on a bed. The calendar in front of him shows the month of December with the date of the 31st circled.
Life Inside January 1
How a Long Sentence Changed New Year’s Into a Time of Reflection, Not Celebration
This is what New Year’s looks like after 20 years in prison.
By Joseph Wilson
Get Involved December 12
It’s Hard to Grieve in Prison. This Guide Can Help
From breathing exercises to journaling prompts, we compiled steps that help with processing difficult emotions while locked up.
By
A collage shows images of clippings of a court case, a prison facility and a nurse with a stethoscope writing on a clipboard.
St. Louis December 8
Nurses Say Staff Shortage at Missouri Prison Means Skipped Medication, Long Waits for Care
Current and former employees at Jefferson City Correctional Center say the shortage is causing unrest. They blame the state’s contractor, Centurion Health.
By
A magazine called News Inside set against a grainy tan backdrop. Light refracted through prison bars shines onto the magazine.
News Inside November 26
Finding Humanity in the Cracks of Justice
News Inside Issue 21 presents stories of connection, resistance and hope amid deteriorating conditions and discriminatory policies.
By
John J. Lennon, a White man with short brown hair, wears a green uniform while holding his glasses in his right hand. He sits in front of a window that has blinds covering it.
Q&A November 4
A Leading Prison Journalist Upends Our Obsession With True Crime
John J. Lennon tells Bill Keller that he “wanted to tell a different story about the guilty” in his new book.
By
An illustration shows Ralph Marcus, a White man wearing a white baseball cap and t-shirt, and a fingerless glove in pale blue. The illustration shows his body dissipating into oblong shapes in white, orange and red into the air. In the foreground are green plants with flowers blooming among them in orange, red and yellow.
Life Inside October 31
The Last Words of a Man Who Died in Prison From a Treatable Cancer
Months before his death, Ralph Marcus explained how a COVID-era leg injury led to a rare bone cancer that didn’t have to be fatal.
By Ralph Marcus as told to
An illustration of a family at the start of a path looking toward their relative in the distance, at the end of the path. Panels of black-and-white photo collages, including family photos, surround the illustration.
Life Inside September 26
When Their Loved Ones Died Behind Bars, These Families Had to Sleuth for the Truth
After a family member passes away in prison or jail, people are often left with basic questions. To get answers, they have to get creative.
By , and
A collage shows images of clippings of a court case, a cutout of a male attorney, a gravestone of John Lowe Baker, Jr. and a building with a title that reads “Marshall County Correctional Facility.”
Jackson September 17
A Mississippi Prison Murder Indictment Was Forgotten for 3 Years — Until a Reporter Called
John Lowe was beaten to death in a prison shower in 2021, but the murder suspect was not served the indictment because of bureaucratic missteps.
By Grant McLaughlin, Clarion Ledger
An illustration shows an overhead view of a crowd of incarcerated people wearing plain shirts and striped pants. The people are standing with their arms behind their backs while one person, shown with a faded outline, lies on the floor. Between the people are faded blue outlines of other incarcerated people over orange circles.
Jackson September 11
‘Catastrophic Failures’: Why Dozens of Killings In Mississippi Prisons Go Unanswered
At least 42 incarcerated people have been killed in the last decade. Just six people have been convicted in their deaths.
By , The Marshall Project, and Mina Corpuz, Mississippi Today
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