‘Sometimes I Feel Like I’m in Prison More Than He Is’ Families of the incarcerated feel the financial crunch of costly prison phone calls and messages.

"To have a loved one in prison is to worry constantly."

My Dog Kokomo, My Only Friend in the World Our house was secluded. I think my stepfather planned it that way. It allowed what went on behind closed doors to remain isolated.

My only friend in the world was my Boxer dog, Kokomo. He lived in a pen on the hill at the back ... excursion, we ran headlong into a wild boar. My dog stood nose-to-nose with that beast; I knew he’d die.

All He Wanted Was to Pet That Good Doggy The dog reminded me what it meant to be gentle — to embrace another living being.

How Prison Puppy Programs Make Us Feel Human Again

Former inmate adopts pup he trained in prison after release: "Endless love" After just days caring for the pup, Walter Mabry told his fiancé that he couldn't leave jail without him.

"I never thought I would have a dog anytime soon, which is funny as it's the same thing I thought before my cat. I also have a pretty bada** running partner now."

I Was Transformed After an Encounter With a Playful Dog in Prison Stacy helped me overcome my long-time fear of dogs.

I Was Transformed After an Encounter With a Playful Dog in Prison.

The Heckin’ Good Dog Who Waited for Me to Get Out of Prison Charlotte was there for the worst moments of my life. And she was there as I picked up the pieces.

Charlotte was there for the worst moments of my life. And she was there as I picked up the pieces. Story via @themarshallproject.org.

My Dog Kokomo, My Only Friend in the World Our house was secluded. I think my stepfather planned it that way. It allowed what went on behind closed doors to remain isolated.

My only friend in the world was my Boxer dog, Kokomo. He lived in a pen on the hill at the back ... excursion, we ran headlong into a wild boar. My dog stood nose-to-nose with that beast; I knew he’d die.

He was amazing.

The Prison Service Dog Program That Helped Me Feel Human In a South Florida prison, a program to train service dogs has given purpose to a group of men, many of whom are serving life sentences.

Incarcerated people train service dogs, working to earn a certificate in dog grooming and training.

"Thirteen dogs and their trainers have been living in an open dormitory with a number of other prisoners who have physical disabilities. I’m one of them," writes Eric.

Folks, last night my aunt had to unexpectedly put down the family dog. I was once petrified of all dogs, even the small ones. Baxster helped change that. I’m not doing great right now. These delightful creatures are truly life’s greatest gifts. Today I'll be sharing dog content from the archives.

In Prison, We Have Less Medical Privacy Laws that cover medical privacy are not as comprehensive for us. Guards and incarcerated people can often hear our sensitive conversations.

Being incarcerated shouldn’t mean our medical information could be subject to the ears of guards and others.

‘Ass Slippers’ Play Pivotal Role in Prison Hygiene According to incarcerated writer Kevin A. Connell, strapless flip-flops or "ass slippers" serve as a protective cushion for the toilet seat.

Strapless flip-flops serve as a protective cushion, separating your bare bottom from toilet seat germs.

My Use of a Metaphor Landed Me in Solitary I spent 44 days in confinement due to a phrase I used on the phone.

I spent 44 days in confinement after using the phrase "blow this joint" on the phone.

‘Sometimes I Feel Like I’m in Prison More Than He Is’ Families of the incarcerated feel the financial crunch of costly prison phone calls and messages.

The FCC reversed its price caps in 2025. Now prison phone calls cost more, with a 15 minute call rising from 80 cents to 1.30, and messaging offers half the characters for the same price.

Idaho's New Firing Squad Prepares to Fire Following years of controversy surrounding lethal injections, the state is looking to automate the process of shooting people sentenced to death.

A new Idaho law will require the state to prioritize use of the firing squad when performing executions. It will become the first state in the country to make shooting prisoners condemned to death its method-of-choice, followed by lethal injection.

"I heard that a prisoner was on the phone with his mother when he was hit with a sudden biological urge. Not wanting to be crass, he told her, “Mom, I gotta go blow up the bathroom. I’ll talk to you later.” He was sent to solitary, too. I sure hope he got to poop first."

My Use of a Metaphor Landed Me in Solitary I spent 44 days in confinement due to a phrase I used on the phone.

I spent 44 days in confinement after using the phrase "blow this joint" on the phone.

‘Sometimes I Feel Like I’m in Prison More Than He Is’ Families of the incarcerated feel the financial crunch of costly prison phone calls and messages.

The FCC reversed its price caps in 2025. Now prison phone calls cost more, with a 15 minute call rising from 80 cents to 1.30, and messaging offers half the characters for the same price.

"A corrections officer, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard the eventual weapon would likely be placed on a stand and “operated by a computer to release a firing pattern.”

“It’s kind of like Call of Duty,” the officer added."

Paying for Prison: How Incarceration Reinforces Poverty Mass incarceration has devastated communities around the country, exacerbating poverty, inhibiting economic mobility, and causing local economies to…

"I worked a prison job that paid the average incarcerated person $12 to $16 dollars a month... And while the United States Constitution declares prisoners to be in servitude, it also means to be a slave to the economic serving of the state."

In My Prison Cell, a Cat Lives Out Its Life Indiana State Prison allows select residents to care for a feline companion in their cells.

My Indiana prison allows some of us to raise kittens thanks to a partnership with a cat shelter.

Lady, a delicate and regal Persian-domestic mix, with short, feathery ebony furis my only friend in this dismal mansion of dejection known as prison.

Prisons Rely on Us Working Jobs. So Why Aren’t We Trained for Them? Most prisons use incarcerated people in jobs that contribute to the operation of the prison, such as maintenance, sanitation or clerical work.

Most prison labor is done by incarcerated people. But we receive little preparation for jobs inside or jobs after release.

"I don't think about the past when a cat hops in my lap. I don't think of what I should or could have done. I don't think about courts or life sentences or parole boards. What comes to mind is peace ... I want to be grateful for today and for the fact that I am no longer the person I once was."

Summer Heat in Prison: Just How Hot Are Our Nation’s Prisons? Prison writers from across the U.S. describe how hot their prisons get in the summer. One prison reached 117 degrees.

What Extreme Heat Is Like in U.S. Prisons

How I Survive in The Most Dangerous Prison in Colorado This is my second time being in Colorado State Penitentiary, which has been referred to as the most violent prison in the state. My first stint here I saw death within a month of arriving.

"This is my second time being in Colorado State Penitentiary, a level V maximum security prison, which has been referred to as the most violent prison in the state. The prison is designated as an administrative segregation facility, which means that nearly everyone here is in solitary confinement."

How Prison Makes Death Routine This woman has written to incarcerated people for six years. Through hundreds of letters, here’s what she’s learned about death in prison.

What I’ve learned about dying in prison after corresponding with incarcerated people across the United States for six years.

Prison Suicide Watch Was Once a Staff Job. "Inmate Observers" Are Cheaper. Suicide observation here might cost well over $7,000 per day if officers still did the job, but under $320 per day to have prisoners do it.

"Suicide observation here might cost well over $7,000 per day if officers still did the job, but under $320 per day to have prisoners do it."

Parole Has Almost Vanished From South Carolina Prisons In 2024, South Carolina granted parole at a rate of 4%.

Parole Has Almost Vanished From South Carolina Prisons

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Prison Is the Worst Place to Start Menopause Prison conditions and commissary prices make going through menopause in prison another cruel punishment for women.

"As a woman in prison, you are punished for your crime — and your biology."