RL’s Story

RL’s Story Prisoner name is “RL”. “I am a 52 year old man that has been drawing since childhood. My first real attempt at something significant was at the age of around seven years old, which was of my father who had recently passed away. I loved my daddy and wanted to do the best […]

Prison Stories: Kyle

A man standing in an old, weathered archway with a backpack, overlooking a cityscape at sunrise or sunset.

Kyle’s Story of his road to incarceration Prison Culture When I was living my life on the outside, coming to prison was the furthest thing on my mind, even though I was living a life that would inevitably lead to my incarceration. And the one aspect that would have helped me transition and better acclimate […]

Prisoner Reintegration: Lessons From Norway

Prisoner Reintegration: Lessons From Norway Reentry to Society Is Primary Goal of Norwegian Prisons, Not Punishment Bastoy Island is just like any other small Norwegian village. It is filled with fishermen along its coasts, who go out in the morning hoping for a good day’s catch. Along with its well-maintained greenery, the island is a […]

Prisoner Education Offers a Way Out

Prisoner Education Offers a Way Out Education for Inmates Has Major Cost-Saving Benefits for Society Before imprisonment, Martin spent most of his time working for a small, marginal family-run grocery store. The need to do his part in supporting the family unit prevented him from going to high school. At the age of 19, Martin […]

Fiscal Mismanagement, Natural Disasters Push Puerto Rico’s Prison System to the Brink

Fiscal Mismanagement, Natural Disasters Push Puerto Rico’s Prison System to the Brink Puerto Rican Debt Crisis Impacts Basic Services and Living Conditions for Inmates In this article, we shine a spotlight on how decades of fiscal mismanagement by Puerto Rico’s government, and a pair of devastating natural disasters in Hurricanes Irma and Maria have pushed […]

The Fight to Stop Solitary Confinement in Connecticut

The Fight to Stop Solitary Confinement in Connecticut Solitary Confinement Deemed Form of Torture, Leaves Permanent Psychological Scars Solitary confinement, also known as “the hole” or “administrative segregation,” involves isolating prisoners in tiny cells for up to 23 hours a day, often for weeks, months, or even years on end. Often less than 1/4 the […]

Waiting and Decision Making

Waiting and Decision Making Waiting and Decision Making The Mental Competency Process On December 24, 2009, 24-year old Victor Carrero ran into two people on the corner of Central and Jefferson Avenues in Brooklyn. He proceeded to knock one of them to the ground, stabbing them in their head and shoulder before running away. Al […]

Bias Behind the Badge: How Officer Demographics Affect Arrest Escalation

Bias Behind the Badge: How Officer Demographics Affect Arrest Escalation Bias Behind the Badge: How Officer Demographics Affect Arrest Escalation Kemonte Hampton walked out of a gas station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was told to get on the ground; he was being arrested for jaywalking. He complied, but was pushed over on his way down […]

Kayla’s Act Gives Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence

Kayla’s Act Gives Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence Kayla’s Act Gives Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence In the week of Thanksgiving 2022, Kayla Hammonds was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in a grocery store parking lot in Lumberton, NC. The ex-boyfriend, Desmond Sampson, had a significant prior history of violence, with […]