News of Interest

Selected news stories of interest to the Freedom Reads community.

For This Drama, Some Actors Returned to Prison by Choice
The New York Times by Rachel Sherman July 12, 2024

The cast of the upcoming film “Sing Sing” visited Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York to share an advanced screening of the film with men on the Inside. The film tells the story of a prison theater program and features in its cast 13 men who had previously participated in the theater program while incarcerated.

My Unlikely Path From Jail to Journalism
The New York Times by Mario Koran July 2, 2024

Mario Koran writes about discovering his passion for journalism while incarcerated and his career as a professional investigative journalist after his release.

In Prison, You Need a Group. Mine are the Nerds.
Prison Journalism Project by Daniel Cohen June 24, 2024

Daniel Cohen writes about finding friendship and comfort within his prison’s Nerd Room.

On Death Row, Reading Taught Me To Fly
Prison Journalism Project by Reginald Lewis June 13, 2024

Reginald Lewis writes about how reading books and writing helped him find some freedom during 30 years on Pennsylvania's death row.

New California Prison Program Allows Inmates to Land Jobs from Behind Bars Pending Their Release
CBS News by Ashley Sharp June 13, 2024

California prisons’ new “Entry to Employment” program provides incarcerated individuals with support in finding jobs, connecting them with opportunities in the months before reentry.

Commercial Trucking and the Road from Prison to Poverty Wages
The Appeal by Abraham Corona, Gabrielle Corona June 12, 2024

Abraham Corona writes about his experience joining the trucking industry after his release from prison, shedding light on how truck-driving is often falsely advertised as a stable career path for formerly incarcerated individuals.

This Prison Newspaper Has Been Publishing for More Than a Century
NPR by Meg Anderson June 12, 2024

Men incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater have been publishing their own newspaper, The Prison Mirror, since 1887, making it one of the oldest prison newspapers in the country.

Prison Inmates Seeking Degrees Admitted into Inaugural Education Cohort at Utah Facility
ABC4 by Trevor Myers June 11, 2024

The University of Utah accepted its first cohort of currently incarcerated individuals into their undergraduate degree program. These 15 students will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in university studies, in addition to a certificate in professional and technical writing.

The Tech of Prison Parenting
Plough by Robert Lee Williams June 5, 2024

Robert Lee Williams writes about how the introduction of tablets and secured messaging services into prison transformed his life on the Inside and allowed him to forge a relationship with his daughter Harmony.

Pawns to Progress: San Quentin Chess Event Unites Prisoners, Guards to Transform Lives
Bay City News by Kevin D. Sawyer May 31, 2024

During the “Pawns to Progress” event sponsored by San Quentin SkunkWorks and Mechanics’ Institute, men incarcerated at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center faced off in games of chess against correctional officers and other members of staff.

12 PJP Journalists and Artists Win Big at Inaugural Prison Journalism Contest
Prison Journalism Project by PJP Editors May 30, 2024

Results from this year's Stillwater Awards, a national prison journalism contest from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Replacing Prison Uniforms with Custom Suits
The New York Times by Sandra E. Garcia May 30, 2024

Brooklyn-based suit maker Bindle & Keep partnered with the Innocence Project to provide free custom-tailored suits to recently exonerated individuals.