News of Interest

Selected news stories of interest to the Freedom Reads community.

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.

University's Prison Education Program and Yale Prison Education Initiative Celebrate Class of 2024
The Charger Blog, University of New Haven by Renee Chmiel May 28, 2024

The University of New Haven’s Prison Education Program celebrated its second-ever commencement ceremony, awarding 11 associate's degrees and two bachelor’s degrees to its Class of 2024.

Incarcerated New Yorkers Staged a Broadway Show in Prison
Gothamist by Bahar Ostadan May 24, 2024

Men incarcerated at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York state put on a performance of the play “Thoughts of a Colored Man” for their family members and correction officers.

A Rare Bright Spot for a Canine Lover Doing Time: Raising Puppies to Become Service Dogs
The Marshall Project by Adam Roberts May 10, 2024

Adam Roberts writes about the bonds he has formed with the puppies he's cared for and trained at Fishkill Correctional Facility in New York as part of their Puppies Behind Bars program.

‘I feel super gassed’: Lady Unchained, the prison radio host playing inmates’ raps
The Guardian by Ciaran Thapar May 7, 2024

A spotlight on Free Flow, a popular radio show broadcast on UK National Prison Radio which plays beats and music for incarcerated musicians to practice with. The show's host, Lady Unchained, speaks to offering "advice and tips on how to build a crime-free future using the power of creativity, lyrics, and positivity," and re-energizing prisons through music.

Prison education programs ready to expand, but new Pell Grants slow to arrive
The Hill by Lexi Lonas May 6, 2024

Pell grants for incarcerated students were reapproved by Congress last summer, but the funding has been slow to roll out with only one institution approved so far as an eligible prison education program (PEP).

After Prison, I Went to Miami to Reacquaint Myself With Freedom
Condé Nast Traveler by Ryan M. Moser April 27, 2024

Ryan Moser writes about visiting Miami and reacquainting himself with freedom after his release from Everglades Correctional Institution after serving an eight-year sentence.

From Web to Work: How a Tech Ed Program Helps People Prepare to Leave Prison
Prison Journalism Project by Ryan M. Moser April 26, 2024

Brave Behind Bars, MIT's web design program for students who are incarcerated, boosts self-confidence and digital competency.

How a Black Man Went from a 50-year Prison Sentence to Law School
The Root by Kalyn Womack April 17, 2024

Bernard McKinley has become the first graduate of the Northwestern’s Prison Education Program (PEP) to ever be accepted into a law school. He will attend Northwestern Law School as part of the class of 2027.

How to Publish a Magazine in a Maximum-Security Prison
The New Yorker by John J. Lennon April 14, 2024

Journalist John J. Lennon, who is incarcerated in New York, speaks with Wilbert Rideau, an acclaimed prison journalist.