How Rush City Inmates Organized a Successful Prison Strike
Two inmates from a Minnesota state prison discuss organizing a strike—and why they feel rehabilitative programming is still inadequate.
Inmates
As Hurricane Florence Approaches, One South Carolina Inmate Says 'Prisoners Are Extremely Nervous' About Their Safety
Pacific Standard spoke with an inmate in Lee Correctional Institution as he and other prisoners prepared for the storm.
What Advocates Are Saying About South Carolina's Refusal to Evacuate Prisoners in Hurricane Florence's Path
Prisoners in the hurricane's path will not be evacuated—and many are outraged.
'Modern Slavery': The Labor History Behind the New Nationwide Prison Strike
A look at the origins of the 2018 prison strike through a legacy of involuntary servitude.
Prison Commerce Goes Digital
While most commerce within prisons revolves around food and hygiene products, a recent report found that digital sales are the "future of commissary."
Viewfinder: Inmate Firefighters Battle Flames in California's Yosemite National Park
Inmate firefighters battle the Ferguson fire in Jerseydale, California, on July 22nd, 2018.
Does Congress' Prison Reform Bill Go Too Far or Not Far Enough?
The First Step Act has passed the House, but it's likely to face opposition from both sides of the aisle in the Senate.
Taking Freedom: Modern-Day Slavery in America's Prison Workforce
On the labor issues connected with using inmates as extremely low-paid workers in state and federal prisons.
La Esclavitud Moderna en la Fuerza Laboral en la Prisión de Estados Unidos
Este artículo explica los problemas laborales relacionados con el uso de presos como trabajadores extremadamente mal pagados en las prisiones estatales y federales.
A Damaging New Secure Housing Unit Poses Problems on Rikers Island
A new report from the New York City Board of Correction suggests that inmates have traded one problematic practice for another.
Since We Last Spoke: Inmates From Across the Country Have Been Going on Strike — Why?
Updates to stories from the Pacific Standard archive.
'There's Peace of Mind Out Here'
In the small coastal town of Mendocino, California, inmates spend hours picking grapes under the sun—and many welcome the break from jail.
From Our Prison to Your Dinner Table—Unless You Shop at Whole Foods
The organic grocery chain will stop selling products made by the Colorado Correctional Industries after months of customer complaints and negative media coverage.
How Inmate Firefighting Compares to Other Prison Jobs
It's hard work and poorly paid, but at least it's a little more visible.
How America's Prison System Punishes Women and Families
A new report counts the costs that women, children, and families bear when a loved one gets incarcerated.
A Day in the Life of a Prisoner
Movies and television don't do an adequate job capturing the day-to-day loneliness and the feelings of exclusion and shame.
When Addicts Get Out of Jail
New research suggests that maintaining methadone treatment in jails and prisons would save lives.
Start Sending Parolees to New Neighborhoods
They'll stay out of trouble longer, a new study suggests.
Why Don’t We Just Shoot Condemned Inmates?
If we’re going to kill people, there's only one good way to do it.
Freeze! You’re Under Examination
Making sure people get health care when they leave prison saves taxpayer money and protects public health. It may even help them stay out of prison.
The Ecologist and the Prisoners
Professor Nalini Nadkarni enlists a Washington state prison in sustainability research that has turned the prison green — and may help convicts turn their lives around.