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Art in Criminal Justice
Life Inside
May 31
I Recorded a Whole Hip-Hop Album on a Death Row Telephone
In this new book excerpt, incarcerated rapper Alim “RRome Alone” Braxton describes his early attempts to record vocals over a phone in the dayroom.
By
Alim Braxton
and
Mark Katz
Closing Argument
August 12, 2023
What the New Wave of Prison Art Tells Us About Incarceration Today
From LEGO sculptures to psychedelic quilts, several new exhibits convey the prison experience in ways that transcend words alone.
By
Maurice Chammah
The Frame
January 14, 2022
“Wild: Bird of Paradise” Envisions a World Without Prisons or Police
The final installment of Jeremy McQueen’s dance film explores the challenges and fears of being a young Black man in New York City.
By
Celina Fang
The Frame
March 15, 2021
Spotlighting the Ingenuity of Artists Behind Bars
On exhibit at MoMA PS1, “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Incarceration” is a rich exploration of how artists adapt to limited materials and endless time.
by
Maurice Chammah
The Frame
November 25, 2019
How This Prison Collaborated on a Larger-Than-Life Work of Art
French artist JR worked with California prisoners to create his latest installation.
By
Celina Fang
The Frame
October 4, 2018
The Prison Portraits
A Pennsylvania artist draws hundreds of fellow inmates to show the scale of mass incarceration.
By
Maurice Chammah
Illustrations by
Mark Loughney
Life Inside
July 5, 2018
Learning Violin Helped Me Survive Prison
How one former inmate found healing—and himself—through music.
By
Jason Naradzay
Commentary
February 5, 2018
Reentry: a Triptych
“What name for this thing we’ve become? For stigma, close as kin?”
By
Reginald Dwayne Betts
News
January 24, 2018
The Ultimate Insider Art
On Tennessee’s death row, the old aphorism applies: art is long, life is short.
By
Jeremy Olds
Q&A
February 1, 2017
Titus Kaphar on Art, Race and Justice
“A painting may inspire, but it’s people who make change.”
By
Bill Keller