Art in Criminal Justice

The incarcerated hip-hop group that emerged from the controversial ‘Scared Straight’ program set out to deglamorize the gangster rap of the moment.

On “No Ceilings,” a young Portland lyricist asks, “If I confess all my sins, would they hang me for it?”

Chico DeBarge’s “Iggin Me” mirrors his own struggle with incarceration and loss.

Standouts include a version of Lead Belly’s hit “Midnight Special” led by filmmaker Rita Chiarelli and an incarcerated band.

The Capitol riots angered Sing Sing’s Alfred Roberts. He responded with his version of what is widely known as the Black national anthem.

Two years after the podcast’s co-creator’s dad died, he used hip-hop to celebrate their bond.

The call-and-response song was one of many that Black men sang as they toiled on Southern prison farms.

Ike White’s “Changin’ Times” spans soul, rock, pop and jazz. On its 50th anniversary, it’s finally getting its due.

The Harlem MC explains how prison gave him the freedom to rap about more than material things.