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A condemned inmate is led out of his cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, California in 2016.

California

Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Redemption Songs
Police Used Mac Dre’s Music Against Him. In Jail, He Used the Phone to Get Revenge.
In his signature trickster style, the Vallejo, California, rapper recorded an album on jail phones — and even called out cops by name.
By
Young Thug, a Black rapper wearing a white shirt and striped pants, holds a mic as he performs in a crowd during a concert.
Closing Argument March 28
His Rap Lyrics Helped Send Him to Death Row. Travis Scott and T.I. Are Trying to Stop His Execution.
The rappers argue that James Broadnax’s case exemplifies a larger problem in American courtrooms: The use of rap lyrics as evidence.
By
An elderly man, wearing glasses and a blue prison uniform, is reading a newspaper. He sits in his wheelchair, which is next to a couple of bunk beds within his prison cell block.
Closing Argument March 21
Mercy or Money: How to Grapple With a Rapidly Aging Prison Population
Research shows people often “age out” of crime, and health care costs are ballooning. But still, many states oppose releasing elderly prisoners.
By
A photo shows cars driving in a blur past a Flock camera, which is situated at the top of a pole. There is a square plate at the top of the pole. Behind the camera are some trees and a building.
Closing Argument March 7
The Troubling Personal Side of Public Surveillance
Law enforcement cameras are popping up everywhere, but many agencies have little safeguards to prevent abuse by individual officers.
By
A magazine called News Inside set against a grainy light blue backdrop. Light refracted through prison bars shines onto the magazine.
News Inside March 5
Women on the Inside
News Inside Issue 22 takes a hard look at how incarcerated women face unique challenges — and why their stories deserve to be heard.
By
A photo shows Craig Canary, a White man with a white beard and tattoos visible on his upper body, standing in a solitary confinement cell. Visible in his cell are a bedroll, a few books and some art on his wall. In the foreground of the photo is a door with holes, through which you can see Canary.
Feature January 28
Echoes of Isolation
A 2013 prison hunger strike in California led to a dramatic decline in the use of solitary confinement. More than a decade later, people impacted by solitary reflect on the toll of separation.
Photographs by Brian L. Frank

Text by and Brian L. Frank
A magazine called News Inside set against a grainy tan backdrop. Light refracted through prison bars shines onto the magazine.
News Inside November 26, 2025
Finding Humanity in the Cracks of Justice
News Inside Issue 21 presents stories of connection, resistance and hope amid deteriorating conditions and discriminatory policies.
By
A photo shows Jazmine Mapes, a Native American woman with long dark hair, wearing a white sweater and jeans, walking near a chain link fence. An empty lot is situated behind the fence. In front of the fence is a tent. A woman holding an umbrella walks behind Mapes, and a man talking on a cell phone walks behind her.
Feature November 20, 2025
Homeless Camp Sweeps Can Harm Health. Some Cities Are Trying a New Way.
Some localities are addressing street homelessness with a new approach, which experts say can clear encampments while protecting the health of people who are forced to move.
By Ryan Levi, Tradeoffs
A Black man in a tracksuit stands as he speaks to teenagers, dressed in orange uniforms, sitting inside a room. Officers monitor the teenagers while standing on the side.
Closing Argument November 8, 2025
The Competing Visions to Fix the Country’s Juvenile Justice Crisis
Some states keep adding beds in already troubled facilities, while others are trying alternative approaches to detention or keeping some children out of the system altogether.
By
An illustration shows Ralph Marcus, a White man wearing a white baseball cap and t-shirt, and a fingerless glove in pale blue. The illustration shows his body dissipating into oblong shapes in white, orange and red into the air. In the foreground are green plants with flowers blooming among them in orange, red and yellow.
Life Inside October 31, 2025
The Last Words of a Man Who Died in Prison From a Treatable Cancer
Months before his death, Ralph Marcus explained how a COVID-era leg injury led to a rare bone cancer that didn’t have to be fatal.
By Ralph Marcus as told to
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