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An illustration shows Christopher Blackwell, as a child at school with his head on the desk at the left; as an adult in prison writing at a desk with books nearby in the center; and speaking at a podium on the right.
Life Inside April 15
I Grew Up Believing I Was Dumb. A College Education Behind Bars Healed That Wound
“My college degree taught me that anything is possible when you show someone how to love themselves, through accountability, vulnerability and education.”
By Christopher Blackwell
A photo illustration shows the silhouettes of four dark-skinned teens facing a door in a solitary confinement unit. Light shines through a window in the door. As the viewer scrolls up on the story, the light from the window gets brighter.
Feature March 10
“No Light. No Nothing.” Inside Louisiana’s Harshest Juvenile Lockup
Teens at the Acadiana Center for Youth at St. Martinville were held in solitary confinement around the clock, shackled with leg irons and deprived of an education. “This is child abuse,” one expert said.
Beth Schwartzapfel, The Marshall Project; Erin Einhorn, NBC News; and Annie Waldman, ProPublica
Life Inside July 15, 2021
I’m a Teachers’ Aide at My Prison. Here’s What I Learned From My Toughest Student
His disrespectful classroom antics could have sparked a fight. But as a former “hard case” myself, I was determined to help him.
By Thomas Koskovich
Life Inside June 10, 2021
I Hate to Admit It, but Prison Is a Blessing in Disguise.
Jy’Aire Smith-Pennick suffered multiple traumas before age 18. He masked his pain with Percocet, weed and drug-selling. Now, at a Pennsylvania prison with the right programs, he’s finally starting to heal.
By Jy'Aire Smith-Pennick
Teenagers at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Detention Center East in Tampa, Florida, in September 2020.
One Year Later: The Pandemic Behind Bars March 8, 2021
Many Juvenile Jails Are Now Almost Entirely Filled With Young People of Color
Thousands of kids were freed from juvenile detention during the pandemic. They were more likely to be White, data shows.
By Eli Hager
Due to school closures and stay-at-home orders, there have been fewer “eyes on children” to report on abuse happening to kids.
Coronavirus June 15, 2020
Is Child Abuse Really Rising During The Pandemic?
Amid speculation of a spike in abuse, advocates worry that families of color will be policed even more.
By Eli Hager
Both juveniles and 18- to 21-year-olds attend the Travis Hill School. Students take classes in math, science, social studies, English, and art.
Feature June 8, 2018
The Hardest Lesson on Tier 2C
Can a violent adult jail teach kids to love school?
By Eli Hager
Ronald Leftwich arguing for the Norfolk Prison Debating Society during a debate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2017. Daniel Throop, center, looks on.
Life Inside June 7, 2018
The Inside Story of a Legendary Prison Debate Team
Our victories over college students weren’t just for us—they were for incarcerated people everywhere.
By Daniel S. Throop
Life Inside May 24, 2018
I Followed My Mom to Prison and to a Degree
“This is the path my life had to take so I could be strong.”
By Arielle Pierre, as told to Nicole Lewis
Life Inside April 5, 2018
Finding College by Way of Prison
“Taking classes helped me forget that I wasn’t free.”
By Marcus Lilly, as told to Nicole Lewis
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