Search About Newsletters Donate
The House of the Good Shepherd in Troy, N.Y., circa 1940.

History

Collection Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy, NY
Redemption Songs
This Is the Sound of 1,300 People in Prison Singing Gospel Together
Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music and a choir of 30 incarcerated men recorded one of the biggest prison concerts in Florida history.
By
Redemption Songs April 12
The Bootlegging, Blues Singing Star of 1930s Prison Radio
Hattie Ellis was poised for post-prison fame. Then she encountered shotcallers who didn’t value her voice.
By
Redemption Songs March 29
Stevie Wonder and James Brown Put This Prison Funk Band on the Map
The Power of Attorney played shows with superstars, went to industry parties, and wore outside clothes — all under the watch of armed guards.
By
A black-and-white photo showing a White woman with a bouffant hairstyle singing into a microphone on the left side of the frame on the dirt grounds of a rodeo, while in the background are Black and White incarcerated men, wearing dark colored jackets, black ties and billowing white pants playing guitars and a drum. The drummer is wearing sunglasses, as a correctional officer stands guard behind him dressed in white and a cowboy hat with the brim upturned on both sides. In the distance, crowds sit in the stands.
Feature March 10
When Texas Was Fertile Ground for Prison Bands
Until the 1980s, an annual prison rodeo offered a chance for men inside to perform and sell albums. Now we’re making them available to you.
By
A photo shows a tree in front of a college athletic field and building. Blue flowers, candles and memorial notes for Trey Reed surround the bottom of the tree.
Jackson November 4, 2025
Tree Hanging Death at Delta State University Raises Dread of Mississippi’s Past Lynchings
A Black freshman’s apparent suicide on campus is one of at least nine Black men who have been found hanging from trees since 2000.
By Lici Beveridge
A photo shows a group of Black men and women holding hands, closing their eyes, and bowing their heads in prayer in a forest.
Life Inside October 24, 2025
Finding the Racist Roots of Maryland’s Juvenile Justice System
As Maryland’s secretary of juvenile services, Vincent Schiraldi exposed a history of torture, neglect and Black boys buried in unmarked graves.
By Vincent Schiraldi
A black-and-white photograph shows a large group of men in prison uniforms, a majority of whom are Black, with their fists up as they stand in a yard in front of a prison facility.
Life Inside September 12, 2025
‘Attica Day’ Is Fading Fast. Here’s Why This 53-Year-Old Tradition Still Matters.
For decades, New York prisoners have refused meals on Sept. 13 to mark the end of the 1971 Attica prison uprising. Inside a ritual in decline.
By Joseph Wilson
A man wearing blue pants and a white T-shirt dangles from and holds onto the threads of an American flag against a city skyline.
Life Inside July 4, 2025
What, to the American Incarcerated Person, Is Your Fourth of July?
In the spirit of Frederick Douglass’ historic speech, 20 currently and formerly incarcerated Americans explain what Independence Day means to them.
Reported by , , , , , , and

Edited by
Q&A June 16, 2025
Have We Been Wrong About ‘Psychopaths’?
In a new book, Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen questions how courts and prisons use psychopathy diagnoses — and whether they should at all.
By
Volunteer Ayanna Elliott-Green, left, All of Us or None cofounder Dorsey Nunn, second from right, and two bike recipients at the organization’s 23rd Annual Community Giveback in 2022.
Life Inside December 20, 2024
Cops Took My Christmas Bike. Now I Give Kids the Freedom to Ride.
For formerly incarcerated activist Dorsey Nunn, the most wonderful time of the year is a holiday bicycle giveaway for kids with parents in prison.
By Dorsey Nunn
About
People
Privacy
Sitemap
Funders