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Inside Out

Inside Out is a new column from Keri Blakinger, a staff writer at The Marshall Project, drawing on her unique perspective as an investigative journalist and formerly incarcerated person to shine a light on the criminal justice system nationwide. Published in partnership with NBC News, Inside Out will tackle issues like medical care behind bars, conditions of confinement, prison labor and what happens when people are released. Send tips or column ideas to kblakinger@themarshallproject.org.

A photo illustration shows black and white images of five TikToks of people talking about incarceration. Between each black and white image are blue and orange vertical rectangles overlaid with barbed wire.
Inside Out April 7, 2022
Out of Prison, TikTok Influencers Are Reshaping How We Think About Life Behind Bars
But a dearth of content creators of color raises questions about the app’s algorithm.
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A photo illustration shows overlapping vertical bars, with a background of barbed wire. Several of the vertical bars have images, including of fencing, a man in handcuffs, a man lying on a bed in a cell, and people in a prison.
Inside Out March 17, 2022
Do Texas Prison Conditions Violate Human Rights Standards? One Scottish Court Says Yes
Tiny cells, lacking medical treatment and sweltering conditions cited by judge who blocked extradition.
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Images of people at the Moriah Shock Incarceration Facility and Lakeview Shock Correctional Facility are layered in an orange, blue and black photo collage.
Inside Out February 24, 2022
‘A Humiliating Experience’: Prisoners Allege Abuse at Discipline-focused ‘Shock’ Camps
New York is closing one of its last ‘shock’ camps, a move some experts and former prisoners say is a long time coming.
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An illustration shows segments of barbed wire overlapping the silhouettes of three people in blue and orange. Overlaying the silhouettes are hands and fists held up in the air.
Inside Out February 3, 2022
Prosecutors Who Want to Curb Mass Incarceration Hit a Roadblock: Tough-on-Crime Lawmakers
In an age-old battle over local control, some legislators seek to wrest power from prosecutors who aim to curb mass incarceration
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A photo illustration shows President Joseph R. Biden in the center, with Michael Carvajal, resigning director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, at the left. Imagery of barbed wire is scattered throughout the illustration.
Inside Out January 13, 2022
Biden Has Disappointed Many Prisoners and Guards. Now He Has a Chance to Do More.
A year after taking office, President Biden has yet to make good on key prison reform promises he made on the campaign trail.
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Inside Out December 2, 2021
Banned From Jobs: People Released From Prison Fight Laws That Keep Punishing Them.
Post-conviction employment bans put many on the road back to prison.
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Inside Out November 11, 2021
Mugshots Stay Online Forever. Some Say the Police Should Stop Making Them Public.
As many news outlets cut back on publishing mugshots, some states and cities are grappling with a more fundamental question: Why do police release the images — and should they be allowed to?
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Inside Out October 14, 2021
They Put Me in Solitary for Drugs I Didn’t Have
Lockups use unreliable tests to claim that lawyers are sending drugs to their clients behind bars.
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Inside Out September 23, 2021
Experts Say the Culture Is Often to Blame When Lock-ups Spin Out of Control
Could changes in jailers’ attitudes lead to better jail conditions and fewer deaths?
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Inside Out September 2, 2021
Some prison labor programs lose money — even when prisoners work for pennies
Officials claim programs provide skills, but critics say there’s little evidence.
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