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A brick sign that reads "Louisiana State Penitentiary" and "Secretary James LeBlanc" located in front of the prison's entrance.
Closing Argument August 13, 2022
Confronting America’s ‘Cruel and Unusual’ Juvenile Detention Crisis
From Texas and Louisiana to communities in Iowa and Michigan, the way youth are being detained is prompting calls for change.
By Jamiles Lartey
An illustration shows a silhouette of an individual standing in the middle of their prison cell, with a fan, a cabinet and a chair on the left side and a bed on the right side. Orange waves permeate through the room to indicate heat.
Life Inside July 15, 2022
My Prison Gets So Hot, the Floors Sweat
Survival tips include, “Wait it out” and “Buy another fan, bro.”
By Demetrius Buckley
An illustration shows a black school bus driving through a light blue lake with bare trees and bushes. Five smaller panels at the edge of the illustration suggest an incarcerated person is traveling, showing a nasal swab test, a bag, shackles, an eye and handcuffs.
Life Inside May 13, 2022
I Got the Prison Transfer I Fought For. My Feelings Were Surprisingly Mixed
Demetrius Buckley’s long-awaited transfer to a lower-security prison means more time outside of his cell and a chance to see his daughter. But the transport process was like everything else in prison: slow, confusing and casually cruel.
By Demetrius Buckley
An illustration showcases Demetrius Buckley, who is currently incarcerated, in an orange prison suit and holding onto a phone. He looks through a window at his daughter, who is sitting alone in a park.
Life Inside March 11, 2022
The Powerlessness of Parenting From Prison
Demetrius Buckley thought his bond with his 11-year-old daughter was strong. But when he couldn’t physically protect his child from adult problems, he learned the limits of parenting via prison phone calls.
By Demetrius Buckley
Life Inside December 16, 2021
Writing Is My Main Freedom. One Day My Work Disappeared.
A software change in my prison-issued electronic tablet ate up my drafts and eliminated basic writing tools. That may sound minor, but try sending a poem to your kid without line breaks.
By Demetrius Buckley
Feature November 2, 2021
Police Hurt Thousands of Teens Every Year. A Striking Number Are Black Girls.
By Abbie VanSickle and Weihua Li
Life Inside January 21, 2021
When a Shower Counts as a Privilege, You Have to Get Creative
Doing time during a pandemic can mean fighting for your turn to wash your body or call your family. Inside one man’s battle with an inaudible loudspeaker, weary guards and a dysfunctional process.
By Demetrius Buckley
Jennifer Gross holds photos of herself with fiancé Robert Vermett, who is incarcerated at Michigan’s Kinross Correctional Facility and recovering from COVID-19.
Coronavirus December 21, 2020
Moving People—and Coronavirus—From Prison to Prison
As COVID-19 infections soar, prisoners and corrections officers worry that transferring people between facilities is causing outbreaks.
By Cary Aspinwall and Ed White
Darnell Johnson in 1996 in Glendale, Arizona, when he was visiting his brother at Christmas.
Coronavirus June 3, 2020
“Juvenile Lifers” Were Meant to Get a Second Chance. COVID-19 Could Get Them First.
The Supreme Court gave teens sentenced to life in prison a shot at freedom. Many are still waiting.
By Eli Hager
Prisoners at the Macomb Correctional Facility in New Haven, Mich., in 2016. Michigan is one of the only states that has tested every single prisoner for COVID-19.
Coronavirus May 28, 2020
Is COVID-19 Falling Harder on Black Prisoners? Officials Won’t Tell Us.
Some prison systems aren’t collecting race data. Others won’t disclose it. Experts say these are big mistakes.
By Maurice Chammah and Tom Meagher
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