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Music in Prison

Redemption Songs August 30
The Parchman Band Started in the 1930s. A Modern Version Is Carrying on Tradition.
The band at the notoriously violent Mississippi State Penitentiary is back together and even playing gigs on the outside.
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A photo shows a White man on the left, dressed in a navy blue T-shirt and green-and-white striped pants, playing a guitar; and a Black man in a white T-shirt and green-and-white striped pants, playing a guitar. They are standing in a rehearsal room with an amplifier, an instrument case, and a stool, among other musical equipment.
Jackson August 28
Mississippi Prison Band Offers a Glimpse of Freedom in a Lifetime of Punishment
The latest incarnation of the band composed of incarcerated people at Parchman prison toured the state and will release an album next year.
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Redemption Songs August 23
Two 17-Year-Olds in Custody Wrote a Love Song in an Arts Program. One Didn’t Survive.
The Radical Reversal program opens recording studios in youth correctional facilities. The work doesn’t come without heartbreak.
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Redemption Songs August 16
In the Early ’90s, the Lifers Group Tried to Warn Kids About the Perils of Prison
The incarcerated hip-hop group that emerged from the controversial ‘Scared Straight’ program set out to deglamorize the gangster rap of the moment.
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Redemption Songs August 9
The Young Men Rapping and Beatmaking From a Youth Lockup
On “No Ceilings,” a young Portland lyricist asks, “If I confess all my sins, would they hang me for it?”
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Redemption Songs August 2
An Iconic ‘90s Neo-Soul Record About Life After Lockup
Chico DeBarge’s “Iggin Me” mirrors his own struggle with incarceration and loss.
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Redemption Songs July 19
‘Music From the Big House’ Frees Blues, Soul and Gospel from the Walls of Angola Prison
Standouts include a version of Lead Belly’s hit “Midnight Special” led by filmmaker Rita Chiarelli and an incarcerated band.
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Redemption Songs July 12
An Opera Explores the Strain of Prison on a Marriage
In “9131,” incarcerated composer Joseph Wilson depicts a wife’s infidelity while her husband is up for parole.
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Redemption Songs July 5
A Timely Remix of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ Out of a New York Prison
The Capitol riots angered Sing Sing’s Alfred Roberts. He responded with his version of what is widely known as the Black national anthem.
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Redemption Songs June 28
With ‘Live on Death Row,’ Rapper Rrome Alone Condemns the Death Penalty
“Every life hinges on poverty, gender and race,” he declares in the 2024 song, “and the pay of the attorney defending your case.”
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