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Redemption Songs April 26
Live From Tennessee State Prison, a Rollicking Version of a Country Gem
Sonny James’ 1977 cover of “In the Jailhouse Now” was part of an innovative collaboration with incarcerated musicians, stagehands and photographers.
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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.
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Redemption Songs April 5
Police Used Mac Dre’s Music Against Him. In Jail, He Used the Phone to Get Revenge.
In his signature trickster style, the Vallejo, California, rapper recorded an album on jail phones — and even called out cops by name.
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Young Thug, a Black rapper wearing a white shirt and striped pants, holds a mic as he performs in a crowd during a concert.
Closing Argument March 28
His Rap Lyrics Helped Send Him to Death Row. Travis Scott and T.I. Are Trying to Stop His Execution.
The rappers argue that James Broadnax’s case exemplifies a larger problem in American courtrooms: The use of rap lyrics as evidence.
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Redemption Songs March 22
B. Alexis Is the First Woman to Drop an Album From Prison. But We Can’t Say Her Real Name.
She fearlessly raps about traumas like being trafficked at 13. But she’s so scared of institutional retaliation, she’s concealing her identity.
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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.
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Chris Hansen, the host of “Crime Watch Daily.”
Q&A January 22, 2017
The Return of ‘To Catch a Predator’
Talking to Chris Hansen as he revives his trademark stings.
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Life Inside June 23, 2016
I Made a Rap Video in Prison
And it got a million clicks.
By Desmond Metcalf as told to
This image featuring Benny Medina (drums) appears on the back of the 1972 album “Behind the Walls.” Music featured on the record was written and performed by inmates housed for a system-wide contest organized by the Texas Department of Corrections.
Looking Back May 30, 2016
The Real Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Had a Father in Prison
And he played drums in a prison band.
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Six years after being paroled for murders he committed in 1976, Rick Stevens will return to prison, this time as a performer.
Q&A May 11, 2016
Tower of Power Star to Funkifize a California Prison
Rick Stevens on his three decades locked up and his return to performing.
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