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Prison Life

Jeff Östberg for The Marshall Project
Sending Kites
How to Parent From Prison
Incarcerated people from around the country share their advice.
By and
Redemption Songs June 14
‘Forty-Four Hammers’ Is Part of a Rich History of Prison Work Songs
The call-and-response song was one of many that Black men sang as they toiled on Southern prison farms.
By
Redemption Songs June 7
The San Quentin Prison Album That Should Have Been a Classic
Ike White’s “Changin’ Times” spans soul, rock, pop and jazz. On its 50th anniversary, it’s finally getting its due.
By
Redemption Songs May 31
How Rapper G. Dep Went From Incarcerated to ‘Influential’
The Harlem MC explains how prison gave him the freedom to rap about more than material things.
By
Redemption Songs May 24
Meet One of the Most Prolific Artists From Prison Music’s Golden Age
Singer, songwriter, drummer and pianist Morgan White appeared on five albums inside Texas prisons. Outside, he said no to the music industry.
By
Redemption Songs May 17
The Incredible Story Behind The Escorts, a 1970s Soul Band Formed in Prison
A prison talent show, a former Motown producer and the promise that their album proceeds would go toward the costs of their incarceration.
By
Redemption Songs May 10
A Prison Lullaby for Mother’s Day
Krystal Lowe wrote and recorded this song for her 2-year-old in a Kansas prison. Instead of baby talk, she urges her daughter to know her worth.
By
A photo shows a White woman with blond hair holding her baby and pressing her face to the baby’s head inside a prison dorm room. The baby is in a pink onesie, and there are baby clothes and other supplies around the room.
The Frame May 8
Raising Innocence
An Indiana Women’s Prison unit gives incarcerated people a place to raise their newborns on the inside, rather than forcing them to give their babies up after birth.
By Maddie Mcgarvey
An illustration shows the head and shoulders of Kwaneta Harris, a Black woman with long hair. She is wearing a white shirt, and several images surround her. Clockwise from the bottom left are: a child on the phone, some pink flowers, a flower with petals made of newspaper articles and letters, another young person on the phone, and a window with a white lace curtain. Birds are visible through the window. The background of the illustration is peach-colored.
Life Inside May 8
For This Mom in Prison, Mother’s Day Is a Blessing and a Curse
Kwaneta Harris has missed every single Mother’s Day with her 19-year-old. That means walking on eggshells, icy politeness and the occasional mom joke.
By Kwaneta Harris
Redemption Songs May 3
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
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