Noah’s Story
An inmate-orderly listens to a young man in the prison's mental health unit
As told to M2 Where do you want me to start? That my father was a raging alcoholic whose 10th grade education never allowed him … Continue reading
Life Inside
The Threat of the Virus
The fight with COVID in prison is not only physical but mental as well
By Will Dead three times. Blown up. Three plane crashes. Ninety-one firefights. Shot, stabbed, run over, 115 para jumps, hundreds of hand-to-hand encounters. Drowned. A … Continue reading
Writer’s Block
An award-winning writer struggles to explain himself to the parole board
By James I entered the criminal justice system 8,643 days ago. I was 17 years old. My crime shocked many, including myself. I was sentenced to … Continue reading
Hard Time
You think coronavirus quarantine is hard? Try it for real.
By Ted Point In Oregon, in the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, we are all locked down and quarantined. Being a prisoner, I know more … Continue reading
Diesel Therapy
Routine is comfort in prison, and the cops sometimes shake you up
by Ted Point “Smith,” the officer called, standing in front of cell a few doors down from mine, his voice somewhat muted in an attempt … Continue reading
Man Walking
Empathy for the prison guard
By James He makes his way down the third level of the narrow tier, walking slowly, his set of keys jangling at his sides. As … Continue reading
Lives in Crisis
A lifer works to save lives in an Oregon prison, which increasingly houses the mentally ill
In one Oregon prison, when a prisoner is experiencing a crisis, another prisoner may be called in to calm emotions. These crisis companions are on … Continue reading
Convicts and Cookies
The Lifers Club at Christmas
By Chris Six convicted killers locked in an industrial bakery storage room deep in a maximum-security prison are busy bagging up cookies. But their conversation … Continue reading
Married Behind Bars
To have but not to hold
You can get married twice a year, either on a Tuesday in April or a Tuesday in October. You can get married between eight and … Continue reading
A Good Week In Prison
The small things matter once you’re inside
By OMike A good week in prison? I know what you are thinking: That’s an oxymoron if you have ever heard one. To be honest, … Continue reading