The Supreme Court's Thornburgh v. Abbott decision examined federal prison rules governing incoming publications. Courts may defer to legitimate correctional security concerns, but a restriction must still be ev

In Helling v. McKinney, the Supreme Court addressed whether an incarcerated person could challenge involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke before developing a particular illness. The Court allowed a

In September 2026 the Federal Register published notice of an FCC information collection concerning incarcerated people's communications services. The notice cites the Martha Wright-Reed Act and a November 2025 commission order ad

Tennessee incarcerated writer Alex Friedmann proposes expanding regulated tattoo training, citing programs in Delaware, Minnesota and Missouri. His Prison Journalism Project essay argues that sanctioned training could reduce some

Incarcerated writer Angelo Sedillo describes his aunt paying a $5.95 service fee to transfer $50. His Prison Journalism Project essay asks whether legal creative work and entrepreneurship can help incarcerated people depend less o

In Thornburgh v. Abbott, the Supreme Court addressed Federal Bureau of Prisons rules permitting officials to reject certain incoming publications based on security and institutional order. The Court applied a deferential reasonableness stan

Federal law allows eligible people to ask a court to proceed without prepayment of fees, often called in forma pauperis. For many prison civil actions, 28 U.S.C. § 1915 requires the incarcerated filer to submit a certified account statement

Writing from New Jersey, Derek Jason LeCompte describes a cellmate exhibiting alarming symptoms after suspected K2 use. His Prison Journalism Project opinion describes the substance as a major safety problem. It is a firsthand narrative, no

The Prison Policy Initiative's August 2025 Youth Confinement report found that the number of confined youth declined by more than 70 percent over about 25 years, to around 31,900 in its 2023 snapshot. That total brings togeth

Prison Policy Initiative's Parole in Perspective compares the procedures of 35 states with discretionary parole. Board membership, hearing formats, grant rates and decision standards differ widely. The study warns that discus