Miami, May 9, 2025 – The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and Prison Journalism Project (PJP) proudly announce the winners of the second annual Stillwater Awards.
The Stillwater Awards celebrates journalistic excellence spotlighting the important work of incarcerated writers whose stories shed light on life inside and challenge the public’s understanding of the prison legal system. Named after the first prison to publish a newspaper – the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater – the awards mark a joint effort between SPJ and PJP, a national, non-profit organization that trains and publishes the work of incarcerated writers.
The results were presented on Thursday in a virtual ceremony hosted by Michael Anguille, Stillwater Awards’ executive director, and JoyBelle Phelan, PJP’s writer relations manager.
“Last night’s Stillwater Awards ceremony was a powerful reminder of the courage and talent of incarcerated writers reporting on life behind bars,” said Anguille. “We are honored to celebrate the achievements of these groundbreaking journalists.”
The event featured messages sent in by the winners, and was attended by many of their family members and friends. The awards were judged by an independent panel of educators, professional journalists and lawyers, who gathered weekly to review submissions and select the top three winners in each category. All finalists, regardless of placement, were recognized for their exceptional contributions with certificates and personalized feedback from the judging panel. First place winners were also awarded with free SPJ memberships, to further support their development in the field.
2025 STILLWATER AWARD WINNERS
Prison Publication of the Year
- First: The Endeavor at Everglades Correctional Institution (Fla.)
- Second: Daughters at SCI-Muncy (Pa.)
- Third: San Quentin News at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (Calif.)
New Prison Publication
- Second: CCWF Paper Trail at Central California Women’s Facility (Calif.)
- Third: The Mabel Bassett Balance at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center (Okla.)
Prison Journalist of the Year
- First: Kwaneta Harris (Tex.)
- Second: KC Johnson (N.C.)
- Third: Steve Brooks (Calif.)
Best Collaboration
- First: Christopher Blackwell (Wash.) and Sarah Sax (N.Y.) for “Decarceration is the best way prisons can adapt to climate change,” published by Prism
- Second: Kwaneta Harris, Xandan Gulley, Marissa Potts and Lanae Tipton (Tex.) for “Cooked in custody: Four incarcerated people describe dangerous conditions in Texas state prisons,” published by Prism
- Third: Stevie Wilson (Pa.), David Webb (Md.), and Paula Grieve (Fla.) for “Lifeline, Cash-Grab, Tool for Censorship: Three Incarcerated Readers on eBooks in Prison,” published by Literary Hub
Best Reported Essay
- First: Phillip Vance Smith II (N.C.) for “Uprooting Violence,” published by Inquest
- Second: Tony Cobb (Fla.) for “Overheating the Forgotten,” published by Shado
- Third: Xandan Gulley (Tex.) for “The horrific reality of transgender individuals in Texas prisons,” published by Advocate
Best News
- First: Tony Vick (Tenn.) for “CoreCivic Manages Our Prison, and Tries Not to Manage Our Medical Care,” published by Filter
- Second: Steve Brooks (Calif.) for “As many Californians fled potential tsunami, San Quentin inmates weren’t able to prepare,” published by Bay City News
- Third: Gregory Marcinski (N.Y.) for “When the Head of US Federal Prisons Visited, We Showed Her Tomatoes, Guitars and Skepticism,” published by Prison Journalism Project
Best Feature
- First: Leo Cardez (Ill.) for “The Colonel’s Box,” published by SURFACE
- Second: Phillip Luna (Ore.) for “A White Supremacist Renounces Racism in an Oregon Prison,” published by Prison Journalism Project
- Third: KC Johnson (N.C.) for “What It Was Like When Hurricane Helene Hit Our Prison,” published by Prison Journalism Project
Best Op-Ed
- First: Kwaneta Harris (Tex.) for “Menopause in a Prison Cell,” published by In These Times
- Second: Carla J. Simmons (Ga.) for “Food Insecurity in Prison Makes People Like Me Vulnerable to Labor Exploitation,” published by Truthout
- Third: Sara G. Kielly (N.Y.) for “How New York’s Maximum-Security Women’s Prison Has Failed to HALT Solitary Confinement,” published by NY Focus
Best Illustration
- First: Juan Hernandez (Ill.) for an illustration in Open Campus’ College Inside
- Second: Anthony Ehlers (Ill.) for a cover illustration in Northwestern Insider
- Third: Alex Althausen (Wash.) for a cover illustration in The Elephant in the Room, the magazine of MCC-Sky River Treatment Center
ABOUT SOCIETY FOR PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS
SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. For more information visit: https://www.spj.org/
ABOUT PRISON JOURNALISM PROJECT
Prison Journalism Project (PJP) trains and publishes incarcerated writers so they can share impactful stories, shed light on the U.S. prison system, and shift the narrative about life behind bars. We aim to develop leaders who can challenge stereotypes and influence broader conversations about incarceration while also gaining workforce readiness skills. Sign up for PJP’s newsletter, The Inside Story, at: prisonjournalismproject.org/newsletter/.
Press Contact:
Michael Anguille
Executive Director, SPJ-PJP Stillwater Awards
561-667-7346
stillwater.awards@gmail.com