On March 24, 1800, the first issues of Forlorn Hope rolled off the presses and into the hands of eager readers at a New York City debtors’ prison. Though its incarcerated staff initially sought to use Forlorn Hope to advocate for debtor emancipation, the paper’s purview soon expanded. Across its spirited pages, readers could find articles on issues as varied as temperance, slavery and capital punishment.
Forlorn Hope shuttered after only six months. But the publication has had a lasting legacy as the first in a long line of U.S. prison newspapers. Since the 19th century, incarcerated journalists have founded hundreds of prison publications in U.S. jails and prisons. Collectively known as the prison press, they have ranged from upstart mimeographed newsletters to established gazettes with organized staffs and outside support.
The goals of the prison press have shifted over time and geography. Some publications are inward facing, intended primarily for incarcerated audiences. Others seek to spur activism among outside readers. Yet nearly all prison newspapers have aimed to inform, entertain and educate their readers and prison staff alike.
Indeed, there are notable examples of the prison press succeeding in this regard. The San Quentin News (San Quentin State Prison, California) has boasted a 0% recidivism rate among its incarcerated staff since 2008. One publication, The Prison Mirror (Minnesota Correctional Facility, Stillwater), has been around since 1887. And it was articles in Louisiana State Penetentiary’s The Angolite that led the state to ditch the electric chair in 1990.
But the prison press has not been without its challenges. Prison publications often maintain a tenuous relationship with prison administrations, who may seek to use them as a mouthpiece. Court decisions limiting incarcerated free speech narrowed the scope of their coverage. And budgetary constraints as the U.S. prison population ballooned sunsetted many stalwart publications. From a time when nearly half of prions had a publication in 1935, only six remained by 1998.
Amid continued threats to the prison press due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prison Journalism Project launched the Prison Newspaper Project to preserve and amplify a remarkable part of the U.S. journalism tradition. Our centerpiece resource, the prison newspaper directory, is an active list of currently operational prison publications.
In order to be listed, publications must offer information that is thoughtful, useful and obtained from reliable sources. PJP has obtained copies of each publication listed or has otherwise verified their existence through public reporting. We also maintain correspondence with their incarcerated staffs.
We update the prison newspaper directory once a year. If you have information about other newspapers or magazines that belong on this list, please reach out to us at pjp+learning@prisonjournalismproject.org.
Spotlighting prison newspapers is central to our mission of training incarcerated journalists and amplifying their stories. As we continue to develop the Prison Newspaper Project, take note of the efforts of prison press staffs across the country to strengthen their communities through journalism.
Most of all, prison newspapers provide an invaluable archive of the murky world behind bars — one which, through combined effort, is beginning to be revived.
— Max Grinstein, Prison Newspaper Project editor
Prison Newspaper Directory
Prison Journalism Project’s prison newspaper directory is an active list of 21 operational prison publications across 12 states as of August 2024. We review our directory annually.
The total number of included publications is down since we last updated this page in early 2023, due largely to our revamped standards that require more consistent contact with each publication. Anecdotally, we are contacted frequently by people who want to start publications in their facilities, leading us to believe that there is an increase in interest rather than a decline. We also have been told of the existence of some publications, but we did not include them because we were unable to confirm that they are active.
It is also important to note that this directory represents PJP’s best effort to keep track of active publications. It is almost certainly incomplete, given the closed nature of prisons and that most prison publications are not distributed outside of their facilities.
In order to be included, a publication must be produced predominantly by incarcerated individuals (even if it is under a corrections department’s supervision). Additionally, we require publications to have existed for at least a year or to be supported by an outside organization, prison administration or with an organizational structure that suggests their long-term viability. Publications must have a circulation of at least 100 to be included.
Prison Journalism Project has obtained copies of each publication listed below or otherwise verified their existence through publicly available reporting in reputable sources. Entries are organized by state and then alphabetically. Whenever possible, we’ve provided contact information and links to online issues or digital archives.Take note of special information listed with each publication, including opportunities to volunteer and to subscribe as an outside reader. Know of a publication that should be included? Interested in learning more? Please reach out to us at pjp@prisonjournalismproject.org.
Federal
Publication: ATLian
Publisher: United States Penitentiary, Atlanta
Format: Newsmagazine
Contact: Page@ATLCommunitySupport.org
California
Publication: San Quentin News
Publisher: San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
Format: Newspaper
Issues in 2023: 12
Circulation: 35,000
Contact: Contact The San Quentin News here.
Subscription: Subscribe here.
Website: Read The San Quentin News here.
Publication: “Wall City” Magazine
Publisher: San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
Format: Newsmagazine
Issues in 2023: 2
Contact: Contact Wall City via The San Quentin News here.
Website: Read Wall City here.
Publication: The Side Bar
Publisher: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 10
Circulation: 200
Contact:
Daniel X. Cohen, AZ8422
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
480 Alta Road
San Diego, CA 92719
Subscription: Contact Daniel X. Cohen to be added to The Side Bar’s subscription list.
Publication: Mule Creek Post
Publisher: Mule Creek State Prison
Format: Newspaper
Issues in 2023: 13
Circulation: 2,250 (and appears on all California prison tablets)
Contact: jesse.iniguez@cdcr.ca.gov
Website: Read The Mule Creek Post here.
Publication: Echo Extra
Publisher: California Health Care Facility, Stockton
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 12
Contact:
Marvin Goldston, T07388
California Health Care Facility, Stockton
P.O. Box 213040
Stockton, CA 95213
Florida
Publication: The Endeavor
Publisher: Everglades Correctional Institution
Format: Newsmagazine
Issues in 2023: 10
Circulation: 150-200
Contact:
Everglades Correctional Institution
Attn: Ms. T. Rada, The Endeavor
1599 SW 187th Ave.
Miami, FL 33194-2801
Publication: The Insider
Publisher: Homestead Correctional Institution
Format: Newspaper
Contact:
Brittany Miles, R74399
P.O. Box 23608
Tampa, FL 33623
Illinois
Publication: Kewanee Horizons
Publisher: Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 50
Contact: DOC.KewaneeHorizons@Illinois.gov
Website: Read Kewanee Horizons here.
Publication: Stateville Speaks
Publisher: Statewide
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 2
Circulation: 2,500
Contact: info@statevillespeaks.org
Publication: Two Roads E-Zine
Publisher: Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 6
Contact: DOC.tworoads@Illinois.gov
Website: Read Two Roads E-Zine here.
Louisiana
Publication: The Angolite
Publisher: Louisiana State Penitentiary
Format: Newsmagazine
Contact:
The Angolite
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712
Subscription: To be added to The Angolite’s subscription list, send a $30 check to:
The Angolite
c/o Cashier’s Office
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712
Minnesota
Publication: The Prison Mirror
Publisher: Minnesota Correctional Facility, Stillwater
Format: Newspaper
Issues in 2023: 6
Circulation: 2,100
Contact:
The Prison Mirror
970 Pickett Street
North Bayport, MN 55003
Subscription: Mail a check or money order for $24 to be added to The Prison Mirror’s subscription list.
Publication: Gold Rush Chronicle
Publisher: Minnesota Correctional Facility, Rush City
Format: Newspaper
Issues in 2023: 2
Contact:
MCF-RC GRC – Education Department
7600 525th St.
Rush City, MN 55069
New Jersey
Publication: Perception Reimagined
Publisher: Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 2
Circulation: 400
Contact:
Tina Lunney 377699E
P.O. Box 4004
Clinton, NJ 08809
Website: Read a previous issue here.
Oklahoma
Publication: The Warrior Standard
Publisher: Eddie Warrior Correctional Center
Format: Newspaper
Circulation: 1,000
Contact:
Attn: The Warrior Standard
Poetic Justice
P.O. Box 4117
Tulsa, OK 74159
Website: www.poeticjustice.org/prison-journalism
Publication: The Mabel Bassett Balance
Publisher: Mabel Bassett Correctional Center
Format: Newspaper
Circulation: 1,000
Contact:
Attn: The Mabel Bassett Balance
Poetic Justice
P.O. Box 4117
Tulsa, OK 74159
Website: www.poeticjustice.org/prison-journalism
Pennsylvania
Publication: Veterans Voice
Publisher: SCI Mercer Veterans Service Unit
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 4
Contact:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Jeffery Shockley, ES4796
State Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
South Carolina
Publication: The MAC Newsletter
Publisher: MacDougall Correctional Institution
Format: Newsletter
Issues in 2023: 4
Contact:
Gary Farlow, 00222136
MacDougall Correctional Institution H-A6-B
1516 Old Gilliard Road
Ridgeville, SC 29472
Subscription: Contact Gary Farlow to be added to The Mac Newsletter’s subscription list.
Texas
Publication: The Echo
Publisher: Statewide
Format: Newsmagazine
Issues in 2023: 10
Circulation: 120,000 digital, 73,500 print
Contact: Bambi.Kiser@wsdtx.org
The Echo
c/o Windham Admin. Building
P.O. Box 40
Huntsville, TX 77342
Website: Read The Echo here.
Subscription: Mail a $12 money order or personal check made out to The Echo/Windham School District to be added to The Echo’s subscription list.
Washington
Publication: The Elephant in the Room
Publisher: Monroe Correctional Complex
Format: Newsmagazine
Issues in 2023: 3
Circulation: 250
Contact:
Louis Chen, 392686
Monroe Correctional Complex, SRTC
P.O. Box 514
Monroe, WA 98272
