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Prisons

Posted inCollege Inside

Pursuing a degree inside isn’t easy, but success is ‘so sweet’

By Charlotte WestFebruary 1, 2023February 1, 2023

How education on death row gave one prison journalist the tools to fight back against the system.

Posted inHigher Ed in Prisons

College on death row: “Y’all aren’t here to be rehabilitated.”

By Lyle C. MayFebruary 1, 2023February 1, 2023

Gaining a higher education is the ultimate act of resistance, writes Lyle C. May.

Posted inHigher Ed in Prisons

How an illicit cell phone helped me take college courses from prison

By Charlotte WestJanuary 20, 2023March 5, 2024

Cell phones in prisons are often seen as a threat to security, but they are also a lifeline to information and knowledge.

Cynthia Gonzalez is a producer at Inside Wire
Posted inCollege Inside

A look inside prison radio

By Charlotte WestJanuary 18, 2023January 18, 2023

Prison radio stations give people access to meaningful professional training and opportunities for creative expression.

Posted inCollege Inside

Reflections on a year of covering prison education

By Charlotte WestDecember 21, 2022December 21, 2022

Most of the people I’ve talked to who went to college inside have gotten an education in spite of prison, not because of prison. And there’s a great hunger for education inside.

Posted inCollege Inside

Takeaways from a prison education program’s demise

By Charlotte WestDecember 8, 2022January 5, 2023

Education inside can be delayed or ended altogether. The collateral consequences that go far beyond not finishing a degree. 

Posted inHigher Ed in Prisons

When a prison closed, dozens of college dreams died with it

By Charlotte WestDecember 6, 2022December 6, 2022

The story of the Washington state students shows just how fleeting even established programs can be. Access to higher education often comes down to a matter of geography — and luck.

Posted inHigher Ed in Prisons

First Person: How I parent my college son while in prison

By Ryan MoserNovember 17, 2022November 18, 2022

Parenting from behind bars is like an air traffic controller trying to fly a plane from the ground — you can relay information, but you miss the hands-on experience that matters most.

Posted inCollege Inside

Prison, rehabilitation, and wasted potential

By Charlotte WestNovember 3, 2022November 3, 2022

A Q&A with Bill Keller about his new book, as well as the latest on Pell Grants and loan forgiveness.

Posted inHigher Ed in Prisons

Q&A: Bill Keller on rehabilitation and the waste of human potential

By Charlotte WestNovember 2, 2022November 3, 2022

Bill Keller, founding editor of the Marshall Project, talks with national reporter Charlotte West about his new book, “What’s Prison For?”.

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