Investigative Journalism

John Oliver’s take on U.S. Prisons

How This ‘Out and Proud Trans Woman’ Navigates Missouri Men’s Prisons March 27, 2026
“Although there are still instances of transphobia, I no longer let it break me down,” writes Lexie Handlang. “I feel sorry for those people.”
B. Alexis Is the First Woman to Drop an Album From Prison. But We Can’t Say Her Real Name. March 22, 2026
She fearlessly raps about traumas like being trafficked at 13. But she’s so scared of institutional retaliation, she’s concealing her identity.
Mercy or Money: How to Grapple With a Rapidly Aging Prison Population March 21, 2026
Research shows people often “age out” of crime, and health care costs are ballooning. But still, many states oppose releasing elderly prisoners.

In federal prisons, the grievance system is designed to reject nearly all complaints about medical care
Added In federal prisons, the grievance system is designed to reject nearly all complaints about medical care to the Prison Policy Blog. We analyzed data about formal complaints made by incarcerated people regarding medical care in federal prisons and can only conclude that grievance systems are designed to thwart nearly every one.
New Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie report shows effects of Trump's immigrant detention campaign on incarceration numbers
Added New Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie report shows effects of Trump's immigrant detention campaign on incarceration numbers to the Prison Policy Blog. The increase in the number of people behind bars since last year's report is almost entirely attributable to immigration enforcement.
Bad Omens: Reform rollbacks in Washington D.C. are a warning sign for state-level advocates
Added Bad Omens: Reform rollbacks in Washington D.C. are a warning sign for state-level advocates to the Prison Policy Blog. Bills in Congress that repeal bail reform, worsen mandatory minimums, and further criminalize youth threaten to undo decades of criminal legal system reform in D.C.

Except where otherwise noted, this site by Shenique S. Davis is distributed under the following license: Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC).

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BMCC’s OpenLab is an online platform where the College’s students, faculty and staff can come together to learn, work, play and share ideas.

Help | Contact the OpenLab | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Credits Please use the above links if you need more help in using the OpenLab.

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