Free Phone Calls for California Prisoners
By Bev Abbad As of January 1, 2023, phone calls from California prisoners are free. The Keep…
Commentary: Writing without Teachers
By Brian Warner Maybe you want to be a writer but don’t know where to begin. You’re…
Black History Month
By Fredrick Dew Black History Month was established in 1976. This celebration of Blacks throughout history started…
Rehabilitation through Writing: Prisoner Writers Find Redemption
By D. Razor Babb Jay Figueroa came to prison on a 90-day observation after being arrested for…
No Fuss, Even Though It Is Your Stuff
by Frederick Dew On some yards, it happens annually. In some prisons, it is done monthly. By…
Commentary: Is the MAT Program Achieving Its Goal in the California Prison System?
By Ruby Escamilla On a daily basis I witness the Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) program operate within…
Commentary: Causes of Crime
By Bev Abbad Root causes of crime are well documented and researched. Crime is primarily the outcome…
Commentary: The Insecurity of the Secured
By D. Razor Babb We’re locked down, again. This time for some phantom electrical issue that’s supposed…
Squander 101: A Required Corrections Officer Academy Class
By Bryce Canyon My Introduction to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prison system followed…
Commentary: County Erections
By John L. Orr I find little to laugh about in jail, but occasionally a character joins…
Commentary: The Long Walk Home – The Path of the Unforgiven
By Ricky Ortega As I was on trial for murder, the bereaved mother of my victim entered…
Commentary: Are Early Releases Really the Problem?
By Delbert D. Williams “A suspect arrived in connection with [April’s] mass shooting outside bars in Sacramento…
Commentary: The Long Walk Home – Where Windows Cry
By Ricky Ortega Life without parole; free falling into the black hole of prison life. It’s where…
Commentary: The Long Walk Home, Shadows of Our Past
By Ricky Ortega Sentenced to life without parole, I was given a one-way ticket to Folsom prison….
Commentary: Shoot/Don’t Shoot – Police Use of Force Tactics
By John L. Orr Black Lives Matter. Hands up-Don’t Shoot. For the past several years, these slogans…
CDCR Secretary Visits Prison Newspaper
By Christopher Bryson California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Kathleen Allison visited Mule Creek State Prison…
Inmate Pay Scale Raises…None in 40 Years
By John L. Orr If you spent over 40 long years at the same tedious job, and…
Clinical Social Workers Overworked-Underpaided in California Prisons
By D. Razor Babb Licensed clinical social workers provide a valuable and integral service to the…
Incarcerated Man Details Abuse by Officials at CDCR
by David Carino I am 33 years old and currently housed at California Medical Facility because of…
Suboxone – An Up-Close Look at the Biggest Legal Narcotic in California’s Prisons, Part II
By JC Grant Compstat is CDCR’s official packaging of statistical data. Month to month numbers including everything…