Ricardo Cortés oral history interview, 2021 July 20 Ricardo Cortés discusses how his art practice as an illustrator and author has shaped his view of criminal justice reform. He shares insights into his experience with residency at Rikers Island, in Queens, NY, and his subsequent encounters with centers of incarceration. Read more…
Jane oral history interview, 2021 July 15 Jane describes her struggles in visiting and sending books to her incarcerated niece, in addition to detailing her niece’s experiences with personal safety, community, and employment as a lifer in a women’s prison in Pennsylvania. She also discusses her friend’s rehabilitation and court Read more…
Victoria oral history interview, 2021 July 13 Victoria shares how her personal experience with the carceral system shapes her writing and activist work. She describes her publications about resistance and organizing in women’s prisons and how her research connected her to producing a zine written and illustrated by incarcerated women.
Haley oral history interview, 2021 July 12 Haley McKee discusses her transition from spending nineteen and a half months in incarceration and three years in home confinement to becoming a lobbyist and political organizer. She mentions how difficult it was to maintain her relationships with her former partner and son Read more…
Theodore oral history interview, 2021 July 12 Theodore shares his experiences working with Prison Visitation Services. He discusses his visits to federal prisons in New Jersey, including the nature of his conversations and relationships with the incarcerated individuals whom he meets there.
Joe oral history interview, 2021 July 11 A formerly incarcerated individual describes how he served many years in federal prison because of a drug-related offense. He missed out on seeing his children grow up and now advocates for reform within the prison system. Transcript
Beth oral history interview, 2021 July 08 Beth spoke about the irony of the title ‘Justice System’ as people under said system are treated anything but justly. She elaborated on the tribulations of her brother’s imprisonment; from the initial shock of the harsh sentencing, to the pains of having a Read more…
Anonymous (06) oral history interview, 2021 June 18 The interviewee spoke on their experiences as a mental health provider in a reentry program that coordinates with a women’s prison. The participant reflects on how their clients’ sought a space to speak on mental health. The participant observed that incarcerated people Read more…