Topic Incarceration Reporting Initiative
When Mwalimu Shakur started associating with political radicals inside California prisons in the 1990s, he was classified as a “gang” member and held in solitary for 14 straight years. Now out of solitary, but still behind bars in Corcoran, he tells his story.
Monte Magic Mckay considers himself lucky to have been placed at Camp Kilpatrick instead of a juvenile detention hall — but safe rehabilitation shouldn’t depend on luck.
Soon, it will be harder to be jailed for the “crime” of being poor.
Kent Mendoza’s story saved his life. Now he is fighting to do the same for youth impacted by the LA County criminal justice system.
Incarcerated writer Timothy James Young says it’s time for Governor Newsom to live up to his word and abolish the death penalty.
With SB 94, California lawmakers have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people behind bars. It is time to reconsider our LWOP laws.
Outdated facilities, and mismanagement, are already putting incarcerated people at risk. As the climate warms, the safety risks increase.
In his first column for Knock LA, from Corcoran State Prison, Mwalimu Shakur (AKA Ajamu) describes the challenges of keeping in touch and the vital work of political education.
Read Jose Armendariz's account of being incarcerated in Orange County jail, where suicides are rampant and treatment is sparse.