We asked this year’s Stillwater winners to discuss the inspiration behind their stories and the determination required to practice journalism in prison. Here is what they had to say about their road to the awards.

7 Stories on Being a Journalist in Prison

From the fantastic @prisonjournalism.bsky.social weekly e-newsletter this week.

Every May 3, World Press Freedom Day is a reminder to honor journalists who work under repressive conditions, including censorship, surveillance and the threat of retaliation. mailchi.mp/prisonjourna...

Thrilled that this gorgeous reported essay I edited, by a fellow journalist who is currently incarcerated, won this award for best feature. True story: To fact-check direct quotes, Robert sent me copies of the notes he took while in prison. And his own case file and lawyers were helpful resources.

"Prison is a disparaging and heartbreaking place. Mentally, you’re trying to do anything to get away from that. You’re looking for a way to comfort yourself. That’s what art was for me." Artist LaVander Williams on the power of artmaking in prison.

Stanley Richards, New York City’s new Department of Correction commissioner, knows how traumatizing Rikers Island can be. He was once incarcerated there. Now, he is the first formerly incarcerated person to oversee Rikers and the city’s jails. apnews.com/article/nyc-...

"In prison, we often must adapt to abnormal conditions, including seeing distorted versions of ourselves. After I finished my morning routine, I considered whether there were any documented psychological effects of us not seeing ourselves for long periods of time."

7 Stories on Being a Journalist in Prison

With skewed images looking back at the women in this Florida prison, the truth gets softened.

Last words of James Broadnax, who was executed tonight in Texas

“It was so hot, I felt like I was going to puke and pass out. My heart rate was 155. They put me on blood pressure medication called metoprolol, which needs to be taken when the body is normal temperature; if taken in extreme heat, it makes my condition worse.”

My Prison Doesn’t Have Heat Protocols

With skewed images looking back at the women in this Florida prison, the truth gets softened.

The Stillwater Awards, announced Tuesday, celebrate journalism that chronicles the full complexity of people in prison. We asked PJP writers to discuss the inspiration behind their award-winning stories and the determination required to practice journalism in prison.

Check the thread for an entire list of must reads you might’ve missed

Thank you to the @prisonjournalism.bsky.social and @spj-posts.bsky.social for this honor.

Such a well-deserved award for journalist Phillip Smith, who is reporting while incarcerated in North Carolina. He wrote 4 stories for @boltsmag.org in 2025, you may recall. One was how NC is rising the price of commissary items, pricing people out of basic goods: boltsmag.org/north-caroli...

The Stillwater Awards, announced Tuesday, celebrate journalism that chronicles the full complexity of people in prison. We asked PJP writers to discuss the inspiration behind their award-winning stories and the determination required to practice journalism in prison.

Thrilled and grateful that Robert Lee Williams's Inquest essay "A Lethal Upbringing" has won this year's Stillwater Award for Best Feature. Congratulations to Williams, and to all of the other winners and finalists!

We also send our hearty congratulations to Inquest author @phillipvancesmith2.bsky.social for winning this year's Stillwater Award for Prison Journalist of the Year! You can read Phill's thoughts on the importance of prison journalism here: inquest.org/what-is-the-...

🧵 Congratulations to all of the EA writers who won Stillwater Awards from @prisonjournalism.bsky.social and @spj-posts.bsky.social tonight! Prison journalism is essential to a free, thriving, independent press, and we are glad these writers were rightfully honored:

Attending the virtual Stillwater Awards, honoring incarcerated journalists. It's a beautiful event, and it's especially moving to see Rejon Taylor, once under a federal death sentence, recognized for this extraordinary, gutting essay. Congrats to Rejon & @solitarywatch.bsky.social. So well deserved.

Tonight, the third annual Stillwater Awards ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Pacific and 8 p.m. Eastern. These awards recognize the best in journalism from the inside, honoring work across categories including Best Op-Ed and Prison Journalist of the Year, among others. See you soon!

"Some incarcerated people cope with this environment better than others. For me, keeping a daily routine, attending groups like Criminals and Gangmembers Anonymous, pursuing higher education, practicing meditation and working out all help alleviate the madness."

“It was so hot, I felt like I was going to puke and pass out. My heart rate was 155. They put me on blood pressure medication called metoprolol, which needs to be taken when the body is normal temperature; if taken in extreme heat, it makes my condition worse.”

Three times a month, Eugene wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to make the long walk past death row to a building in the far corner of Union Correctional Institution’s compound in northeast Florida.

"If Love Could Kill" Examines Myths and Stereotypes About Women’s

"I had no idea where this mirror had come from or who had brought it into the sink area. I thought: How long will it be before this magnificent looking glass gets shattered, or just unmounted and carried away," writes Destry.

PJP is an independent national nonprofit initiative that trains incarcerated writers in the tools of journalism and publishes their stories. You can sign up for our newsletter below ⤵️

Thanks in large part to longer prison sentences and decreasing rates of parole, the number of incarcerated people 55 and older has climbed from 48,000 to 154,000 over the last two decades.

1% of the American adult population is locked up. Close to 2 million people total, including juveniles. For scale: ~3.6 million babies are born in the U.S. each year. Prison Journalism is worth reading.

"I had no idea where this mirror had come from or who had brought it into the sink area. I thought: How long will it be before this magnificent looking glass gets shattered, or just unmounted and carried away," writes Destry.

The seventh edition of Unlocked, our exclusive members-only newsletter, went out today! Check your inbox if you're a donor.

A formerly incarcerated writer argues that, as long as prisons exist, they should reduce their environmental impact.

Examining Myths and Stereotypes About Women’s Violence

What Extreme Heat Is Like in U.S. Prisons

“The younger guys here like to harmlessly joke about my gray beard. I always shoot back that it’s “platinum,” which amuses them. But this was the first time I saw what they saw. In the clear mirror, I liked my platinum mustache and beard.”

The metal mirrors that Alabama prisons use distort our faces. When a glass one suddenly appeared, I truly saw myself for the first time in 26 years.

Why I Make Burial Urns From Prison for Veterans.

The seventh edition of Unlocked, our exclusive members-only newsletter, went out today! Check your inbox if you're a donor.

What Extreme Heat Is Like in U.S. Prisons

Examining Myths and Stereotypes About Women’s Violence

A Prison Fitness Plan to Give You the Body You Want

How to Find Zen in a Prison Routine

Join us to honor the best stories and courageous journalists behind prison walls from at the Stillwater Awards! RSVP for an inspiring virtual ceremony where we’ll announce the winners, share their messages, and celebrate alongside many of their family members and friends.

A formerly incarcerated writer argues that, as long as prisons exist, they should reduce their environmental impact.

Bullies and Conmen: The Predators Who Target Gay Men in Prison

A Brooklyn exhibition in collaboration with Mariame Kaba features paintings about prisons, incarceration, and abolition.