What It’s Like to Experience the U.S. Election From Prison

We Can’t Vote on Politicians’ Promises or Policies—Even Though They Will Shape Nearly Every Aspect of Our Realities

In a small conference room nestled inside a secure red-brick building, I met with 11 fellow staff members of the Nash News, a prison newspaper in North Carolina. It was late March, and we were huddled over folding tables to discuss a novel idea: hosting a mock election for Nash Correctional’s 900 medium-custody prisoners.

Cris, the paper’s graphic designer, suggested it. “Maybe we can learn how our choices compare with society’s,” he said, smiling. “It’ll make a helluva story, too.”

A news story felt secondary, I thought, but a mock election would …

Prison Time Can Be Your Superpower in Business

I’m Formerly Incarcerated, and I Help People Reentering the Job Market Understand the Value of Their Experiences Inside

This piece publishes as part of the Zócalo/The James Irvine Foundation public program and editorial series, “What Is a Good Job Now?” which investigates …

Our Favorite Essays of 2023 | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Our Favorite Essays of 2023

In the Boxing Ring. At a Parking Lot. Through Prison Glass. These Stories Captured the Sights, Sounds, and Heart of the Year

South Africans got it right when they made “kuning,” the isiZulu word that roughly translates to “it’s a lot,” one of the defining words of 2023.

It was a lot this …

| Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Our Favorite Public Programs of 2022

This Year on the Zócalo Stage, Our Panelists Shared Some Jabs, Gave Voice to Resistance, and Reimagined Home

This year on the Zócalo stage, panelists dared us to reimagine home. Showed us that we can build a better America. Reminded us that incarceration is big business. Demonstrated what …

How the Pandemic Changed My Time in Prison | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

How the Pandemic Changed My Time in Prison

An Inmate Reflects on Nearly Three Years of Shifting Health Protocols and Halted Rehabilitation Efforts

Intense debates about the role of government interventions in public health became the norm during the pandemic. When do the benefits of prevention and containment policies aimed at stopping COVID’s …