incarceration

Politics & Government

NC to invest $6.5M in jail diversion and re-entry programs in counties hit by Helene

2:22pm April 15, 2025

State officials say more than half of people in North Carolina prisons have mental health conditions, and three-quarters live with substance use disorders. The new initiative aims to help those at risk connect with care.

National

'Cheat Code to Life': Jailhouse lawyers help incarcerated people — and themselves, too

5:10am October 16, 2024

A new trove of letters and oral histories is shining a light on the successes and challenges of jailhouse lawyers: people in prison who help themselves and others navigate the legal system.

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A person standing near Times Square in New York City wears a virtual reality headset screening an immersive experience of the conditions at Venezuela's El Helicoide prison, on Sept. 19, 2023. Protesters gathered to demand the release of political prisoners and the closure of the detention center over allegations of torture.

World News

Virtual reality offers a chilling 3D look inside Venezuela's spiraling prison

6:00am March 23, 2024

by John Otis

A former Venezuelan political prisoner got the idea to create a virtual reality tour from the Anne Frank museum.

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Many states have introduced tablets into prisons, allowing users to do things like listen to music and send messages. Several incarcerated people told NPR that while the devices aren't perfect, the ability to stream music has been a game-changer.

People in prison explain what music means to them — and how they access it

1:25pm January 03, 2024

Three people incarcerated at prisons across the U.S. spoke to NPR's Morning Edition about how music helps them reconnect with the past, endure the present and envision the future.

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A boy uses a video screen to talk with his mother, who was held at the Campbell County Jail in Jacksboro, Tenn.

National

Jails are embracing video-only visits, but some experts say screens aren't enough

5:02am December 20, 2023

by Martin Kaste

Since the pandemic, many jails have moved to video systems as the only way to visit incarcerated loved ones. A new movement seeks to restore in-person visits

These Rwandan women were imprisoned for having abortions, before they were pardoned and released in 2019. From left: Nyiramahirwe Epiphanie, 26, was sentenced to 15 years. Akingeneye Theopiste was sentenced to 10 years. Akimanizanye Florentine was sentenced to 10 years. Mushimiyimana Anjerike, 29, served more than five years for inducing an abortion using pills she says she bought at a pharmacy.

Health & Safety

These Rwandan women were sent to jail for having an abortion. Now free, they speak out

12:07pm September 03, 2023

by Sarah McCammon

They were sentenced for up to 10 years for violating anti-abortion laws. Some say their pregnancy was a result of rape. Rwanda has now liberalized its abortion laws and pardoned hundreds of the women.

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Health & Safety

Majority Of Guilford, Forsyth County Jail Inmates Are Declining To Be Vaccinated

3:26pm March 26, 2021

by April Laissle

The majority of inmates at detention centers in Guilford and Forsyth Counties are refusing to be vaccinated.

"What makes this pandemic so scary is all the unknown factors," writes 40-year-old Mohammed Monsuri.

Lockdown In Lockup: A Prisoner At Sing Sing On Life During The COVID-19 Crisis

5:28pm June 26, 2020

Mohammed Monsuri, who is incarcerated at the New York prison, describes how he learned about the pandemic and the challenges of staying safe. The coronavirus has hit prisons across the U.S. hard.

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A new book by anthropologist and physician Kimberly Sue tells the stories of women navigating opioid addiction during and after incarceration.

Opioid Addiction In Jails: An Anthropologist's Perspective

5:00am November 12, 2019

by Emily Vaughn

In Getting Wrecked: Women, Incarceration, and the American Opioid Crisis, a Rikers Island doctor says drug treatment in U.S. jails and prisons is often shaped by societal prejudice, not science.

Natalie Lynch at a relative's home with her youngest child, Maycen. In 2014, when Lynch was pregnant with her older child, she spent two weeks before giving birth in a prison cell, mostly alone.

National

Pregnant, Locked Up, And Alone

10:07am June 17, 2019

by Sarah McCammon

Natalie Lynch spent the last two weeks of her pregnancy in a prison cell, mostly alone. As female incarceration rates rise, some states are banning solitary confinement of pregnant women.

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