Stories From Inside

Sentenced to life in 1996, this narrator has witnessed Georgia's prison system transform from a structured, program-rich environment to a dangerous, gang-dominated warehouse. Through budget cuts, short-staffing, and mass punishment policies, he explains why the system has become more violent—and why it's not lifers causing the problems...

Covered in ants in a dark lockdown cell with no water, I screamed for help. Officers laughed and left me to suffer for two weeks. This was my punishment for refusing gang-controlled housing in a Georgia prison—a choice that led to 18 months of isolation that broke my spirit...

Eligible for parole after seven years on a life sentence, he thought the system worked simply: serve your time, show you've changed, go home. Forty-one years later, he's still waiting. This is his account of navigating Georgia's parole system—a cycle of denials, broken promises, and punishments that feel like re-sentencing...

After a suicide attempt and arrest in the early 2000s, I entered Georgia's prison system carrying self-hatred and confusion. Four years in solitary confinement became the turning point where I found faith, sobriety, and purpose—transforming isolation into a space for growth, creativity, and reconciliation...

When Marcus broke his hand at Georgia State Prison, he filed sick call requests immediately. Three weeks and seven requests later, he finally saw a doctor—but by then, the bones had already set wrong. Now 34 years old with a permanently damaged hand, Marcus shares his story of medical neglect and the solidarity that keeps incarcerated people human in a system that treats them otherwise...

In January 2015, I entered Georgia's prison system at Jackson Diagnostic. Within a week, I witnessed guards stand by as gangs beat a man to death. Over two months, I saw 50 people beaten into gangs while living in freezing, windowless dorms with no activities and constant violence...