prison-industrial complex

prison-industrial complex

music

Bending the Bars: New Album Showcases the Queer and Trans Resilience of Incarcerated Artists

Chuckie Lee is a Black trans rapper currently incarcerated in Broward County Jail in South Florida. Her track “Barbie Rockstar” celebrates the expansive queer and trans joy that persists even…

Lauren Herold —

Jun 19, 2025

old hollywood lesbians

prison-industrial complex

movie reviews

In “Caged” (1950) Lesbianism Is More Than Another Cruel and Unusual Punishment

When the options are be beholden to the state — or, if lucky, to a man — or live a luxurious life of crime, who wouldn’t become a lesbian?

Drew Burnett Gregory —

Feb 6, 2024

prison-industrial complex

trans women

politics + activism

Brianna Ghey’s Murderers Have Received Life Sentences — Is That Justice?

The truest form of justice is prevention.

Drew Burnett Gregory —

Feb 6, 2024

criminal justice reform

prison-industrial complex

first person

I’m a Trans Woman in Prison, Where Being Myself Comes at a Cost

Lying on that rigid ol’ mattress, I realized: I’m transgender. Then one day without my permission, I found myself being me.

Traci Jackson —

Feb 3, 2023

#affiliatemarketing

prison-industrial complex

literature

“We Do This ‘Til We Free Us” Makes Abolition Accessible Without Claiming It’s Easy

Imagining what true justice would look like is difficult and strange and convoluted and there aren’t easy answers. Kaba, along with countless other writers, thinkers, and revolutionaries, has spent decades…

Abbie Jones —

Jul 16, 2021

prison-industrial complex

community

Organizers From Black & Pink on Supporting Our Incarcerated Queer and Trans Family This Pandemic Winter

“Abolition isn’t just going to protests, which is a really important direct action, but also actively prefiguring the world we want.”

Mai Tran —

Dec 23, 2020

criminal justice reform

No Justice No Pride

politics + activism

Principles of Pride: Police and Prisons Do Not Belong in Our Future

Legacies intersect in this Pride month to remind us that defunding the police system is both a historically Black and historically queer demand, and that disruption and direct action can…

Benji Hart —

Jun 5, 2020

criminal justice reform

greatest hits

politics + activism

Police and Prison Abolition 101: A Syllabus and FAQ

The work around decarceration has been some of the most successfully documented, accessible, and digitally interactive of any movement. This is a guide to guides, organized loosely by some of…

Rachel —

Jun 1, 2020

2020 presidential campaign

covid-19

politics + activism

Extra! Extra!: Is the Arc of the Universe Bending Toward Justice for Trans Inmates and LGBT Rights in Utah?

This week’s Extra! Extra! brings a mix of hopeful and sobering news about trans rights, the criminal justice system, violence against women and the climate catastrophes in the Bay of…

the team —

May 22, 2020

criminal justice reform

prison-industrial complex

politics + activism

15 Years Later, Has PREA Protected LGBTQ Prisoners Against Sexual Assault?

A disproportionate number of prisoners identify as LGBTQI. On the 15th anniversary of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, we look at what the bill has done to protect them —…

Sydney —

Sep 24, 2018

barack obama

chelsea manning

politics + activism

Some Really Actually Good News: Obama Commutes Most of Incarcerated Trans Woman Chelsea Manning’s Sentence

Chelsea Manning is set to be freed in May 2017 instead of finishing her 35-year sentence, which would have ended in 2045.

Yvonne —

Jan 17, 2017

Daily Fix

latina

politics + activism

Finally Free! Four Wrongfully Convicted Latina Lesbians Cleared on All Charges by Texas Court

More than twenty years since they were convicted of a horrific crime, a Texas criminal appeals court declared four Latina lesbians innocent and exonerated. The San Antonio Four’s exoneration serves…

Yvonne —

Nov 23, 2016