Even behind bars, I believed in prison. Then community organizing and the legacy of Martin Sostre helped me imagine a world beyond punishment.

Diversion programs are often hailed as non-punitive alternatives to the traditional court process. But how different are they, really?

In Birth Behind Bars, sociologist Rebecca M. Rodriguez Carey examines how the state regulates incarcerated mothers’ bodies. Reading it, I found language for my own trauma.

How a literary prize judged by incarcerated readers builds connection across prison walls and nurtures imagination in the face of oppression.

For over two centuries, prison publications have produced an unflinching archive of U.S. punishment and resistance.

In response to our 9/11 coverage, a contributor shares his memory of watching the attacks unfold from inside Louisiana State Penitentiary.

This fall, Inquest is sharing a series of short films made by Represent Justice’s 2026 Ambassadors.

Inquest shares three short films from Represent Justice’s 2026 Ambassador Films collection, each exploring the far-reaching harms of incarceration.

After 9/11, racialization became a powerful way to describe anti-Muslim oppression. It also may have made racial thinking harder to escape.

How the pretext of homeland security birthed a public–private tech surveillance economy that makes billions in profit every year.

A series copublished by Inquest and Acacia magazines examining the impact of a quarter century of the War on Terror.

A decade after 9/11 fractured the Islamic community at Central Prison in North Carolina, I helped rebuild it.

At nineteen, Asad Dandia discovered that an NYPD informant was spying on him. He joined a landmark suit against the department—and won.

At nineteen, Asad Dandia discovered that an NYPD informant was spying on him. He joined a landmark suit against the department—and won.

A series copublished by Inquest and Acacia magazines examining the impact of a quarter century of the War on Terror.

In New York prisons, Islam offered Black men discipline, dignity, and a path away from violence. After 9/11, it also made us targets.

A series copublished by Inquest and Acacia magazines examining the impact of a quarter century of the War on Terror.

An international study of policing in Brazil and the U.S. highlights how racial and economic exclusion are enforced through violent state practices.

An international study of policing in Brazil and the U.S. highlights how racial and economic exclusion are enforced through violent state practices.

In Missouri prisons, people with cancer say lifesaving treatment is often delayed and denied by a private contractor, leaving incarcerated patients and their families to shoulder the caregiving.

In Missouri prisons, people with cancer say lifesaving treatment is often delayed and denied by a private contractor, leaving incarcerated patients and their families to shoulder the caregiving.

The law has constructed a regime in which incarcerated journalists are silenced and punished for telling the truth about what happens behind these walls.

In the past decade, hundreds of incarcerated people have been attacked by guard dogs in Virginia’s prisons, often seriously. I'm one of them.

In the past decade, hundreds of incarcerated people have been attacked by guard dogs in Virginia’s prisons, often seriously. I'm one of them.

Stuart Schrader’s ‘Blue Power’ illuminates the history of how police unions coalesced as tools for guaranteeing preferential treatment and protection from accountability.

Stuart Schrader’s ‘Blue Power’ illuminates the history of how police unions coalesced as tools for guaranteeing preferential treatment and protection from accountability.

Parole is a nonsensical bureaucracy, with demands that run counter to public safety and successful reentry. In recent years, Oregon has passed legislation to reduce the number of people caught in it.

Parole is a nonsensical bureaucracy, with demands that run counter to public safety and successful reentry. In recent years, Oregon has passed legislation to reduce the number of people caught in it.

From crime bills to family policing, reforms have bound social work to punishment. Holistic defense offers a path to realign the profession.

Nearly 200 people are serving indefinite sentences in California. These are some of their stories.

Blocking reading materials and censoring writing are both ways that prisons erase expression before it can reach an audience.

It’s long overdue for Post-Incarceration Syndrome to be classified as a distinct psychiatric disorder, deserving of compassion and treatment.

Despite requirements that they undergo bias training and use body‑worn cameras, local police are still leaving Black men bloodied after pulling them over for minor violations.

The so-called child welfare system is a core plank of the U.S. carceral state. How can we actually make our communities stronger and safer?

For incarcerated mothers, sending handmade art to their children can help nurture vital connections—but often even this is hindered by prison officials.