I have scabies.

I have scabies.

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

After North Carolina's previous governor granted clemency to people sentenced to life in prison as minors, others with juvenile life sentences are hoping for a new administration that also believes in...

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

Ramulus Mason was sentenced to life without parole due to North Carolina’s three-strikes law. The man he shot insists that he shouldn’t still be in prison.

I asked Phill about his favorite movies. Here is his reply: “In NC (prisons), we use ViaPath tablets. Entertainment packages suck. But occasionally, they'll post a decent movie that'll make me spend ...

In August of 2025, Phillip Vance Smith, II became an award recipient of the Participatory Law Fund from Temple University, alongside Professors Deborah and Marsha Weissman, for coauthoring a law journ...

Bridging the Gap, a conference focused on improving journalism in and on U.S. prisons and jails, will take place in Chicago on May 29 and 30.

Phillip Vance Smith II is serving a life sentence at Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro, but he has published stories in Slate and Huffpost.

Phillip Vance Smith II is serving a life sentence at Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro, but he has published stories in Slate and Huffpost.

An increased markup on canteen goods adds to the financial burden on incarcerated people and their families, highlighting how prison systems squeeze them for revenue.

North Carolina’s prison system is struggling with hundreds of vacant positions as the starting pay remains stuck around $18 an hour. Correctional officers are leaving in droves for better pay elsewher...

A former editor-in-chief of a prison newspaper examines the responsibility of prison journalists, the constraints they work under, and why reporting from inside matters.

The Stillwater Awards recognize excellence in prison journalism — one of the toughest places to practice the craft.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Phillip Vance Smith II, who is serving life without parole in North Carolina.

An increased markup on canteen goods adds to the financial burden on incarcerated people and their families, highlighting how prison systems squeeze them for revenue.

We asked Phill about his favorite music. He wrote, “Music has always driven me when writing. In a noisy cellblock, I plug in my earbuds and crank the volume to drown out shouting prisoners. Over the y...

An increased markup on canteen goods adds to the financial burden on incarcerated people and their families, highlighting how prison systems squeeze them for revenue.

The Stillwater Awards recognize excellence in prison journalism — one of the toughest places to practice the craft.

Prison tattoos aren’t usually elaborate works of art.