{{Infobox organization | name = Prison Journalism Project | full_name = | native_name = <!-- organization's name in its local language --> | native_name_lang = <!-- required ISO 639-1 code of the above native language --> | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = <!-- see WP:ALT --> | caption = | map = <!-- map image --> | map_size = <!-- defaults to 250px --> | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 = <!-- 2nd map image, if required --> | map2_size = | map2_alt = | map2_caption = | abbreviation = | nickname = | pronunciation = | pronounce_ref = | pronounce_comment = | named_after = | predecessor = | merged_into = <!-- any other organization(s) which it was merged into --> | successor = | formation = {{start date and age|2020|04}} | founder = {{Unbulleted list|Yukari Iwatani Kane|Shaheen Pasha}} | founding_location = | dissolved = <!-- or |defunct = --><!-- use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | merger = <!-- other organizations (if any) merged with, to constitute the new organization --> | type = Nonprofit | tax_id = <!-- or |vat_id = (for European organizations) --> | registration_id = <!-- for non-profits --> | status = <!-- legal status or description (company, charity, foundation, etc.) --> | purpose = {{Unbulleted list|Education|Journalism|Criminal Justice}} | professional_title = <!-- for professional associations --> | headquarters = | coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} --> | origins = | region_served = <!-- or |area_served = or |region = --> | products = <!-- or |product = --> | services = | methods = <!-- or |method = --> | fields = <!-- or |field = --> | membership = <!-- number of members --> | num_members_year = <!-- year to which membership numbers/data apply --> | language = <!-- or |languages = --><!-- any official language or languages used --> | owner = <!-- or |owners = --> | secretary_general = <!-- or |gen_sec for General Secretary --> | leader_title = <!-- defaults to "Leader" --> | leader_name = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | board_of_directors = | key_people = | main_organ = <!-- or |publication = --><!-- organization's principal body (assembly, committee, board, etc.) or publication --> | parent_organization = <!-- or |parent_organisation = --> | subsidiaries = | secessions = | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | disbursements = | expenses = | expenses_year = | endowment = | endowment_year = | funding = <!-- source of funding e.g. for "think tanks" --> | num_staff = | num_staff_year = | num_volunteers = | num_volunteers_year = | num_students = | num_students_year = | awards = | website = {{URL|prisonjournalismproject.org}} | remarks = | former_name = <!-- or |former_name = --> | footnotes = | bodystyle = }} '''Prison Journalism Project''' is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in April 2020 to train incarcerated writers to be journalists and publish their stories.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-01-26 |title=How a project is training incarcerated people to become journalists |url=https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2021/how-a-project-is-training-incarcerated-people-to-become-journalists/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=Poynter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Incarcerated People At CA Prisons Vaccinated At Higher Rate Than Staff |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/incarcerated-people-at-ca-prisons-vaccinated-at-higher-rate-than-staff/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=www.cbsnews.com |date=11 May 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> Prison Journalism Project provides correspondence-based lessons on the tools of journalism to incarcerated writers through its PJP J-School program, and it publishes their stories on its online magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Prison Journalism Project |url=http://prisonjournalismproject.org/about-pjp/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Prison Journalism Project |language=en-US}}</ref>
Prison Journalism Project contributes to the movement for prison reform through two programs: PJP J-School and an editorial publishing arm. It recruits, trains and pays incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers, then publishes their work on their own online magazine and training newspaper as well as in publications around the country<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Sophia |date=2021-09-05 |title=Journalism Behind Bars: An Interview with Yukari Kane |url=https://harvardpolitics.com/journalism-behind-bars-an-interview-with-yukari-kane/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Harvard Political Review |language=en-US}}</ref> to help cultivate freedom of the press behind the walls as it builds a network of prison correspondents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Healy |first=Amber |title=466 Prison Journalism Project helps inmates share their stories |url=https://itsalljournalism.com/466-the-prison-journalism-project-helps-inmates-share-their-stories/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=itsalljournalism.com |date=17 June 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>
One of its contributing writers, Steve Brooks, who is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison for sexual assault<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cekola |first=Anna |date=1996-07-13 |title=Rapist Gets 161-to-Life Term, One of Longest Ever in County |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-07-13-me-23840-story.html |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> became the first incarcerated writer to win an individual award in the print category of Society of Professional Journalist's Northern California Chapter's 2020 Excellence in Journalism Award for two opinion essays published on Prison Journalism Project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPJ NorCal Honors 2020 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners « SPJ NorCal |url=https://spjnorcal.org/2021/02/03/spj-norcal-honors-2020-excellence-in-journalism-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Background == Prison Journalism Project was founded in 2020 by Yukari Iwatani Kane and Shaheen Pasha, who were teaching journalism at San Quentin State Prison and Hampshire County Jail in Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlisle |first=Grace |date=2020-03-04 |title=Professor Brings Prison Journalism Project, New Perspective To Penn State |url=https://onwardstate.com/2020/03/04/professor-brings-prison-journalism-project-new-perspective-to-penn-state/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Onward State |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant, Prison Journalism Project, Fri., Nov. 20, 2020 {{!}} White Collar Support Group |url=https://prisonist.org/the-criminal-justice-insider-podcast-with-babz-rawls-ivy-jeff-grant-guests-yukari-iwatani-kane-shaheen-pasha-of-the-prison-journalism-project-fri-nov-20-2020-9-am/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |language=en}}</ref>
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kane and Pasha saw how little information was coming out of prisons about situations inside, so they started a publication on Medium<ref>{{Cite web |last=PJP |date=2020-07-22 |title=BIG NEWS! Moved to a New & Improved Website! |url=https://medium.com/@prisonjourn/big-news-moving-to-a-new-improved-website-89f2a08a3eae |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> in April 2020 to publish experiences and dispatches about the coronavirus’ impact on incarceration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reveal Digital's Voices from the Inside, featuring Yukari Iwatani Keen and Shaheen Pasha |url=https://www.artstor.org/webinars/reveal-digitals-voices-from-the-inside-featuring-yukari-iwatani-keen-and-shaheen-pasha/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Artstor |language=en}}</ref>
Prison Journalism Project also publishes PJPxInside, a print publication distributed to the outlet's writers in prisons and jails across the United States. The pilot edition won an Award of Excellence from the Society of News Design in March 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best of Print News Design Results – Society for News Design |url=https://snd.org/best-of-design-competitions/best-of-news-design-results/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2022, PJPxInside received the Community Champion Award in the small newsroom division from the Institute of Nonprofit News.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nonprofit News Awards – Institute for Nonprofit News |url=https://inn.org/about/our-work/nonprofit-news-awards/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2020, it became a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-28 |title=Prison Journalism Project |url=https://findyournews.org/organization/prison-journalism-project/ |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Find Your News |language=en-US}}</ref> In April 2021, it partnered with the Society of Professional Journalists to create the first national virtual incarcerated chapter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SPJ |title=SPJ announces partnership with Prison Journalism Project |url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=1790 |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=www.spj.org}}</ref> In July 2021, Crime Story Media began republishing stories from the Prison Journalism Project website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Bannon |first=Vincent |title=Prison Journalism Project: From Abuser to Advocate |url=https://crimestory.com/2021/07/27/prison-journalism-project-from-abuser-to-advocate/ |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Crime Story |date=27 July 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> Prison Journalism Project writers have also been published by ''The Washington Post.''<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-09-09 |title=Opinion {{!}} A San Quentin covid-19 survivor reflects and looks forward |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/09/san-quentin-covid-pandemic-year/ |access-date=2022-09-01 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref>
The organization is funded by individual donations and grants from foundations and individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Just Trust, Just Trust for Action award grants totaling $36.3 million |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/just-trust-just-trust-for-action-award-grants-totaling-36.3-million}}</ref> In February 2022, The Just Trust named Prison Journalism Project as one of its inaugural grantees. It was also awarded a grant by FWD.us.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-26 |title=San Quentin newspaper supporter lands $400,000 grant |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/02/26/san-quentin-newspaper-supporter-lands-400k-grant |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref>
== See also == * Prison newspaper
== Notes == <references />
Category:Nonprofit newspapers Category:Types of journalism Category:Alternative journalism organizations