Yukari Kane
@yukarikane.bsky.social
CEO and Editor-in-Chief at Prison Journalism Project. I believe that we need to change the storytellers to change the story. Former tech reporter, author of Haunted Empire; WSJ and Reuters alum. Proud advisor of THE Endeavor prison newspaper in Fla.
I'm so excited to see this story published about Sara Bennett's amazing photography project. prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/23/t...
Tracing Women's Lives Behind Bars and Beyond in Photos
Sara Bennett’s new book adds to the visual history of prison while complicating our idea of what prison and the women who have been detained there might look like.
prisonjournalismproject.org
Interested in what life behind bars is like? Sign up for @prisonjournalism.bsky.social's weekly newsletter! We're at the tail end of a campaign to increase our subscribers, so our writers' stories are read more widely.
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The Inside Story is Prison Journalism Project's free newsletter, sent every Sunday, featuring stories written by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers.
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The Library of Congress named PJP’s Journalism as Literacy initiative a 2026 Emerging Strategies Honoree. It comes with a $5,000 prize. We're challenging our readers to celebrate by matching it. Help us turn $5,000 into $10,000 for PJP Learning in the next 48 hours.
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One of the greatest privileges of my career has been watching incarcerated writers discover journalism. Many of the writers we work with at @prisonjournalism.bsky.social never imagined they could be doing journalism. But once they do, they begin to see their own experiences in a bigger context.
I'm in Chicago and it is brutal outside. 90+ degrees, and it's supposed to get even hotter later this week. As I read about the record-breaking heat across the Midwest and East Coast, I think about everyone inside — most U.S. prisons have no AC.
This Fourth of July, the U.S. turns 250. @prisonjournalism.bsky.social asked incarcerated Americans what that means to them. Nearly 2 million people won't be celebrating with family or fireworks — but they have something to say. Check out our very first-ever audio piece!
Incarcerated Americans on the 250th Birthday of the United States — In Their Own Voices
The land of the free is also the land of mass incarceration. Hear from people inside on what this milestone means to them.
prisonjournalismproject.org
My friend Jonathan Chiu's remembrance of the late great Marcus "Wali" Henderson, the former editor-in-chief of San Quentin News. Wali was a dear friend, and this piece brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/10/28/i...
Mourning the Man Most Responsible for My Freedom
Marcus Henderson, the former editor in chief of San Quentin News, always saw the good in people.
prisonjournalismproject.org
This story blew me away when I read it. Periods are a pain regardless of where you are, but imagine only being given a limited supply every month.
What It's Like to Have Your Period in Prison
Even at a women’s prison, your menstruation care needs may not be met.
prisonjournalismproject.org
Very excited to be hosting a virtual event on 9/17 to share the latest on our work at PJP (@prisonjournalism.bsky.social). Hope you can join us!
Prison Journalism Project: Meeting the Moment (Virtual Event)
Now more than ever, who tells the story matters. Learn how PJP is equipping incarcerated writers to reshape the narrative, Sept 17.
eventbrite.com
I remember being shocked when I first saw the tiny, low-res devices that people in prison refer to as tablets, but this is just... wow. I haven't thought about floppy disks in 30 years. Wonder how many people out there don't even know what it is.
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · last yr."Inside New Jersey State Prison, it’s like 1985, where we rely on out-of-date word processors, electric typewriters and floppy disks that are going extinct in the free world."
As someone who started out not knowing anything about nonprofit fundraising five years ago, and was both a listener and a student of @rheawong.bsky.social's podcast "Nonprofit Lowdown," I feel like I unlocked a new level speaking about @prisonjournalism.bsky.social on it. 😁
#346- How an Indie Newsroom Fights Big‑Money Media with Yukari Kane
Podcast Episode · Nonprofit Lowdown · 07/14/2025 · 33m
podcasts.apple.com
Humbled to feel the support of this community. This work isn't always easy, and it's been a tough year, but moments like this make me realize how many people are standing with us. Thank you!!! 🫶
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · last yr.🥳 Bluesky, you have been with us every step of the way. Good news: We are so grateful to announce that, with two days to go, we have reached our fundraising goal of $10,000! Thanks to an anonymous donor, we have an additional $500 in matching funds to continue this momentum. 🙌
If anyone is able, and so inclined, I believe this to be worthy of support!
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · last yr.🥳 Bluesky, you have been with us every step of the way. Good news: We are so grateful to announce that, with two days to go, we have reached our fundraising goal of $10,000! Thanks to an anonymous donor, we have an additional $500 in matching funds to continue this momentum. 🙌
We'd be so grateful for your support if you are able to give. In these tough times, every penny counts.
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · last yr.Yesterday, we launched our spring campaign to #ChangetheStorytellers and #TransformtheStory. Right now, our co-founders are doubling every gift. Your contribution makes twice the impact on incarcerated storytellers and ensures vital perspectives are heard. Support our work ⤵️
Wali and PJP co-founder @yukarikane.bsky.social sky.social worked together, running San Quentin News' Journalism Guild, and he was one of she and @profpasha.bsky.social's biggest supporters and champions when they first launched the organization.
Thinking about this piece this morning. The author Marcus "Wali" Henderson passed away last Friday after a battle with cancer. He wrote this for @prisonjournalism.bsky.social in its earliest of days, and we had it on our "About Us" page for a long time, reminding us of why we do this work.
The Pen
"They say the pen is mightier than the sword, True — the pen can kill you in the name of penance, The pen can pen ideas and dogma as the..."
prisonjournalismproject.org
People ask me all the time about the stories @prisonjournalism.bsky.social Prison Journalism Project publishes and how they can read them. If you haven't yet, please subscribe to "The Inside Story," our weekly newsletter. If you are already subscribed, grateful if you could share with your friends.
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Sooo excited about the 2025 Stillwater journalism awards Zoom ceremony honoring excellence in journalism in about an hour. @prisonjournalism.bsky.social is co-sponsors with @spj-posts.bsky.social. There's still time to sign up. Join us! :-)
Stillwater Awards Ceremony
Celebrate the best stories of 2024 from behind prison walls and the courageous journalists behind them at the Stillwater Awards!
eventbrite.com
I don't typically read law journals but this one by a formerly incarcerated scholar on double-double consciousness as a new way of thinking about the psychological impact of being a black prisoner was excellent and thought provoking. I can't remember ever reading an academic article so engrossing.
Law, Prison, and Double-Double Consciousness: A Phenomenological View of the Black Prisoner’s Experience
This Essay introduces double-double consciousness as a new way of conceptualizing the psychological ramifications of being a black prisoner. Based on my own experience as a black prisoner, I conclude ...
yalelawjournal.org
Reading this @prisonjournalism.bsky.social story reminded me of my visit to Mule Creek State Prison in Calif a few yrs ago when most of the people in the yard had walkers, canes or hearing/visual impaired warning vests. I remember feeling like I was at a senior center.
At My Alabama Prison, One Man Is Doing Time With His Grandson
One friend of mine has been in Alabama's prison system for so long, he’s now doing time with his grandson.
prisonjournalismproject.org
Really impressive reporting by @nytimes.com and @mississippitoday.org. The ironclad evidence they gathered is shocking and awful.
Mississippi Today@mississippitoday.org · 2y ago“You’re his property”: A local sheriff in Mississippi staffed his mother’s commercial chicken farm with inmates from the local jail and used taxpayer-purchased equipment to improve the grounds, an investigation by The New York Times and Mississippi Today found. buff.ly/tx797O5
I talk about this story all the time because the idea that someone is serving as a neighborhood commissioner from behind bars blew my mind as did the challenges she has overcome. I never would’ve known about it if she hadn’t written the story.
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · 2y agoShameka “Meek” Hayes serves as a neighborhood commissioner in Washington, D.C., representing fellow incarcerated people. It’s not easy.
Belatedly sharing, but I'm so excited about this!
Prison Journalism Project@prisonjournalism.bsky.social · 2y ago“Many people in prison want to share their stories and get published, and this partnership will allow exponentially more people to learn how to craft engaging stories that shed light on life in prison while also gaining skills that can help them when they come home.”
This piece has got to be one of the best expressions I've ever read on what prison trauma feels like and the struggle to keep one's empathy from a writer who has been in prison since he was 15 yrs old. It will be required reading for us at PJP @prisonjournalism.bsky.social.
Will There Be Anything Left of Me When I Leave This New Mexico Prison?
If you let it, the system will scrape away all that’s left of your empathy.
prisonjournalismproject.org
I'm a huge fan of Kwaneta Harris and her sharp writing from inside her Texas prison cell. This latest by her on @opencampus.org is on point: "The “celebration” of Black History Month entails posters of MLK, George Washington Carver, and Rosa Parks plastered around the education building...
First Person: 'They ban books by Black authors. Then they tell us to celebrate Black History Month.' - Open Campus
As state legislatures and boards of regents debate whose histories deserve telling, those of us behind bars have long faced explicit bans on texts that challenge dominant narratives or examine racial ...
opencampus.org
27 PJP contributors in 17 states describe winter behind bars: people in wheelchairs in the snow, cold showers that feel like "being stabbed by a million icicles," and a layer of ice in the toilet. Lieyleen tells us how difficult winter in a Md prison has been even for someone from Siberia like her.
What Extreme Cold Feels Like in Prison
Prison writers from across the U.S. describe how cold their prisons get in the winter — and what small dignities could make it more bearable.
prisonjournalismproject.org
Writer Donna Hockman was allowed to have a bible even though it includes stories of incest, murder, sex and violence, but she was denied "The Battered Woman Syndrome" and "Counseling for Women," two important resources. She wrote it two years ago but feels very relevant in these times.
By My Prison’s Standards, the Bible Would Be a Banned Book
Today, more than 50,000 books are banned in prison. At Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, the book ban is getting to be ridiculous.
prisonjournalismproject.org
As a Japanese woman who straddles two countries myself (and never felt like I fit in completely in Japan), I am so so proud of what Naomi Osaka has overcome and accomplished.
The Japan Times@japantimes.co.jp · 2y agoAs she bids to return to the top of women's tennis, Naomi Osaka opens up on tennis, motherhood and being Japanese.
