2025 Winners
After a more than 30-year hiatus, the American Penal Press Contest is back. We received 179 submissions from 21 prison publications across nine states. The publications, stories, and individuals below represent the best of the best in prison journalism.
View the winners by clicking on the categories and scroll down for photos.
Best Newsletter
1st place: The Echo
The Echo began publishing monthly newsletters out of Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in 2018. Their mission is simple and straightforward: to serve the incarcerated community by providing monthly news and other important information, while highlighting the human experience in the carceral setting.
Judges praised The Echo for “consistently informative and well-written articles that both hold the reader's interest and are focused on the needs of its readers.” In short, it offers “news journalism par excellence.”
Read the winning issues: February 2025, May 2025
2nd place: Compassion
Compassion was thought up in 2001 by a prisoner on Ohio's Death Row to "help prisoners on death row live connected and fruitful lives." Even though they will spend their lives in prison, the newsletter allows death row and life without parole prisoners to communicate and spread positivity.
Judges praised The Echo for “consistently informative and well-written articles that both hold the reader's interest and are focused on the needs of its readers.” In short, it offers “news journalism par excellence.”
Read the newsletter: March 2025, May 2025
3rd place: Echo Extra
Echo Extra is a newsletter produced inside California Health Care Facility, Stockton (CHCF). Its writers are patients of the Enhanced Outpatient Program at the facility, which treats residents with mental health conditions.
Judges praised Echo Extra for a “dynamic range of content.” The newsletter publishes everything “from poetry to editorials about the COVID-19 pandemic to faith-based material to writing prompts and crossword searches for readers to a ‘joke corner.’”
Read the newsletter: March 2024, April 2025
Best Newspaper
1st place: San Quentin News
Founded in 1940 and relaunched after a hiatus in 2008, San Quentin News is a publication produced entirely by individuals incarcerated in San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. In a 12-page monthly spread, the paper’s mission is to report on rehabilitative efforts to advance social justice and improve public safety.
Judges praised the professional organization and appearance of San Quentin News, which struck one judge as “overflowing with excellent information and visual aids.” Another added that “SQN speaks directly to matters relevant to the San Quentin community while remaining approachable and engaging to readers on the outside.”
Read the winning issues: January 2024, March 2024
2nd place: The Mabel Balance Bassett
The Mabel Bassett Balance was first published a little over a year ago by a group of women incarcerated in Oklahoma’s Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. The quarterly newspaper aims to inspire hope and advocacy within its community and stands by three pillars: speak the truth, elevate the community, and shift the view.
Judges called The Mabel Bassett Balance “a beautiful and engaging newspaper,” describing the layout as “minimalistic but not in a stark way; it complements the entire publication.” Judges also thought the paper did a “great job balancing news articles with editorials.”
Read the newspaper: April 2025
3rd place: Mule Creek Post
Mule Creek Post is a prison newspaper produced in Mule Creek State Prison with a mission to "present content and messaging that encourages rehabilitation and prosocial values, and enhances a sense of community, creativity, and positivity."
Judges praised Mule Creek Post for being “filled with informative articles and varied content matter” from grammar lessons to advanced directives. “It was very well-organized and easy to read,” one judge commented.
Read the winning issues: November 2024, January 2025 2024
Best Magazine
First place: 1664
1664 was established in Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in February 2024. At that time, there were 1,664 state and federal prisons nationwide, incarcerating 1.9 million people. The mission of 1664 is to provide names and faces in place of these numbers and statistics — to celebrate humanity and recognize that every individual has a story.
One judge admired the professional nature of 1664, writing, “1664 is a masterclass in journalism, whether inside or outside of prison. The writing is exceptional, the layout is easy on the eyes and encourages the reader to turn the page, [and] the photographs are stunning and add depth and context to each article.”
Read the winning issues: Summer 2024, Winter/Spring 2025
2nd place: The Nash News
The Nash News was founded out of Nash Correctional Institution in 2005 to provide timely and useful information to the population; offer a forum for discussion, dialogue, and creativity; encourage, give hope, and strengthen thei community; and instill an appreciation for the written word.
Judges called The Nash News “very strong,” praising the layout as “fantastic” and “easy to follow,” and the images from the package on an art exhibition for residents as “absolutely stunning!” They highlighted the mock election coverage and its excellent graphics, as well as the coverage of Hurricane Helene’s forgotten victims, which “gave the reader a unique glimpse into a segment of the population that received absolutely no coverage.”
Read the magazine: Winter 2024/25
3rd place: The Angolite
The Angolite was established in Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1953. It's mission is The mission of The Angolite is to further an understanding of the criminal justice landscape, the pathology of prison, and the flesh-and-blood realities that shape and move the prisoners’ world.
Judges praised the breadth of The Angolite: “The coverage is very comprehensive and impressive. Just the sheer amount of information included is wonderful.” The Angolite’s effort was evident to judges: “Amazing job executing a very professional body of work. The breadth and depth of content, combined with very informative photographs, infographics, tables, and charts, delivered a very impactful final product.”
Read the magazine: Sept/Oct 2024
Best Debut
1st place: The Mabel Bassett Balance
The Mabel Bassett Balance was first published a little over a year ago by a group of women incarcerated in Oklahoma’s Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. The quarterly newspaper aims to inspire hope and advocacy within its community and stands by three pillars: speak the truth, elevate the community, and shift the view.
The judges expressed admiration for “the positivity and strength of the journalists” in The Mabel Bassett Balance and said that the depth and breadth of the stories they cover “paint a vivid picture of the community.” Judges also gave kudos to the paper for advocating for reforms and including a Spanish-language article alongside “the stalwarts of a local newspaper — obituaries and opinion.”
Read the newspaper: April 2025
2nd place: CCWF Paper Trail
CCWF Paper Trail is a pioneering publication launched in 2024 to serve the largest women’s prison in the world. It engages with community, promotes hope, creates positive solutions, and amplifies voices rarely heard.
Judges called CCWF Paper Trail “an impressive and engaging publication that reflects significant journalistic skill and creative energy,” adding, “the content is diverse and robust, spanning in-depth news reports, heartfelt human-interest stories, and cultural explorations. This variety gives the [Paper Trail] rich texture and makes it feel deeply connected to the experiences and interests of the prison community.”
Read the winning issues: November 2024, April/May 2025
3rd place: 1664
1664 was established in Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in February 2024. At that time, there were 1,664 state and federal prisons nationwide, incarcerating 1.9 million people. The mission of 1664 is to provide names and faces in place of these numbers and statistics — to celebrate humanity and recognize that every individual has a story.
Judges praised 1664’s debut as “filled with depth and serving as a compelling showcase of human experiences in prison.” They called out stories “that are emotionally resonant and thoughtfully reported” with “smart use of quotes and personal anecdotes.” They called its issues “beautifully laid out and appealing to look at.”
Read the winning issues: Summer 2024, Winter/Spring 2025
Best Feature Story
1st place: “I Can’t Breathe: When a Heart Attack Strikes” by Daniel Deese, The Cajun Press
The judges gave this article nearly universally high marks, calling it a “terrific read” with a “vivid opening.” Readers get the chance to “see the story’s subject in action and observe his character on the page.” In the words of one judge, “I experienced the whole range of emotions and would have happily kept reading.” Another loved “the bittersweet parts about aging in prison and what that does to the heart.”
2nd place: “Pennie’s Rainbow” by Nora Igova, CCWF Paper Trail
Judges praise this article as a “masterpiece,” especially in terms of its use of description. More than one judge mentioned the lead and details that paint a picture of the primary character, Pennie. Another judge praised “later description of all the daily uncertainties that accompany life in prison.”
3rd place: “Open Mic Night” by Kurtis Thompson and Antonio McCaw, 1664
Judges praised the strong reporting and overall organization—text, photographs, captions and quotes— that “all contributed to a professional piece of writing” effective at conveying the article’s message. One judge pointed out in particular that they “like that the writer spoke to several sources and worked them into the overall story without overwhelming the reader with new characters.”
Best Long-form Magazine Story
1st place: “The Spirit of Giving: Two Bodhisattvas of the DAC” by Cris Gardner, North Carolina Prison News Today
Judges called this article “insightful” and “a joy to read.” In the words of one judge, “it paints a vivid picture” of the two subjects, “offering succinct narratives of the life journeys and struggles that brought them together to teach meditation at Nash Correctional Institution… Gardner is particularly adept at integrating Smith’s own words into his story of religious and emotional evolution.”
2nd place: “Elder Abuse in Prison, Pt. 1: Clandestine Bullying” by John L. Orr, Mule Creek Post
Our judges shared that this article was highly readable even while covering wide ground. “[It] touches on many topics in a short period of time — explaining them all clearly and succinctly,” one judge said, “and is grammatically flawless.”
3rd place: “Looking at the Stars” by Paul Gordon, The Prison Mirror
Judges praised this feature on a classical music concert as “astute and full of care.” “It not only contained the element of the concert,” one judge wrote, “but another thread was the character who is narrating the feature — his voice, his insights, and his ability to connect the two threads of this piece… So much catharsis happened in this piece, both for the author and for the performers.”
Best Local Coverage
1st place: “CCWF residents get their hands dirty for the latest ‘It’ item” by Megan Hogg, CCWF Paper Trail
Judges enjoyed this story’s creative content and style. One judge described it as “fascinating,” saying, “it held my attention from beginning to the end.” Another praised the descriptive writing and strong lede. “If you’re going to lead off a story with a quote, it better be a really good quote, and this one does the trick: ‘Lizards are the new Fendi bag.’ Perfect!”
2nd place: “60 residents commit to stopping domestic violence and heal in the process” by Edwin E. Chavez, San Quentin News
The ability of this article to explain a new program in the traditional news style impressed judges. “The process in which Chavez brought the reader into the inner workings of the HEART group without any editorialization was classic,” according to one judge.
3rd place: “Nash holds 2024 mock elections” by Cris Gardner, The Nash News
Judges appreciated the different perspective on electoral politics that this piece offered. “I delighted in the framing of NCI’s mock election, at once sincere and comic,” one judge wrote. “Gardner interweaves commentary from voters incarcerated at NCI, and he does an exquisite job not only of giving them space to share their views but also of locating commonalities between them.”
Best Opinion Story
1st place: “Nutritional Rehabilitation” by Diana Lovejoy, CCWF Paper Trail
The strength of this article, according to judges, is in its balance. “The author effectively blends personal insight, credible statistics, and relevant comparisons such as school lunch reform to make a persuasive case for nutritional change in prisons,’’ in the words of one judge. “The closing suggestions are realistic and thoughtful, making for a strong finish to a well-developed article.”
2nd place: “Behind bars and banned from the ballot box” by Phillip Luna, The Echo
Judges pointed out the effective use of both personal experience and research in this article, which together make “a very strong argument for including voting rights as part of the discussions about rehabilitation.”
3rd place: “Effects of mass incarceration on the children left behind” by Kwame Teague, North Carolina Prison News Today
Both the research and the poignancy of the central issue impressed our judges: “Bravo to the author for taking on this tough and important topic and for voicing concern for the children of the incarcerated,” one judge wrote. “This underserved population needs advocacy and fresh ideas, all of which the author offers.”
Best Sports Coverage
1st place: “Dominant on the Diamond” by Lawson Strickland, The Angolite
Our judges were impressed by both the command of news reporting fundamentals as well as the creativity on display in this story. “[The article] took me deep into each competition,” one judge wrote. “Hell, I am ready to play some softball now.”
2nd place: “Caitlin Clark: Changing the scope of the WNBA” by Tony Johnson, North Carolina Prison News Today
Judges compared this article to an “excellent sports column,” adding, “it has live reporting, it has a backstory, and it has analysis.”
3rd place: “Softball Bonanza” by Keith O’Banion, The Cajun Press
Judges enjoyed the descriptions of action in this article as well as the descriptive photo captioning. “This was an excellent and informative piece of writing which really transported me to the softball bonanza!” one judge said.
Best Visual Journalism
1st place: Overall issue design of The Nash News, Vol 20, Issue 3, 2024/5
The judges “loved the overall design and the variety” of this issue of The Nash News, “from pie charts, bar charts, ribbons, illustrations, paintings,” and more. The featured art exhibition for residents made this issue a clear favorite.
2nd place: "Orphan us" by Jason Williford, The Nash News
Judges said that readers were sure to have a “lively reading experience” thanks to the vibrant colors and identifiable cover title character of this comic.
3rd place: "Tattooing Rehabilitation" by Patrick Bonga, The Prison Mirror
Judges described this bold and colorful spread as an “excellent use of graphics that very well complements the topic thematically and aesthetically.”
Best Photo
1st place: "Javier Manriquez and family" by Jason Davis, Mule Creek Post
Judges loved the narrative quality of this photo, as well as its composition, describing it as “a scene that would feel at home in a Renaissance painting with a background figure wearing a CDCR jumper,” according to one judge.
2nd place: "Peterbilt truck" by Kalab Lackey, The Nash News
Judges said that this photo “pleases the eye and moves it in a logical and intuitive direction. The soft focus background is a lovely move.”
3rd place: "The Last Ride" by Jeffrey Dale Hilburn, The Angolite
Judges praised the eye-pleasing classical diagonal composition and the details of this photo. One judge wrote, “the photo's subjects are wearing a mix of contemporary garb (hoodies) and period-specific pieces (top-hat wearing driver) that make the tableau that much more memorable.”
Advisor of the Year
Charlotte Walyko, Human Services Program Manager III & The Nash News Staff Coordinator
“The large number of entries in the Advisor of the Year category provides ample evidence of the importance and the dedication of those staff members and outside volunteers who advise prison publications -- as well as the appreciation of the prison journalists whom they encourage, mentor, champion and defend. Any one of the nominees would have fully earned this award through their selfless dedication. The winner in this category, Charlotte Walyko of The Nash News, exemplifies the complex roles of these advisors -- as the publication's advocate and, when needed, defender; as staff motivators, as enforcers of editorial accuracy and integrity and as the mediator for inevitable staff challenges and frictions. It is with good reason that Walyko is known as the publication's ‘velvet barracuda.’ The prison journalists who nominated Walyko for this award say that ‘without her advocacy, TNN would probably not have made it to its 20th anniversary.’”
The Nash News takes home five American Penal Press Contest prizes this year, including first and second prizes for Best Visual Journalism.
Newsroom Leader of the Year
Jesse Carson, Mule Creek Post Editor in Chief
“There were several worthy candidates for the newsroom leader award. Jesse Carson stood out for his leadership in every aspect of creating and operating the Mule Creek Post. He devised creative ways to publish the paper with limited resources — using Microsoft Word on a standalone PC and developing the design features of the new publication as well as codifying its policies and procedures. Simultaneously, he assured the ethical operation of the newspaper, based on the editorial standards of professional journalism organizations. His staff pays tribute to him as a moral leader who ‘holds our feet to the fire’ in enforcing high editorial standards. They also hail him as a mentor who has forged a strong foundation for the ‘continued operation of the Post long after he is gone.’”
Mule Creek Post takes home three American Penal Press Contest prizes this year, including first place for Best Photo.
Woman Prison Journalist of the Year
Nora Igova, CCWF Paper Trail Art and Layout Designer
“English is [Nora’s] fourth language, but her writing for Paper Trail is fluent and powerful. She connects issues to people, giving voice to both incarcerated individuals and staff. She approaches journalism with compassion and clarity, and I’m impressed by her breadth and gumption. In addition to her reporting, she handles art and layout for the paper, serves as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Inmate Advisory Council and facilitates LifeScripting workshops rooted in positive psychology. From this judge's vantage point, it appears Nora is a force.”
CCWF Paper Trail takes home four American Penal Press Contest prizes this year, including first place for Opinion and Local Coverage.
