Penal Publications

Michigan Penal Publications

The Library of Michigan houses a unique collection of penal publications—periodicals created by and for incarcerated individuals, sometimes also intended for outside distribution. These publications blend administrative content with creative contributions like poems, stories, local news, and self-help articles, and have been produced by various Michigan institutions, including Jackson State Prison and the Industrial School for Boys in Lansing. The collection, which dates primarily from 1930 to 1990, includes the earliest known issue from 1893. Beyond documenting prison life, these periodicals offered therapeutic value and helped incarcerated individuals develop skills in writing, publishing, and printing.

Penal Publication Resources

American Prison Newspapers

The American Prison Newspapers project by JSTOR’s Reveal Digital is a free, open-access archive of newspapers written and published by incarcerated individuals in U.S. prisons from the 1800s to the present. It preserves and amplifies the voices of incarcerated people, offering firsthand insights into prison life, institutional conditions, and personal expression across two centuries.

Explore the American Prison Newspapers Project