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Prison and Reformatory Periodicals

2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications 2
Library Of Michigan

Prison and Reformatory Periodicals

2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications 3

Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals

The Library of Michigan houses a unique collection of prison and reformatory periodicals—publications created by and for incarcerated individuals, sometimes also intended for outside distribution. These items 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.
2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications 4

Donate to the Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals Collection

The Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals collection at the Library of Michigan is incomplete. Help the Library of Michigan develop a comprehensive collection of prison and reformatory periodicals by donating to the Library of Michigan. Individuals with publications from Michigan correctional facilities are encouraged to contact library staff to see if their items are among the missing issues the Library of Michigan needs. Reach out by email at Librarian@Michigan.gov or by calling 517-335-1477.

Gift Form

All donors are asked to submit a donation form when gifting physical items to the Library of Michigan. This allows staff to inventory incoming donations prior to processing. Physical forms are available at the Library of Michigan's 2nd Floor Reference Desk. Donors may also use our online donation form, especially if they mail items to the Library of Michigan.

Do not submit form until after communicating first with Library of Michigan staff. Contact the Library of Michigan at Librarian@Michigan.gov or 517-335-1477.

Gift Form
2025 Library of Michigan Make A Gift Form Screenshot

Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals Resources

2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications American Prison Newspapers

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. Publications from Michigan institutions are part of this collection.
Explore the American Prison Newspapers Project
2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications 1

Prison and Reformatory Periodicals Bibliography

This bibliography catalogs a unique collection of periodicals at the Library of Michigan produced by and for incarcerated individuals in Michigan—featuring a variety of content such as administrative updates, local news, inmate contributions like poems and stories, and institutional communications, with publications spanning from an 1893 issue through the bulk of the collection (1930–1990) . It highlights notable institutions like Jackson State Prison, the Industrial School for Boys in Lansing, Branch Prison in Marquette, and the Girl’s Training School, and underscores the value of these materials as creative outlets and vital research sources on prison life.
Explore Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals Bibliography
2025 Library of Michigan About the Library Library Gift Penal Publications LM Digital

Prison and Reformatory Periodicals on LM Digital

The Library of Michigan has scanned many of the publications from Michigan correctional facilities and made them available through the Prison and Reformatory Periodicals collection on the Library of Michigan Digital platform. Similar to the Library of Michigan's physical copies of Michigan penal publications, nearly all of these collections are incomplete.
Explore Michigan Prison and Reformatory Periodicals on LM Digital