Banning social media in prisons silences important voices

In 2022, after 12 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, I became a journalist, writing for outlets like parents.com, The Marshall Project, and the Columbia Journal. I had a burning desire to rewrite the narrative my country was being fed about people like me living behind the fence.

But for journalists who do not write about life behind bars but instead choose to write about the issues facing the country outside of prison, social media bans act as a blockade of any source of information they could use to produce quality work.

That’s why we must collectively breathe new life into the fight for the rights of incarcerated journalists who are stifled by social media bans. And while the rule now being proposed could formalize a ban and increase the risks faced by those who use social media in prison, in my experience and that of other federal inmates I know, incarcerated people already have no meaningful access to social media.

Social media provides a platform for journalists and writers to share their work and engage not only with their professional network, but also with their audience. A prison social media ban, like the one I faced, prevents journalists and writers from connecting with their readers, potentially limiting their impact and reach. This begs the question: What good is a writer without a reader? These kinds of questions stab the soul of a dedicated journalist, causing wounds that may never heal.

The challenges that social media bans pose for journalists in prison go beyond keys, locked doors, or other digital barriers. Not being able to raise your voice and be heard also has lasting psychological and emotional consequences.

For journalists and writers, social media can serve as therapy, inspiration, and creative expression. Being banned from social media can lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, and a loss of self-expression, which affects your mental well-being. These mental strains add to a burden that is already too heavy to bear.

The ban on social media in federal prisons has turned me into a rule-breaking offender. Third-party companies that bypass existing messaging systems, like CorrLinks, allow incarcerated writers to bypass digital gatekeepers and gain access to the eyes and ears of the general public.

I won’t divulge how these third parties operate, but it goes without saying that their use by a prisoner is illegal, and if an incarcerated journalist is caught using such a resource, he or she could face severe, even torturous, penalties, such as weeks of solitary confinement or even months added to his or her sentence.