Penal Press: American Publications
Much of the advocacy for the installment of the Canadian penal press was based on its American counterpart. The American penal press originated on March 24, 1800 with ‘Forlorn Hope’ – the first newspaper published within a prison by its inmates. Since then, over 450 prison newspapers have since been founded across America.
The library holds one American publication: The Interpreter (Colorado State Penitentiary, Colorado). For a more comprehensive collection of American publications, explore the JSTOR digitized collection: American Prison Newspapers, 1800s-present: Voices from the Inside.
This open access collection holds issues from 1800 – 2020, from across the United States with growing focus on women’s-only institutions. Like the Canadian penal press, publications cover issues and concerns facing penal institutions of all kinds.
For a full record of the issues the library holds pertaining to this topic, please refer to the penal press finding aid (PDF.).