July 1, 2024
Filter Magazine »More than 100 new laws took effect in Georgia on July 1. Though only some sections of punitive cash bail legislation were enacted, after a judge temporarily blocked the full version, many other new laws pertaining to harm reduction have now been enacted. One of them expands access to opioid-overdose reversal medications. Another makes fentanyl distribution punishable by life in prison.
June 28, 2024
The Lighthouse »African American music has been a potent tool for social and political protest throughout history. From the haunting melodies of slave spirituals to the fiery anthems of the civil rights movement, music has given voice to the oppressed, galvanized communities, and challenged systems of oppression. Incarcerated poet, playwright, performing artist, award-winning visual artist and “King of Prison Hip Hop” Donald Oliver Hooker, known as “C-Note”, spoke with BGX about the force that is Black music.
June 25, 2024
Filter Magazine »At around 4 am on June 16, Smith State Prison became the site of the only fatal shooting in recent memory carried out by someone in Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) custody. Aureon Grace, a 24-year-old food service employee, was shot by 34-year-old Jaydrekus Hart, who then turned the gun on himself. The Atlanta Constitution-Journal reported that death certificates at least as far back as 2017 do not reference any similar shootings.
June 6, 2024
The Bittman Project »With food inside prisons often dreary and repetitive, some incarcerated people are taking their diets into their own hands.
May 7, 2024
The Lighthouse »My journey after release from incarceration is a hard contrast from my mix of emotions when I first stepped from the prison gates: relief, apprehension, and a glimmer of hope for a new beginning. Little did I know the journey to rebuild myself would be fraught with heartache and disappointment. The sting of rejection became an all too familiar companion.
April 22, 2024
The Lighthouse »The development known as “Cop City” is still making heat in Atlanta, stirring controversy, and sparking passion from individuals and organizations alike. The concept of building a nearly $100 million centralized, law enforcement training center within an Atlanta greenspace began more than a year ago, and critics say it represents a significant threat to communities.
April 18, 2024
The Lighthouse »The overall imprisonment rate in 2022 stood at 355 per 100,000 Americans in 2022. However, the U.S. imprisons about 1,826 Black men per 100,000 residents. The U.S. is the most incarcerating nation in the world, according to a January report by Statistica research.
March 28, 2024
The Lighthouse »Georgia Republicans are reviving a controversial Prosecutors Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) after a state DA dared to prosecute GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Critics say the commission could carry heavy implications for the justice system, particularly regarding prosecutors advocating for progressive reform.
March 26, 2024
LGBTQ Nation & Gay Sonoma »In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting some of the many incredible LGBTQ+ women and allies of both the past and present, women who overcame unimaginable obstacles to change the world. On March 1st, 2024, as the sun spent the day hiding and rain washed over the city of Atlanta, a quiet but important moment took place at Liberty Plaza outside the Capitol Building.
March 11, 2024
The Lighthouse »Legislators in states like Georgia are preparing to expand their war on the homeless this legislative session. In the Deep South, the journey from incarceration to freedom can be bleak and disheartening. For many emerging from Southern prisons, the transition is marked by dehumanization and the daunting prospect of rebuilding a life amidst systemic barriers. Mental health issues, which often led to the incarceration, remain unaddressed, and resources are limited upon release.
February 29, 2024
The Lighthouse »Every morning, I still wake up with the weight of my past pressing down on me. Having been incarcerated and only recently released, the struggle of rebuilding my life and navigating relationships feels like traversing a treacherous minefield blindfolded. Upon release, I found myself alone, yet hopeful venturing back into the world of dating would be a smooth transition.
January 29, 2024
The Lighthouse »They say, “freedom is a process, not an event.” For those facing life after prison, this rings no truer. After incarceration, life can be a tangled, messy tapestry hanging in the shadow of a colossal incarceration industry. Prison was no joy, but the journey of rebuilding life, career, and family is nearly as arduous. For Atlanta resident B. Lo*, 30, the fifth month of freedom is “like a delicate and tiring dance with uncertainty.””Every job rejection feels like a reminder of my past.
January 18, 2024
Salon »During the pandemic, many incarcerated individuals faced a harsh reality. They endured meager meals, consisting frequently of two bologna sandwiches for breakfast and supper, for months on end while prisons were on lockdown and staff sizes reduced. Small portions of poorly prepared oatmeal, sliced bread and, if fortunate, canned fruit comprised the offerings when regular food services resumed.
December 7, 2023
Filter Magazine »The room I rent in a Georgia boarding house for people on the sex offender registry costs $800 per month. It was the only release address I could find that was acceptable to the Georgia Department of Corrections, from which I got out on parole in September. There’s no minimum or maximum time I’m supposed to stay at this address. I can live here as long as I keep coming up with $800 a month, or leave if I ever find another place where my money’s good.
November 26, 2023
The Lighthouse »After being released from a prison sentence of more than 10 years, the world appeared to be a territory uncharted and ripe for discovery. My parole confined my travels to the state of Georgia. However restricted, the constraint allowed a journey of profound transformation.
November 23, 2023
Filter Magazine »Many people who are in recovery have noted that the culture of modern dating isn’t the most suited to them. The default first-date suggestion is often to meet the other person at a bar. But at least those who choose not to use alcohol as a social lubricant can seek out like-minded people and get to know them in spaces that suit them both. The same is true for people of certain religious upbringings or who otherwise aren’t much inclined to drink in the first place.
October 25, 2023
Filter Magazine »Last Sunday, I tried to work up the courage to go to church. I did some Googling of the churches sprinkled around the Georgia county where I currently live. There are dozens; I could take my pick. But when I think about meeting a new congregation, I freeze. Do I introduce myself as trans? As someone who just got out of prison? As a registered sex offender? Or do I make up some story that’s easier?
October 19, 2023
Filter Magazine »In the month since I was released from Georgia Department of Corrections custody, I’ve been offered four different jobs. I could have been an account lead at a prominent insurance agency; a receptionist at the same agency, different location; an accountant at another insurance agency; and a paralegal assistant at a law firm. I submitted each offer to my local sheriff’s department, where each was promptly rejected. It appears there are only two available positions in the entire county I’d be allowed to work, one of them at Taco Bell and the other also at Taco Bell.
October 13, 2023
Filter Magazine »The other day I was in Walmart when a little girl, maybe 8 or so, struck up a conversation. Her mom smiled at me; I shook both their hands as we all chatted next to our carts. It was a nice, organic moment, the kind of spontaneous human interaction I’d almost forgotten about over the past decade while I was in prison. As we went our separate ways, I saw a police officer walking into the store and felt my stomach drop. Did I just violate the conditions of my parole? I panicked.