Across Prison Walls: Lessons from Prison Journalism

Across the country, dozens of prison publications are challenging dominant narratives about incarceration and driving change beyond prison walls. What is prison journalism and how can lawyers and law students learn from journalists working from behind bars? 

Please join panelists Amber Bray, Christopher Blackwell, Phillip Luna, and Jesse Vasquez in a conversation moderated by Chesa Boudin. Expect to hear about stories written by incarcerated journalists, what it means to report from the inside, and insights into how prison journalism can bridge the divide between people in prisons and those on the outside.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Amber Bray is Editor-in-Chief of Central California Women’s Facility’s Paper Trails, a pioneering publication that serves the largest women’s prison in the world.

Christopher Blackwell is an award-winning journalist currently incarcerated in Washington State, serving a 45-year prison sentence. He is the co-founder of Look2Justice and has published in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Nation. He is a contributing writer with Jewish Currents, and a contributing editor with The Appeal where he writes a monthly newsletter. His new book, Ending Isolation, comes out in September 2025.

Phillip Luna is the editor of both The Echo and 1664 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. During his incarceration, Phillip has facilitated a beekeeping program and Roots of Success, an environmental literacy course. He also has an apprenticeship through the Department of Labor to become a certified technical educator in environmental literacy. In his spare time, he is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English. Phillip has been incarcerated since 2015.

Jesse Vasquez is the Executive Director of Pollen Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating media centers inside prisons across the country. He was Editor-in-Chief of San Quentin News from 2017 until he was paroled in 2019. Since then he has served as the strategic advisor for San Quentin News, ForwardThis Productions and Change Talk podcast. Jesse sits on the Governor’s advisory council to transform San Quentin into an innovative rehabilitation center.

RSVP for lunch here (RSVP open until Thursday, 8/21)

**Please not room change to 132