Prison politics Archives - STRAIGHT FROM THE PEN

Report: Forced Labor Concerns in U.S. Prison System

Posted on July 9, 2025July 10, 2025 by JusticeStride

The report draws attention to what it describes as a modern form of forced labor embedded within the U.S. justice system.

Authority by Wayne T. Dowdy

Posted on July 19, 2023October 3, 2025 by WayneT Dowdy

Authority by Wayne T. Dowdy Authority is one of twelve essays in Essays & More Straight from the Pen by Wayne T. Dowdy, available at your favorite online booksellers, including Amazon and Walmart, and as an eBook from numerous booksellers. Essays & More Straight from the Pen is technically a personal magazine because it also…

The Truth About Incarceration, Part I

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Wayne Dowdy

Reposted Content: The Truth About Incarceration was originally published by PrisonLawBlog.com in November 2014, before being posted on StraightfromthePen.com. On Quora.com I posted The Truth About Incarceration, Part I, in response to a question. Then I received several positive comments, one of whom suggested I start a YouTube channel to inform the public about Life…

LIFE INSIDE

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Wayne Dowdy

by Wayne T. Dowdy Recent events that concern federal prisoners may affect whether I leave for a halfway house on April 25, 2018. Other events affect my serenity when I allow something eternal to govern my feelings, as is common for us living, breathing, human beings. Feelings, negative or positive, remind me I am alive. …

Happy HOLIDAYS 2025
Happy Holidays 2025 by Wayne T. Dowdy I know this isn’t politically correct, and I don’t care: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! My hope is for everyone to find something to be grateful for and to take that attitude into the New Year. May 2026 be a year of good health and prosperity. For...
Happy Thanksgiving 2025
Thanksgiving Is a Time to Be Grateful & Give Thanks One thing I am grateful and thankful for is that I am NOT a Cooked Turkey on a Table Here are quotes from previous blogs I wrote, one of which came while serving a thirty-five federal sentence (1988-2018). Please search “Thanksgiving” or “gratitude” for more:...
Invitation to Prisoners Who Want to Be Heard
The United States Supreme Court rulings order prison authorities to not violate the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Georgia ignores it!
Master Number 33 by Wayne T. Dowdy
My goal is to convert my negative experiences into positive ones by sharing my experience, strength, and hope with others, as is common in Twelve Step programs.
What About Unknown Innocence?
There is a God, he thought, as he trotted down the concourse to meet them, free at last.
When Does the Day Start for Federal Prisoners?
High-security prisons that house Maximum Custody inmates, may not allow those inmates to work in certain positions where more readily-available weapons or tools may be used to aid in an escape plan, or during ...
How to Overcome Substance Abuse and Build a Fulfilling Life
Each person’s path in recovery requires patience, grounded tools, and something harder to fake—purpose. Not the abstract kind. The kind you build with your hands, with your habits, with the people you let close again.