
Charlotte West
41 posts
Open Campus national reporter covering the future of postsecondary education in prison.
Pursuing a degree inside isn’t easy, but success is ‘so sweet’
How education on death row gave one prison journalist the tools to fight back against the system.
February 1, 2023
How an illicit cell phone helped me take college courses from prison
Cell phones in prisons are often seen as a threat to security, but they are also a lifeline to information and knowledge.
January 20, 2023
A look inside prison radio
Prison radio stations give people access to meaningful professional training and opportunities for creative expression.
January 18, 2023
Reflections on a year of covering prison education
Most of the people I’ve talked to who went to college inside have gotten an education in spite of prison, not because of prison. And there's a great hunger for education inside.
December 21, 2022
Takeaways from a prison education program’s demise
Education inside can be delayed or ended altogether. The collateral consequences that go far beyond not finishing a degree.
December 8, 2022
When a prison closed, dozens of college dreams died with it
The story of the Washington state students shows just how fleeting even established programs can be. Access to higher education often comes down to a matter of geography — and luck.
December 6, 2022
How to parent a college student from prison
A first-person essay on being a college student from afar, plus a look at coverage of prison education in Illinois.
November 18, 2022
Prison, rehabilitation, and wasted potential
A Q&A with Bill Keller about his new book, as well as the latest on Pell Grants and loan forgiveness.
November 3, 2022
Q&A: Bill Keller on rehabilitation and the waste of human potential
Bill Keller, founding editor of the Marshall Project, talks with national reporter Charlotte West about his new book, "What’s Prison For?".
November 2, 2022
The role of college when you think you’re never getting out
Journalist Rahsaan “New York” Thomas and David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez talk about fighting the system and the role of education in prison.
October 20, 2022