Join Jeremy

The United States is the only nation in the world where a child can be legally sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Michael Montgomery is one such survivor of what he calls this “modern-day murder by the system.”

We are spotlighting Michael and his ongoing case of injustice, in partnership with the podcast Inmate Tea with A&P. You can listen to Michael share his story on their newest episode, “Growing Up Locked Up: The Truth About Juvenile Life Sentences."

You can also read a recent article by Jeremy Busby about Michael's case in Minutes Before Six, "“A True Redemption Story: The Second Look Movement," to learn about legislation that could offer those like Michael a feasible chance at freedom.

Both are linked on our newest blog post here:

Michael Montgomery: The Impact of Juvenile Life Sentences The United States is the only nation in the world where a child can be legally sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Michael Montgomery is one such survivor of what he calls th…

Last Thursday was the launch hosted by of the Journey to Justice bus tour and the new book Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement (Pluto Press) authored by incarcerated journalists Christopher Blackwell (who was able to join via phone) and Kwaneta Harris along with JoinJeremy board members Deborah Zalesne and Dr. Terry Kupers . I had the privilege of attending this powerful event, which featured iconic leaders Dorsey Nunn, Cat Brooks , and a remote appearance by Angela Davis.

The space brought community together for immersive education, vulnerable storytelling and discussion, and opportunities for collective action towards abolishing the inhumane practice of solitary confinement and combating the rapidly-expanding prison-industrial complex.

Ending Isolation features dozens of first-hand accounts from incarcerated writers, including Jeremy Busby, who continues to write and organize from solitary confinement. Please read this book and share it with others if you can. And check out the Journey to Justice bus tour if it’s coming to a city near you!

📝:
📷: &

Jeremy Busby: Gov. JB Pritzker should take a page out of Donald Trump’s book by freeing Larry Hoover

New Commentary by Jeremy in the Chicago Tribune. Link to full article here:
https://joinjeremy.org/2025/08/07/jeremy-busby-gov-jb-pritzker-should-take-a-page-out-of-donald-trumps-book-by-freeing-larry-hoover/

Jeremy Busby: Gov. JB Pritzker should take a page out of Donald Trump’s book by freeing Larry Hoover Larry Hoover remains locked up in Illinois, handing Donald Trump an opportunity to one-up his Democratic rivals.

Yesterday, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) hosted the webinar “Journalism Behind Bars: How federal law impedes reporting on America’s prisons,” a powerful one-hour conversation with incarcerated journalist Jeremy Busby, joined by Nina Patel and Corene Kendrick, senior attorneys at the American Civil Liberties Union.

They discussed discuss how federal law — specifically the Prison Litigation Reform Act, which Busby wrote about for FPF — blocks incarcerated journalists from exposing abuses and facilitates retaliation against those who try.

Listen to the recorded webinar here:

Journalism Behind Bars: How federal law impedes reporting on America’s prisons

"Insights from a former prison journalist" by JoinJeremy Advocacy and Content Director William Chaplar - read now on our website:

Insights from a former prison journalist My name is William Chaplar, but I have also gone by my nom de plume of C.W. Elliot. I served nineteen years in various Texas prison units between 1993 and 2011. For my final thirteen months of that…

Last week, Jason Boss of the Youtube podcast Behind the Bars interviewed Jeremy Busby about his life and the circumstances of his prison sentence. Visit our website to listen to the episode, as well as read a re-sharing of Jeremy's related 2022 article "How ‘Standing My Ground’ Earned Me 75 Years in Prison," originally published in The Crime Report.

Jeremy Busby on Behind the Bars + “How ‘Standing My Ground’ Earned Me 75 Years in Prison” This week, Jason Boss of Behind the Bars interviewed Jeremy Busby about his life and the circumstances of his prison sentence. Listen to the podcast episode here: In an article originally published…

Jeremy Busby explains the impact of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, and how journalists reporting from prisons nationwide face relentless retaliation for speaking truth to power and are systemically obstructed from seeking recourse from the courts.

freedom.press/issues/unjust-law-helps-prison-officials-muzzle-incarcerated-journalists

Unjust law helps prison officials muzzle incarcerated journalists Without legal recourse, abuses against incarcerated journalists go unchecked

"Life Sentence" by Jeremy Busby was published last month in Minutes Before Six

In this personal essay, Jeremy Busby reflects on the moment he received his life sentence 27 years ago. Recalling a life-changing conversation with an elder inmate, Jeremy shares the lessons that empowered him to not only survive, but thrive and succeed on his own terms in spite of his circumstances.

Read at

minutesbeforesix.com

"The Harsh Reality of Being a Prison Journalist" was published last month in Columbia Journalism Review

JoinJeremy Outreach Coordinator Theodore Amey and Board Director Seth Stern discuss the harsh retaliation and censorship that incarcerated journalists face for their reporting on conditions inside prisons. They highlight the experiences of Jeremy Busby, alongside Kwaneta Harris and other incarcerated journalists who have endured similar retaliatory punishment for their work.

Read at

The Harsh Reality of Being a Prison Journalist Censorship, threats, and stints in solitary are among the acts of retaliation prison reporters face.

New article by Jeremy Busby published on The Appeal in partnership with Solitary Watch: "No Exit: Death and Despair in Texas’s 'Double-Cell' Solitary Units"

In this story, Jeremy Busby examines the physical violence, psychological harm, and dehumanization that occurs as the result of “what the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) calls G5/P5/J5 close custody, units where two people share a single cell [the size of a parking space] for nearly 24 hours a day.”

Read at

No Exit: Death and Despair in Texas’s “Double-Cell” Solitary Units Texas state prisons incarcerate more than 4,500 people in two-person cells the size of a parking space for nearly 24 hours a day.

ANNOUNCING BIG CHANGES! Under Jeremy's leadership, JoinJeremy is expanding its mission to advance the work of incarcerated journalists and writers across the country.

Through connecting, platforming and amplifying incarcerated voices, we aim to spread education, raise consciousness and compel action towards transforming the criminal legal system, abolishing its harmful practices, and directly supporting those impacted.
To learn more, visit our new website at

JoinJeremy Uplifting Incarcerated Journalists and Writers