Why do we talk about bees so much? The answer is older than you think. Learn the surprising history of the “bee” and why communal effort is at the heart of everything we do.
Melissa Bee
Civics 101: How a Bill Becomes a Law (and Why It’s So Damn Slow)
A plain-English breakdown of how a bill becomes a law — and why justice-related reforms move at a crawl. Includes a critical look at non-retroactive laws that leave people behind, even after reforms pass.
Six Things About Adopt an Inmate
Six quick facts about Adopt an Inmate — what we do, why we exist, and how we’re powered by people, not profit.
Your Sunday Read: On Travel, Truth, and Telling It Like It Is
☕ Settle in. This week’s Sunday Reads comes with a quiet nod to Mother’s Day — a day that holds tenderness, ache, celebration, and complexity, sometimes all at once. Whether you’re mothering others, missing yours, or healing...
Letters From Prison: My Momma
In this moving piece titled My Momma, one writer behind bars paints a vivid portrait of love, memory, and resilience. Read by a theater student in our Letters from Prison video series, it’s a reminder that even from behind walls, gratitude and reverence still bloom.
The Good, The Bad, The Change: Freyja in Virginia
This series shares reflections directly from people in prison — what gives them hope, what causes harm, and what they believe needs to change. ADD YOUR TWO CENTS Snail mail: Adopt an Inmate*Good Bad Change*PO Box 1543Veneta, OR 97487 Use this form [spacer...
Fact Check Friday: Everyone in Prison Deserves to Be There
Not everyone behind bars is guilty—and guilt isn’t the only reason people end up in prison. From wrongful convictions to poverty and plea deals, the truth is far messier than the myth.
Civics 101: Who Represents You?
Think you know who makes the rules in your state? Take five minutes today to look up your representatives - local, state, and federal. These are the people who vote on funding for prisons, education, housing, public defense, and reentry. In some states, they even vote...
Bee 🐝 Sides: Travel Will Break You Open
Welcome to Bee Sidesshort reflections on justice, hope, and the human spirit This series is a corner of our blog where I gather books, stories, and unexpected moments that linger long after the first glance. Most will tie back to incarceration,...
Fact Check Friday: No, They’re Not Voting
Undocumented immigrants are not getting Social Security numbers or voting in U.S. elections. But many are paying billions into the system—and never seeing a return.