Inquest
@inquest.bsky.social
National Magazine Award 2025 finalist. Cited in Best American Essays 2025. Stillwater Award winner. Focused on ending mass incarceration.
All our links: https://linktr.ee/inquest.org
Can you spare $5?: https://inquest.org/donate/
All our links: https://linktr.ee/inquest.org
Can you spare $5?: https://inquest.org/donate/
"Carceral AI is not a futuristic threat—it is a present-day reality, a logical extension of a system built to surveil and punish marginalized communities." Philosopher Dasha Pruss on how AI is worsening the crisis of mass incarceration.
Carceral AI is here. It’s time to fight back. - Dasha Pruss - Inquest
Facial recognition is just the tip of the iceberg. Today, AI is being used to monitor social media, track ICE targets, and classify swaths of the population as “future” criminals.
inquest.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"Carceral AI is not a futuristic threat—it is a present-day reality, a logical extension of a system built to surveil and punish marginalized communities." Philosopher Dasha Pruss on how AI is worsening the crisis of mass incarceration.
"With the meteoric rise of AI, the U.S. criminal legal system has embraced the technology’s promise to streamline or automate traditionally human tasks under the logic of penal reform. But AI has worsened the system’s injustices." Dasha Pruss
Carceral AI is here. It’s time to fight back. - Dasha Pruss - Inquest
Facial recognition is just the tip of the iceberg. Today, AI is being used to monitor social media, track ICE targets, and classify swaths of the population as “future” criminals.
inquest.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:15 PM
"With the meteoric rise of AI, the U.S. criminal legal system has embraced the technology’s promise to streamline or automate traditionally human tasks under the logic of penal reform. But AI has worsened the system’s injustices." Dasha Pruss
This week, Inquest covered the woefully misguided efforts to reform immigration policing and the exploitative reliance of temp agencies on formerly incarcerated people. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
February 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This week, Inquest covered the woefully misguided efforts to reform immigration policing and the exploitative reliance of temp agencies on formerly incarcerated people. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
Today is the last day to submit presentation proposals! Conference attendance is free but registration is required. Get all the details:
Carceral Political Economy Conference 2026 - Inquest
Inquest is cosponsoring this year’s Carceral Political Economy Conference at The New School for Social Research, New York City, March 27–28, 2026.
inquest.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Today is the last day to submit presentation proposals! Conference attendance is free but registration is required. Get all the details:
"Decarceral and labor organizing are inseparable." —Maya Ragsdale of Beyond the Bars on how the temp labor market exploits formerly incarcerated people, to the detriment of all workers.
“I Was Just a Body” - Maya Ragsdale - Inquest
Temp agencies rely on a constant stream of formerly incarcerated workers to keep jobs unstable and wages low.
inquest.org
February 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"Decarceral and labor organizing are inseparable." —Maya Ragsdale of Beyond the Bars on how the temp labor market exploits formerly incarcerated people, to the detriment of all workers.
For formerly incarcerated people with work requirements, "the carceral system and the temp industry reinforce one another," keeping recently freed people stuck in risky, low-paying jobs under threat of reincarceration. Maya Ragsdale of Beyond the Bars on the "temp trap":
“I Was Just a Body” - Maya Ragsdale - Inquest
Temp agencies rely on a constant stream of formerly incarcerated workers to keep jobs unstable and wages low.
inquest.org
February 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
For formerly incarcerated people with work requirements, "the carceral system and the temp industry reinforce one another," keeping recently freed people stuck in risky, low-paying jobs under threat of reincarceration. Maya Ragsdale of Beyond the Bars on the "temp trap":
"An emphasis on professionalization portrays high-profile incidents of police violence not as moral failures but as proceduralist failures. The problem is located not in the violence itself but in the procedures that were (or weren’t) followed surrounding the violence."
The ICE Reformation Trap - Spencer Piston - Inquest
Professionalization will not make immigration policing less violent. It will only increase its capacity, authority, and scope.
inquest.org
February 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"An emphasis on professionalization portrays high-profile incidents of police violence not as moral failures but as proceduralist failures. The problem is located not in the violence itself but in the procedures that were (or weren’t) followed surrounding the violence."
We're cosponsoring this year’s Carceral Political Economy Conference at The New School for Social Research, NYC, March 27–28. Register to attend (it's free!) and *UNTIL FRIDAY* submit presentation proposals.
Carceral Political Economy Conference 2026 - Inquest
Inquest is cosponsoring this year’s Carceral Political Economy Conference at The New School for Social Research, New York City, March 27–28, 2026.
inquest.org
February 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM
We're cosponsoring this year’s Carceral Political Economy Conference at The New School for Social Research, NYC, March 27–28. Register to attend (it's free!) and *UNTIL FRIDAY* submit presentation proposals.
"The appeal of [police] reforms lies in their seductive promise to get it right next time: to enact violence only under a predetermined and legitimate set of circumstances." Spencer Piston on why immigration policing can't be fixed with professionalization, only worsened.
The ICE Reformation Trap - Spencer Piston - Inquest
Professionalization will not make immigration policing less violent. It will only increase its capacity, authority, and scope.
inquest.org
February 3, 2026 at 1:43 PM
"The appeal of [police] reforms lies in their seductive promise to get it right next time: to enact violence only under a predetermined and legitimate set of circumstances." Spencer Piston on why immigration policing can't be fixed with professionalization, only worsened.
"It is not illegal to record and report on what people in power would rather keep hidden."
The Movement Media Alliance condemns the targeting of journalists
We call on news organizations, civil liberties groups, elected officials, and the public to speak out and reaffirm that journalism must not be criminalized.
movement-media.org
February 2, 2026 at 4:25 PM
"It is not illegal to record and report on what people in power would rather keep hidden."
Reposted by Inquest
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough. Story via @inquest.bsky.social.
“One Minute Remaining” - Shebri Dillon - Inquest
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough.
inquest.org
January 31, 2026 at 4:04 PM
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough. Story via @inquest.bsky.social.
This week Inquest published first-person testimony on how prisons break families and debunked the racist natalism of Trump's enablers. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
![Quote card from Cynthia Godsoe and Anna Belle Newport's Inquest article "The Myth of Pro-Family America": "Money, like race, has always been at the heart of the intertwined projects of natalism and family policing. Tech bros tout large families as a status symbol [while] poor families are punished for having children or even prevented from doing so."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:yvl5jt47f5e5qm5pxhdfxrkb/bafkreihjn2mln5bb2fjgbrltyxt25d24q5zqvfvyqhkqdhjdndnhaipffm@jpeg)
January 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This week Inquest published first-person testimony on how prisons break families and debunked the racist natalism of Trump's enablers. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
"No matter how hard I have fought to maintain this relationship with my kids, only the shell remains. We are going to have to get to know each other again, and grieve the losses of what we can never get back." Shebri Dillon being an incarcerated mom
“One Minute Remaining” - Shebri Dillon - Inquest
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough.
inquest.org
January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"No matter how hard I have fought to maintain this relationship with my kids, only the shell remains. We are going to have to get to know each other again, and grieve the losses of what we can never get back." Shebri Dillon being an incarcerated mom
"I am a mother of four children. I had no prior convictions and I was facing nonviolent charges, so no one ever thought that, 9 years later, I would in prison parenting in 20-minute intervals, the maximum length of a prison phone call in Virginia." —Shebri Dillon, VA mother
“One Minute Remaining” - Shebri Dillon - Inquest
As an incarcerated mother, I have fought to remain in my children’s lives. I’ve done everything I could—and it still wasn’t enough.
inquest.org
January 29, 2026 at 3:12 PM
"I am a mother of four children. I had no prior convictions and I was facing nonviolent charges, so no one ever thought that, 9 years later, I would in prison parenting in 20-minute intervals, the maximum length of a prison phone call in Virginia." —Shebri Dillon, VA mother
"Not surprisingly to any parent, research shows that the most effective way to help families—far more than parenting classes, awards, or punitive surveillance—is to give them material resources." —Cynthia Godsoe
& Anna Belle Newport
& Anna Belle Newport
The Myth of Pro-Family America - Cynthia Godsoe & Anna Belle Newport - Inquest
Trump’s allies incite moral panic about shrinking white families, even as the state dismantles families of color—a paradox rooted in slavery and eugenics.
inquest.org
January 28, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"Not surprisingly to any parent, research shows that the most effective way to help families—far more than parenting classes, awards, or punitive surveillance—is to give them material resources." —Cynthia Godsoe
& Anna Belle Newport
& Anna Belle Newport
"While the state pushes a pronatalism and anti-abortion agenda, it also punishes some families for having children at all. Specifically, white, Christian, heterosexual, marital, and middle-class families are prized, while others are pathologized."
The Myth of Pro-Family America - Cynthia Godsoe & Anna Belle Newport - Inquest
Trump’s allies incite moral panic about shrinking white families, even as the state dismantles families of color—a paradox rooted in slavery and eugenics.
inquest.org
January 27, 2026 at 2:55 PM
"While the state pushes a pronatalism and anti-abortion agenda, it also punishes some families for having children at all. Specifically, white, Christian, heterosexual, marital, and middle-class families are prized, while others are pathologized."
This week Inquest interviewed the nation's best-known prison journalist, John J. Lennon, and covered the effort to end felony disenfranchisement in Georgia. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
January 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This week Inquest interviewed the nation's best-known prison journalist, John J. Lennon, and covered the effort to end felony disenfranchisement in Georgia. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
"Sometimes, people thought I was exposing too much, breaking unwritten codes, or even 'ratting.' Not all the responses were negative, but that’s the feedback you remember." Read more in our interview with famous prison journalist John J. Lennon:
“I Want to Find the Connectedness in Everyone.” - John J. Lennon - Inquest
The nation’s best-known prison journalist discusses his book ‘The Tragedy of True Crime’ and the challenges faced by those who write from inside.
inquest.org
January 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"Sometimes, people thought I was exposing too much, breaking unwritten codes, or even 'ratting.' Not all the responses were negative, but that’s the feedback you remember." Read more in our interview with famous prison journalist John J. Lennon:
"It’s difficult to grapple with a complex news story, then get thrown back into the chaos of prison life, with its constant interruptions and noise." Esquire contributing editor John J. Lennon on the extreme challenges of being an incarcerated journalist:
“I Want to Find the Connectedness in Everyone.” - John J. Lennon - Inquest
The nation’s best-known prison journalist discusses his book ‘The Tragedy of True Crime’ and the challenges faced by those who write from inside.
inquest.org
January 22, 2026 at 2:16 PM
"It’s difficult to grapple with a complex news story, then get thrown back into the chaos of prison life, with its constant interruptions and noise." Esquire contributing editor John J. Lennon on the extreme challenges of being an incarcerated journalist:
"I continue to make films to support our collective work because I want to do what I can to make sure our truths are told whole." Page Dukes — short film on felony disenfranchisement in Georgia streaming for free now:
Ending Felony Disenfranchisement - Page Dukes - Inquest
More than half of states do not automatically restore voting rights upon release from prison. A short film contributes to the effort underway in Georgia to end this anti-democratic practice.
inquest.org
January 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"I continue to make films to support our collective work because I want to do what I can to make sure our truths are told whole." Page Dukes — short film on felony disenfranchisement in Georgia streaming for free now:
"It takes trust and accountability to share and honor each other’s stories without perpetuating the extractive and exploitative practices, intentional or unintentional, we all experience working with conventional news media." Watch Page Dukes 's short film:
Ending Felony Disenfranchisement - Page Dukes - Inquest
More than half of states do not automatically restore voting rights upon release from prison. A short film contributes to the effort underway in Georgia to end this anti-democratic practice.
inquest.org
January 20, 2026 at 4:46 PM
"It takes trust and accountability to share and honor each other’s stories without perpetuating the extractive and exploitative practices, intentional or unintentional, we all experience working with conventional news media." Watch Page Dukes 's short film:
This week Inquest shared the story of a life-destroying encounter with child protective services, and exploring the racist history of the U.S. death penalty. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
January 17, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This week Inquest shared the story of a life-destroying encounter with child protective services, and exploring the racist history of the U.S. death penalty. Get the full recap: mailchi.mp/inquest.o...
"We are no longer living under slavery, and the government should not be able to steal Black babies away from their families." –Toia Potts, North Carolina mother whose children were taken and *given away* by the state's CPS.
CPS Stole My Children - Toia Potts - Inquest
When I was falsely accused of abuse, North Carolina took away my sons. I was exonerated but I still may never see them again.
inquest.org
January 16, 2026 at 1:01 PM
"We are no longer living under slavery, and the government should not be able to steal Black babies away from their families." –Toia Potts, North Carolina mother whose children were taken and *given away* by the state's CPS.
"Although I was eventually released from jail and all charges against me were dismissed, I still have never had my parental rights reinstated or been reunited with Mansa and Kimoni." Toia Potts's terrifying first-person account of the racist violence of family policing.
CPS Stole My Children - Toia Potts - Inquest
When I was falsely accused of abuse, North Carolina took away my sons. I was exonerated but I still may never see them again.
inquest.org
January 15, 2026 at 2:54 PM
"Although I was eventually released from jail and all charges against me were dismissed, I still have never had my parental rights reinstated or been reunited with Mansa and Kimoni." Toia Potts's terrifying first-person account of the racist violence of family policing.
Reposted by Inquest
As states like Virginia and Washington confront the death penalty's racist legacy, Ngozi Ndulue examines why racial injustice must be central to abolition efforts.
Read this powerful excerpt from "The Slow Death of the Death Penalty" at @inquest.bsky.social
Read this powerful excerpt from "The Slow Death of the Death Penalty" at @inquest.bsky.social
"The youngest children sentenced to death in U.S. history were African American and Native American boys." Ngozi Ndulue offers a moving history of racial injustice, a preview of 'The Slow Death of the Death Penalty' from NYU Press
The Racist Roots of the Death Penalty - Ngozi Ndulue - Inquest
Racial injustice was central to the establishment of the U.S. death penalty. Ending racial injustice must be central to its abolition.
inquest.org
January 14, 2026 at 2:13 PM
As states like Virginia and Washington confront the death penalty's racist legacy, Ngozi Ndulue examines why racial injustice must be central to abolition efforts.
Read this powerful excerpt from "The Slow Death of the Death Penalty" at @inquest.bsky.social
Read this powerful excerpt from "The Slow Death of the Death Penalty" at @inquest.bsky.social