Author: James Mancuso

The best way to help people in Idaho prisons? Give them work.

Incarcerated labor can reduce the burden on taxpayers, improve the prison system and prepare people like me for life after prison. [Originally published by Prison Journalism Project.] By James Mancuso Idaho spends almost $75 a day to house me and every other person in its prisons. At around 8,000 people incarcerated, that’s nearly $220 million a year. Imagine … Continue reading “The best way to help people in Idaho prisons? Give them work.”

In between prison fences, dogs get a second chance at life.

Spared from euthanasia, these pups patrol a strip of prison land in Idaho to keep people from escaping. By James Mancuso [This article was originally published at the Prison Journalism Project and appears here with author’s permission] Around nearly every prison is a fence topped with razor wire. Just beyond that fence is often another … Continue reading “In between prison fences, dogs get a second chance at life.”

A toss of oatmeal draws a feeding frenzy at this Idaho prison.

I enjoy watching the antics of the birds and rabbits that arrive for the feast. By James Mancuso [This article was originally published at the Prison Journalism Project and appears here with author’s permission] Every morning, I toss a large handful of dry oatmeal flakes onto the prison’s recreation yard to feed the animals. Some … Continue reading “A toss of oatmeal draws a feeding frenzy at this Idaho prison.”