The Prison Mental-Health Crisis, Viewed From the Inside
A reporter serving time in a New York state prison offers an inmate’s-eye view of the American penal system.
Several years ago, when I was editing politics coverage for The Atlantic’s website, a fellow at the magazine dropped an unusual envelope on my desk. He’d been sifting through submissions in the magazine’s slush pile and thought I might be interested. The envelope was hand-addressed and had a big red stamp on it reading “ATTICA CORREC FAC.”
Enclosed was an essay, typed in Courier font on an old-fashioned typewriter. Over 900 words, the writer recounted the murder that had landed him in New
