Discussions with DPIC Podcast: Shedding Light on Underreported Stories of Incarceration and Death Row — con­ver­sa­tion with Keri Blakinger

In this month’s episode of Discussions with DPIC, Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with Keri Blakinger, a journalist at the Los Angeles Times and former reporter for the Marshall Project — a nonprofit news organization focused on the U.S. criminal justice system. At the Marshall Project, Ms. Blakinger wrote stories about the human beings in the criminal justice system — a focus that is still a priority in her reporting with the Los Angeles Times.

Ms. Blakinger’s personal experience with prison has given her a unique perspective. In her book, Corrections in Ink: A Memoir (2022), she powerfully tells the story of her personal journey beginning as a young competitive figure skater with an eating disorder, through addiction and incarceration, and ultimately to her transformation into journalist and advocate. 

Ms. Blakinger explains how and why she tells the untold and underreported stories of those in prison and on death row. She provides details in her stories that are usually not reported in mainstream media, for example, how some women in prison are forced to exchange sexual favors for basic necessities like toilet paper, and how death row prisoners do not have access to proper dental care. 

Ms. Blakinger notes that death row is not a transient stop between either exoneration or execution— but, for many, remains a persistent state. For this reason, media scrutiny can reveal frequently dysfunctional aspects of death row. Ms. Blakinger recalls reporting on the execution of a person with Parkinson’s disease, who most likely suffered from extensive tremors while being executed, but for some reason was unnoticed in official reporting. She also describes her relationship with death row prisoners, including John Henry Ramirez (executed on October 5th, 2022 in Texas), who became the inspiration for her upcoming documentary: “I am Ready, Warden.” It will premiere at the  Big Sky Film Festival in Montana later this year.

In her journalism, Ms. Blakinger offers a gendered perspective of imprisonment, as she notes that “prisons are designed mostly for men,” emphasizing the unique issues for women and those who identify as women , including the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse. As Ms. Blakinger says, “many women in prisons are victims of sexual violence,” and during their confinement, they end up in a space primarily dominated by male staff, which can perpetuate or deepen trauma.

Ms. Blakinger describes her role “as outside oversight.” Her narratives present the examples of rehabilitation, redemption, and hope, for example, when she describes how incarcerated people play Dungeons and Dragons (a fantasy tabletop role-playing game) or organize their own radio shows—showcasing that even behind bars humanity can prevail and spur restorative justice.