Photo by RJ Sangosti for the Denver Post.
Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio launched March 1, 2022. A program of the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative, Inside Wire is created by and for incarcerated people, beaming into every prison cell in the state via the Colorado Department of Corrections closed-circuit television network. It also broadcasts to the public as well, via this website and the Inside Wire app.
WHY A PRISON RADIO STATION?
People who are incarcerated are vulnerable to:
Prison radio can provide a response to these challenges. It can support people’s growth and sense of purpose while they’re in prison, as well as when they re-enter their communities. It can mitigate loneliness and mental health distress, and it can equip incarcerated producers with technical skills, resilience, and a sense of meaning for their lives and the lives of those around them.
At Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio, incarcerated producers use industry-standard audio production equipment to operate our 24/7 broadcast from start to finish: they conduct interviews; produce feature stories illuminating life inside; host music shows; and write and edit programs that disseminate information, knowledge, and entertainment. As they work closely together in our studios and deepen their technical skills, they also cultivate certain core values, including respect, empathy, self-worth, vulnerability, trust, and collaboration.
Not only does the work of Inside Wire support the incarcerated people who create it; it also supports incarcerated listeners. Colorado Public Radio producer Jon Pinnow writes that “a well-told story – whether on the radio or around a campfire – engages a listener’s imagination to fill in details and bridge gaps. In that way, listeners help make the story. It’s a collaborative process that requires some theater of the mind” (CPR, 2017).
The phrase “theater of the mind” refers to the power of radio to engage the imagination of listeners. Inside Wire serves to provide a sense of companionship, hope, and humor to incarcerated individuals as they navigate periods of vulnerability and isolation. These positive impacts in turn increase the possibility that incarcerated listeners may return to their communities feeling whole, connected, and purposeful.
WHY BROADCAST BEYOND THE WALLS?
Inside Wire is the first prison radio station in the world known to broadcast 24/7 to listeners in the public as well as inside facilities. By doing this, Inside Wire can cultivate a sense of social connection and immediacy between incarcerated people and the world beyond the walls. Forming these connections has implications for improving mental health outcomes, recidivism, and shifting prison culture as well as the public’s understanding of the prison system.
Cynthia Gonzalez, Inside Wire Producer who’s been incarcerated at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility since 1998, articulates the value of broadcasting beyond the walls: “Here’s a chance for me to connect the inside world with the outside world, to show that there are people in here whose voices need to be heard, people who have been rehabilitated” (Knowles & Kikoen, 2022)
Bryan Stevenson, civil rights attorney and author of the book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice & Redemption, further illuminates the value of broadcasting from inside to outside of prisons. In an interview in Fall 2021 with Inside Wire and other incarcerated artists of the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative, Stevenson said, “Part of the problem is that we are not proximate, we are not connected… you have to find ways to get closer to people who are marginalized, excluded, neglected, and disfavored. If you are not proximate, you make policies and decisions that are unjust. When you are proximate, you hear things and see things you otherwise wouldn't see. Proximity is what gives us insight” (Draper et. al., 2022).
RADIO & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Restorative justice is a set of principles that offer an alternative approach to mending the impacts of crime (Capstick, 2018). As its name suggests, restorative justice is about “restoring” social relationships and repairing harm. The University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative and the Inside Wire team inside and outside prison are guided by values of restorative justice in our work with our incarcerated listeners and neighbors, as well as with prison staff.
The “5 R’s” of restorative justice are:
There are many useful resources in the field of restorative justice. If you’re interested in beginning to learn more, check out this TED Talk by our DU PAI Advisory Board member and DU Associate Professor of Social Work, Shannon Sliva:
WHY A PRISON RADIO STATION?
People who are incarcerated are vulnerable to:
- Trauma: A 2014 study published by the Journal for Urban Health surveyed male residents housed at high security prisons in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. They found that 30 to 60% of men in state prisons experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared to 3 to 6% of the general male population (Wolff et. al., 2014).
- Loneliness: Brown University published a 2014 study finding that various kinds of interpersonal trauma are associated with lower levels of perceived support and higher levels of loneliness in prisoners (Kao et. al., 2014).
- Mental health distress: In 2018, the Bureau of Prisons changed its strategy to address the decline in mental health care. Although they classified 3% of incarcerated individuals as having serious enough mental illness to require regular treatment, officials acknowledged that 23% have been diagnosed with some mental illness (Thompson & Eldridge, 2018).
- Self-harm: The Lancet analyzed over 50 years of research about risk factors for self-harm in over half a million prisoners throughout the US. They found the annual prevalence of self-harm in prison has been estimated to be 5–6% in men and 20–24% in women, which greatly exceeds the less than 1% of adults in the general population who self-harm each year (Favril et. al., 2020).
Prison radio can provide a response to these challenges. It can support people’s growth and sense of purpose while they’re in prison, as well as when they re-enter their communities. It can mitigate loneliness and mental health distress, and it can equip incarcerated producers with technical skills, resilience, and a sense of meaning for their lives and the lives of those around them.
At Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio, incarcerated producers use industry-standard audio production equipment to operate our 24/7 broadcast from start to finish: they conduct interviews; produce feature stories illuminating life inside; host music shows; and write and edit programs that disseminate information, knowledge, and entertainment. As they work closely together in our studios and deepen their technical skills, they also cultivate certain core values, including respect, empathy, self-worth, vulnerability, trust, and collaboration.
Not only does the work of Inside Wire support the incarcerated people who create it; it also supports incarcerated listeners. Colorado Public Radio producer Jon Pinnow writes that “a well-told story – whether on the radio or around a campfire – engages a listener’s imagination to fill in details and bridge gaps. In that way, listeners help make the story. It’s a collaborative process that requires some theater of the mind” (CPR, 2017).
The phrase “theater of the mind” refers to the power of radio to engage the imagination of listeners. Inside Wire serves to provide a sense of companionship, hope, and humor to incarcerated individuals as they navigate periods of vulnerability and isolation. These positive impacts in turn increase the possibility that incarcerated listeners may return to their communities feeling whole, connected, and purposeful.
WHY BROADCAST BEYOND THE WALLS?
Inside Wire is the first prison radio station in the world known to broadcast 24/7 to listeners in the public as well as inside facilities. By doing this, Inside Wire can cultivate a sense of social connection and immediacy between incarcerated people and the world beyond the walls. Forming these connections has implications for improving mental health outcomes, recidivism, and shifting prison culture as well as the public’s understanding of the prison system.
Cynthia Gonzalez, Inside Wire Producer who’s been incarcerated at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility since 1998, articulates the value of broadcasting beyond the walls: “Here’s a chance for me to connect the inside world with the outside world, to show that there are people in here whose voices need to be heard, people who have been rehabilitated” (Knowles & Kikoen, 2022)
Bryan Stevenson, civil rights attorney and author of the book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice & Redemption, further illuminates the value of broadcasting from inside to outside of prisons. In an interview in Fall 2021 with Inside Wire and other incarcerated artists of the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative, Stevenson said, “Part of the problem is that we are not proximate, we are not connected… you have to find ways to get closer to people who are marginalized, excluded, neglected, and disfavored. If you are not proximate, you make policies and decisions that are unjust. When you are proximate, you hear things and see things you otherwise wouldn't see. Proximity is what gives us insight” (Draper et. al., 2022).
RADIO & RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Restorative justice is a set of principles that offer an alternative approach to mending the impacts of crime (Capstick, 2018). As its name suggests, restorative justice is about “restoring” social relationships and repairing harm. The University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative and the Inside Wire team inside and outside prison are guided by values of restorative justice in our work with our incarcerated listeners and neighbors, as well as with prison staff.
The “5 R’s” of restorative justice are:
- Relationships: Centering the importance of strong relationships inside and outside the walls; with staff, previously incarcerated, community partners, family members, and those intrinsically tied to Inside Wire.
- Respect: We center voices and stories to show respect for themselves and others in our community inside and outside. We invite the opportunity to try and understand others’ perspectives.
- Responsibility: We take ownership of our personal responsibility; prioritizing honesty and searching within ourselves to reveal our role within the prison system.
- Repair: We aim to repair the harm that has been done within and surrounding the prison system by engaging listeners by shifting the conversation on who is in prison. We aim to focus on moving forward in a more positive direction, inspiring change and that transformation is possible.
- Reintegration: We invite our communities into spaces that generate collaborative learning experiences. Together, the efforts to accept responsibility and agree to repair harm within the community develop trust that uplifts incarcerated producers and contributors as they return home.
There are many useful resources in the field of restorative justice. If you’re interested in beginning to learn more, check out this TED Talk by our DU PAI Advisory Board member and DU Associate Professor of Social Work, Shannon Sliva:
The Colorado Restorative Justice Coalition, in partnership with the University of Denver, has recently released a report that outlines key areas of progress and of need. The State of the State: Restorative Justice in Colorado report describes Colorado's unique landscape of restorative justice policy and practices. It was developed by Assistant Professor Shannon Sliva's research team at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRISON RADIO
Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio is part of a growing movement of broadcast media inside carceral settings, and we're proud to be members of Prison Radio International. Some key milestones in prison radio are highlighted below.
Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio is part of a growing movement of broadcast media inside carceral settings, and we're proud to be members of Prison Radio International. Some key milestones in prison radio are highlighted below.
For further reading, find the sources cited on this page by order of appearance:
Wolff, N., Huening, J., Shi, J., Frueh, B. (2014). Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among incarcerated men. Journal of Urban Health, 91(4):707-19. doi: 10.1007/s11524-014-9871-x
Kao, J. C., Chuong, A., Reddy, M. K., Gobin, R. L., Zlotnick, C., & Johnson, J. E. (2014). Associations between past trauma, current social support, and loneliness in incarcerated populations. Health & Justice, 2, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/2194-7899-2-7
Thompson, C., Eldridge T. (2018). Treatment denied: The mental health crisis in federal prisons. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/11/21/treatment-denied-the-mental-health-crisis-in-federal-prisons
Favril, L., Rongqin, Y., Hawton, K., Fazel, S. (2020). Risk factors for self-harm in prison: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 682-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30190-5
Quandt, K., Altshule, A. (2022). COVID fueled solitary confinement still plagues prisons and jails. https://solitarywatch.org/2022/03/22/covid-fueled-solitary-confinement-still-plagues-prisons-and-jails/
Colorado Public Radio. (2017, June 30). The power of radio: Why we listen in a changing world. https://www.cpr.org/2017/06/30/the-power-of-radio-why-we-listen-in-a-changing-world/
Knowles, D., Kikoen, A. (2022, March 21). Controlling their narrative: The women behind the first statewide prison radio show. Rocky Mountain PBS. https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/inside-wire-prison-radio-station/
Draper, A., Presson, D., Hamilton, A. (2022). The stone catcher – A conversation with Bryan Stevenson [Audio podcast]. University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative. https://www.thisiswithin.com/www.thisiswithin.com/
Capstick, L. (2018). The 5 R's of restorative justice. The Conflict Center. https://conflictcenter.org/the-5-rs-of-restorative-justice/
Sliva, S., Han, T., Samimi, C., Golieb, K., McCurdy, J., Forte, A. (2019). State of the state: Restorative justice in Colorado. Restorative Justice Coalition. https://restorativejusticeontherise.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/StateoftheStateClickable.pdf
Wolff, N., Huening, J., Shi, J., Frueh, B. (2014). Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among incarcerated men. Journal of Urban Health, 91(4):707-19. doi: 10.1007/s11524-014-9871-x
Kao, J. C., Chuong, A., Reddy, M. K., Gobin, R. L., Zlotnick, C., & Johnson, J. E. (2014). Associations between past trauma, current social support, and loneliness in incarcerated populations. Health & Justice, 2, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/2194-7899-2-7
Thompson, C., Eldridge T. (2018). Treatment denied: The mental health crisis in federal prisons. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/11/21/treatment-denied-the-mental-health-crisis-in-federal-prisons
Favril, L., Rongqin, Y., Hawton, K., Fazel, S. (2020). Risk factors for self-harm in prison: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 7, 682-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30190-5
Quandt, K., Altshule, A. (2022). COVID fueled solitary confinement still plagues prisons and jails. https://solitarywatch.org/2022/03/22/covid-fueled-solitary-confinement-still-plagues-prisons-and-jails/
Colorado Public Radio. (2017, June 30). The power of radio: Why we listen in a changing world. https://www.cpr.org/2017/06/30/the-power-of-radio-why-we-listen-in-a-changing-world/
Knowles, D., Kikoen, A. (2022, March 21). Controlling their narrative: The women behind the first statewide prison radio show. Rocky Mountain PBS. https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/rocky-mountain-pbs/inside-wire-prison-radio-station/
Draper, A., Presson, D., Hamilton, A. (2022). The stone catcher – A conversation with Bryan Stevenson [Audio podcast]. University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative. https://www.thisiswithin.com/www.thisiswithin.com/
Capstick, L. (2018). The 5 R's of restorative justice. The Conflict Center. https://conflictcenter.org/the-5-rs-of-restorative-justice/
Sliva, S., Han, T., Samimi, C., Golieb, K., McCurdy, J., Forte, A. (2019). State of the state: Restorative justice in Colorado. Restorative Justice Coalition. https://restorativejusticeontherise.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/StateoftheStateClickable.pdf
