Learning to Be Openly Gay in Prison, to Anyone Who Asks (Except PREA)
Tony Vick reflects on coming out in prison, the threat of coercion, and why PREA’s classifications still make openness feel unsafe.
Stories on prison & the effects of confinement
The human story doesn’t end at the prison gate.
First-person writing, hard-earned perspective, and practical help for people touched by incarceration—inside, outside, and coming home.
Tony D. Vick
& Jeff Noland
Foreword by
Jeannie Alexander
& Jeff Noland
Foreword byJeannie Alexander
01 / Why we’re here
Replacing fear with responsibility, truth, and healing.
Our mission is to support everyone affected by incarceration: people who are incarcerated, preparing for incarceration, returning home, and the families and friends walking beside them.
Meet the people behind the workFrom the archive
Words that made it through.
Being released after 38 years
A man leaves prison after 38 years carrying only his Bible—and uncertainty about what comes next.
Christmas Morning
A Christmas-morning phone call becomes a quiet ritual of remembrance for family lost during 25 years in prison.
Beyond Incarceration
A reflection on reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, and the treatment of people behind bars.
Tweets and stories on prison and the effects of confinement
02 / The book
“An eye-opening look at the American prison system and how confinement affects the possibility of success—inside and after release.”
Essays and the widely read words of @cellsecrets, collected to spark honest discussion in classrooms, communities, and homes.
03 / Practical support
No one should have to navigate incarceration alone.
We hope to shift a narrative based in fear to one based on responsibility, truth, and healing.