Support Our Mission

Prisonpedia is a free, volunteer-supported encyclopedia dedicated to helping people navigate the federal criminal justice system. Since our founding in March 2024, we have worked to provide accurate, accessible, and practical information for defendants, families, attorneys, and anyone seeking to understand the federal prison system.

Our content is created by individuals with direct experience in the criminal justice system, legal professionals, families who have supported loved ones through incarceration, and subject matter experts committed to demystifying this complex system. Every article represents hours of research, writing, editing, and fact-checking by people who care deeply about this mission.

The Work Behind Prisonpedia

Building and maintaining a reliable reference work requires substantial ongoing effort:

• Research and Writing: Each article requires careful research into statutes, Bureau of Prisons policies, court documents, and verified firsthand accounts. Our contributors work to ensure every piece of information is accurate and properly sourced.

• Editorial Review: All content undergoes editorial review to maintain our standards for accuracy, neutrality, and clarity. We verify claims, check citations, and ensure articles serve their intended audience effectively.

• Ongoing Maintenance: The federal criminal justice system evolves constantly. Laws change, BOP policies shift, facilities open or close, and programs are created or eliminated. Keeping our content current requires continuous attention.

• Technical Infrastructure: Running a publicly accessible website involves hosting costs, security maintenance, and technical development to ensure Prisonpedia remains fast, reliable, and accessible to all.

Our Independence

Prisonpedia does not accept advertising or paid placement of any kind.

This commitment is fundamental to our credibility. The information we provide has real consequences for real people making critical decisions about their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We will never allow commercial interests to influence our content. You will never see sponsored articles, paid listings, or promotional content disguised as editorial material.

Our independence means you can trust that when we write about prison consultants, legal services, facilities, or programs, we are providing objective information—not paid endorsements.

Supporting Our Work

For those who have found Prisonpedia helpful, we do accept voluntary donations to support our continued operation.

Donations are distributed equally among our volunteer editors on a quarterly basis, weighted according to each editor's contributions during that period. This allows us to recognize and support the people who dedicate their time and expertise to building this resource.

Our Donation Guidelines

We operate under two simple but firm principles:

1. No editorial influence: We do not warrant, promise, or imply that any donation will result in content changes of any kind. Donations do not buy favorable coverage, article placement, or editorial consideration. Our content decisions are made solely on the basis of accuracy, relevance, and service to our readers.

1. Editor anonymity: Editors are never made aware of who has donated or the amounts involved. This firewall ensures that our contributors make editorial decisions based purely on merit, without any possibility of conscious or unconscious bias toward donors.

These principles protect both the integrity of our content and the independence of our editorial team.

How to Contribute

If you have found value in Prisonpedia and wish to make a financial contribution, please contact us at:

[email protected]

We are grateful to everyone who has supported this project—whether through donations, contributions to our content, or simply by sharing our resources with others who need them.

Other Ways to Help

Financial support is just one way to help Prisonpedia grow:

• Become a contributor: If you have relevant experience or expertise, consider joining our team of volunteer editors.

• Share our resources: If you know someone navigating the federal criminal justice system, point them to Prisonpedia. Word of mouth remains our most important form of growth.

• Provide feedback: If you spot an error, have a suggestion for improvement, or know of a topic we should cover, let us know at [email protected].

Every form of support helps us fulfill our mission of providing reliable, accessible information to those who need it most.