Students relaunch newsletter to reach prisoners
PHOTO: Members of the prison news writing team from left to right: Conan Young, Aimee Muller, Aris Barounis, Isla Melton, Jamie Martin, and Zoe Fenton.
A team of University of Canterbury journalism students is reviving a once forgotten newsletter for Christchurch’s prison population.
The student-led publication, Prison News, will be delivered to Christchurch Men’s, Christchurch Women’s and Rolleston Prison every two months, featuring stories that directly affect those in the facilities.
The project is run in collaboration with the Howard League Canterbury, a long-standing prison reform organisation, and guided by UC journalism lecturer Conan Young.
The idea to bring the newsletter back to life came from Jamie Martin, a former law student and current solicitor at Community Law Canterbury, where he runs the Prison Advice Service.
Martin, who remains involved with the Howard League, saw a gap in prison communication and turned to Young to propose student involvement.
“We often get queries from people inside prison asking what’s going on in the country—especially about things that affect them,” Martin said.
The original newsletter, also run by the Howard League, has been out of circulation for over seven years. “It stopped because we just couldn’t keep up with producing it. We’re all legal professionals, not journalists,” Martin said.
“That’s why we’re so thrilled to have the students take it over—it’s a perfect fit.”
The new version of Prison News is currently helmed by third-year journalism student Aimee Muller, who is leading a team of student reporters spanning multiple year levels.
“The opportunity was presented to us in the second-year journalism class,” Muller said.
“I put my hand up because I love storytelling—and storytelling that both educates and allows me to be educated. I had no experience with the prison system before this, so it’s been truly eye-opening.”
Muller said the newsletter’s goal is to empower and inform its readers.
“So far I’ve been hands-on editing stories and helping first and second years develop their writing. We’ve learned a lot about what corrections will and won’t allow, and we’ve been exposed to life stories we never would’ve otherwise heard.”
She credits Martin and Young for their guidance. “Jamie has been a lifeline—and Conan has really pushed us to make this work purposeful.”
One of the biggest surprises for the team has been navigating the legal and logistical constraints of publishing for a prison audience.
“I knew there would be restrictions, but I hadn’t fully appreciated how tightly regulated it all is,” Muller explains.
“We had to think about colours, whether we could use staples, even how we frame stories. We want to inform, but also respect corrections’ rules.”
The first issue will have 400 printed copies, with each prison in Christchurch receiving bundles to distribute to inmates.
Martin said there’s interest in eventually expanding distribution to Dunedin, Invercargill and even the North Island.
Conan Young said the project gives students the chance to do journalism that truly matters. “This sort of journalism is the stuff that really makes a difference in peoples lives and is incredibly meaningful,” he said.
“It is also a chance to shine a light on a world everyday readers don't get to see much of, as many of these stories will also be pitched to publications outside prison.”
The first issue includes stories of reintegration, insight to law changes, and personal transformation, delivered with the hope of building connection and awareness.