Keri Blakinger, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, visited Dickinson College on October 5 to share her experience with the United States prison system, both as a criminal justice reporter and as a former inmate. Blakinger and Dickinson Provost Renée Cramer engaged in a conversation during the “A Conversation on Corrections in Ink” Clarke Forum event sponsored by The Dickinsonian and the Department of Sociology. Its name is the title of Blakinger’s newly published memoir, detailing her two-year incarceration for drug-related offenses. In the words of Provost Cramer, this Clarke Forum event celebrated both “the marvelous work” Blakinger is sharing with the world and “150 years of the Dickinsonian.”
Keri Blakinger grew up in Lancaster, PA and had a self-proclaimed “normal childhood,” except for her passion for professional figure skating. After her dream career fell through, Blakinger experienced a loss of self and purpose, leading to her spiral into depression, drug use, and an eating disorder. “It was more about dying than escaping,” Blakinger told Provost Cramer. “I finally got arrested in what should have been my final semester” at Cornell in 2010, after using drugs for approximately nine years.
During her time in prison, Blakinger recalls being afraid every day, but not of the stereotypical prison violence depicted by the media. When Provost Cramer asked Blakinger what she feared, Blakinger answered simply, “solitary confinement.” She described it not “like spending time alone,” but “like getting buried alive,” as this experience deprives inmates of their agency and interpersonal contact. “Solitary confinement undermines what it is to be human,” Blakinger said.
When describing her work as a criminal justice reporter, Blakinger’s passion for her field was instantly apparent. She shared an anecdote from 2020, which began with her receiving a Twitter DM from “hot blonde chick.” The DM provided Blakinger footage from inside a Texas State Prison, which Kerringer readily accepted. The video revealed that inmates had not been allowed to leave their cells or shower in weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions. As Kerringer continued the correspondence, it became apparent that she wasn’t talking with “a hot blonde chick” but “a guy with a contraband phone” incarcerated in the Texas State Prison.
Kerringer used her correspondence to write stories exposing the Texas State Prison for inhumane treatment, but recalls being hesitant to publish any footage. She didn’t want to risk exposing her informant’s identity, since the videos would reveal his cellblock. Still, Kerringer knew it was essential for the public to see firsthand the treatment inmates were subjected to. Then, Kerringer received a photo of “a hot dog in a tortilla with a whole uncooked potato,” which was given to the inmates for lunch. As she received more photos of prison food, she wrote several stories exposing the inedible meals that inmates were forced to eat. Kerringer knew prison officials were following her reporting because they threatened legal action against her. When the Texas prison system released their 2030 action plan, it included changes to meals that were in direct response to Kerringer’s critique. “Because I was a journalist with a platform, I was able to show them the reality of it,” Kerringer said.
When talking about her writing process, both for Corrections in Ink and as a journalist, Kerringer said she “needs to get it out so people can read it and understand.” Even though Kerringer doesn’t have the power to directly improve conditions for inmates, she “can be the person that at least tells their story.” For Kerringer, her work is her self-care, but she admits that “sometimes [she doesn’t] realize how dark the work is” until she’s finished with it. To mitigate the heaviness, Kerringer writes light pieces as well, such as covering her experience taking a swim lesson wearing a faux mermaid tail. “Being a mermaid is harder than you think, “she said.
Kerringer finished the Clarke Forum event by asking the audience to consider that “a guilty person can still be worthy of your consideration and mercy.” This idea is at the heart of Kerringer’s reporting and new memoir, which is widely available at most bookstores.
