Our Mission
Pollen Press is the hub for all prison publications supported by Pollen Initiative, a nonprofit organization that cultivates media centers in prisons nationwide.
The circulation of prison newspapers—historically and even today—tends to be small and limited to print. Through this pdf archive, we aim to give more prison publications a digital space to share their work and grow their audiences.
Our Team
Jesse started on the Pollen path as editor in chief of San Quentin News from 2017 until he was paroled in 2019. Since then he has served as the strategic advisor for San Quentin News, ForwardThis Productions, and Change Talk podcast. Jesse also sits on the Governor’s advisory council to transform San Quentin into an innovative rehabilitation center.
Kate is a writer and editor who specializes in literary journalism, with a focus on narratives of crime and justice. She holds a Ph.D. in literature from Stanford University and a master's degree in journalism from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Pollen, Kate served as an editorial advisor for San Quentin News’s magazine, Wall City, and as the managing editor for Prison Journalism Project’s newspaper, PJP Inside.
Veronica is a journalist and recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied media, the legal system and their intertwinement. She has written bylines for the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, the San Francisco Examiner, The Daily Californian and the San Mateo Daily Journal and is excited to bring her expertise to prison newspapers. She was a volunteer for Pollen three years prior to joining the team.