Beat the Winter Blues

By Leo Cardez

From PHN Issue 34, Fall 2017

As the winter approaches, I find myself getting tired and moody. It starts as early as September and gets really bad in January. Although I’ve never been officially diagnosed, I’m sure I suffer from some degree of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). As I look around my cell block, I don’t think I’m the only one. The good news is I’ve found that some small tweaks to my daily routine (tips and tricks) can help keep my spirits high. Continue reading “Beat the Winter Blues” →

Managing Diabetes

by Julie Carney

From PHN Issue 33, Summer 2017

Diabetes is a group of diseases caused by too much sugar, or glucose, in the blood. Our bodies have a hormone, insulin, which is produced by our pancreas, that helps move glucose out of the blood and into our cells. In diabetes, less glucose enters into the cells, and instead it builds up in the blood, causing high blood sugar. In Type 1 diabetes, the body makes no insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin or can’t use it well. In Gestational diabetes, a person gets diabetes when they are pregnant, increasing their risk of Type 2 diabetes after the pregnancy. Continue reading “Managing Diabetes” →

Understanding and Taking Control of Your High Blood Pressure

By Priyanka Anand

From PHN Issue 31, Winter 2017

Most people have heard of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Maybe the doctor has told you that you have high blood pressure. About 30 percent of adults in the United States have high blood pressure. Continue reading “Understanding and Taking Control of Your High Blood Pressure” →

Dining Hall Boycott at Pennsylvania’s Coal Township Prison

by Incarcerated Citizens Coalition

From PHN Issue 22, Fall 2014

From June 16 to 23, men at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Coal Township in Pennsylvania initiated a 1-week, peaceful boycott of the Inmate Dining Hall in response to the implementation of the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) “efficiency diet” at the prison. The men supported one another by sharing food and commissary items on the units. The boycott was overwhelmingly successful on the West Side of the prison, where over 70% of the men participated, with only 20 to 25 individuals per unit/wing going down to the dining hall per meal. Continue reading “Dining Hall Boycott at Pennsylvania’s Coal Township Prison” →