Felix Sitthivong
On the Fence Line: A handwritten message from solitary confinement
I know at some point of our lives we've all felt overwhelmed. In those moments, it's tempting to feel disconnected from community and those who love us most, to feel immobilized by fear, shame,...
On the Fence Line: A vouch for the IE in print
As the world of media is all too ready to transition from print to online, those of us incarcerated without Internet access are finding it tougher and tougher to access reliable news and information,...
On the Fence Line: The strength of being LGBTQIA+ in prison
As the nation ramps up its war against the LGBTQIA+ community in the form of “anti-gay” legislation and hateful conservative rhetoric in mainstream media, I’m sitting in a prison dayroom at the Stafford Creek...
On the Fence Line: Answering reader questions for inaugural Mail Call #1
Mail call is the best time of day for us on the inside — when the guards pass out our mail! For some, this time of day is the best because of the letters...
On the Fence Line: Celebrating unsung hero Andres Pacificar for AAPI Heritage Month
Okay, I’m not going to lie. Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is something new to me. Honestly, I didn’t even know it existed until just a couple years ago, and only because...
On the Fence Line: Pii Mai Lao ປີໃໝ
Pii Mai Lao, which is how we say “Lao New Year” in my language, marks the new year that begins in mid-April, generally between the 15th and 17th. Khmer New Year is also celebrated...
Introducing ‘On the Fence Line’
Hey, friends! Your boy Felix here.
I want to take this opportunity to welcome everybody and formally introduce you to my new IE column: “On the Fence Line.” You may have already read a...
On the Fence Line: The DOC is cutting peer-led education for inmates
Throughout the years, peer-led education and programming have been an essential part of prisoner rehabilitation within the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).
Many of these self-sustaining programs – such as Black Prisoners Caucus' T.E.A.C.H....
On the Fence Line: No real resources for trauma in prison
Some pain in this world we will never get over -- somehow, we just learn to live. Others are a little more complicated...
I will never forget September 30th, 2021. It was an unusually warm...
On the Fence Line: Cultural awareness groups in Washington state prisons under threat
Cultural awareness groups within the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) have a long legacy of resistance, tradition, and love. They provide prisoners with a platform for true growth and liberation through cultural preservation...