Pulitzer Center Grantee Wins Society of Publishers in Asia Award

Pulitzer Center grantee Sukanya Shantha won a Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award in the regional category for excellence in writing for Barred – A Prisons Project.

The project is a five-part series from The Wire that reports on the realities of incarcerated Indians whose stories are often ignored in the media. Shantha’s reporting lifts the veil on the persistence of caste-based segregation, discrimination, and division of labour within the prison system. Each article captures narratives about the impact and experiences of incarceration while also critically taking on issues that are ailing the Indian criminal justice system. 

The SOPA award judges called Barred – A Prisons Project “an important investigation, highlighting discrimination left over from the past, and bringing change.” “This was a thorough investigation on the antiquated rules inside India’s state prisons that allow unlawful caste-based discrimination to be practiced openly.”

View the full list of winners here.