POW—Prisoner of Washington: A Conservative’s Journey Through Our Justice System

An exploration of how the Justice Department abuses its power, targets political supporters of Donald Trump, and sends them to prisons that are just as broken as the prosecutors who sent them. 

Ever wonder how you’d fare in federal prison? For Indiana State Senator Brent Waltz this question became a shocking reality. After spending sixteen years serving his community in the Indiana Senate, he found himself being targeted by federal prosecutors who hoped he’d assist them in indicting his longtime friend—a wealthy Donald Trump supporter and fundraiser. When Waltz refused, those same prosecutors turned their attention toward him, resulting in a ten-month sentence for an alleged campaign finance violation. Waltz’s 176 days incarcerated in the Ashland Federal Correctional Institution provided him far better insight into the American justice system than anything he learned as a senator.  

On his eightieth day at Ashland—after being locked in an 8’ by 6’ cell for ten days straight—Waltz’s fellow inmates proclaimed him the prison “shot caller.” From this vantage point, Waltz decided to record his firsthand account of being locked in federal prison. He shares the widespread racism and abuse by guards, inadequate medical care for inmates, and rampant drug smuggling, while also including some of the more humorous moments from his ten-month sentence.  

Rather than being outraged by his treatment, Waltz presents POW—Prisoner of Washington in hopes that future leaders will demand better oversight of our justice system and the prosecutors who use their “discretion” to attack those with whom they view as dangerous to the political status quo…and their own power.