Book Publications
The Negro in Illinois: The WPA Papers. University of Illinois Press (2013).
The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression Generation. University Press of Mississippi (2012).
Journalism
“‘Voices From Inside’: An Oral History of the Prison Publication Stateville Speaks.” Chicago Reader (March 23, 2023).
“There’s A Hunger Strike Happening at the Champaign County Jail.” Smile Politely (March 2, 2023).
“No Such Thing As a “Safe” Jail: 31-Year-Old Woman Dies at Champaign County Jail.” Smile Politely (January 18, 2023).
“Incarcerated Women in Illinois Win Court Battle Against Brutal ‘Tactical Team.'” Truthout (August 1, 2022).
“A New Play Imagines the End of Isolation for All Incarcerated People.” Truthout (July 10, 2022).
“Prison Guards in Illinois Used Prison Labor to Raise Money for Golf Tournaments.” Truthout (April 17, 2022).
“‘It’s a Money Grab’: Billions in COVID Relief Going to Fund Police and Prisons.” The Appeal (March 23, 2022).
“Prisons Aim to Stifle Creativity. Here’s a Book That Pushes Back.” An interview with Caits Meissner by James Kilgore and Brian Dolinar. Truthout (March 15, 2022).
“Prison Profiteer Is Using Sandra Bland’s Death to Sell Surveillance Technology.” Truthout (January 27, 2022).
“Taking the Band-Aid Off of Mass Incarceration.” Illinois Humanities. (December 18, 2021).
“Illinois Sets National Precedent in Banning Immigration Detention.” Truthout (December 16, 2021).
“Hunger Strike, Ceiling Collapse, Lawsuit Spotlight Deteriorating Conditions at Women’s Prison in Illinois.” Prison Legal News. (October 2021).
“Prioritizing Incarcerated People for Vaccine Quickly Reduced COVID in IL Prisons.” Truthout. (April 24, 2021).
“New Surge of COVID is Spreading ‘Like Wildfire’ in Illinois Prisons.” Truthout. (January 30, 2021).
“COVID-19: Coming to a Jail Near You.” The Progressive Magazine. (January 4, 2021). 
“We Can’t ‘Fix’ Policing or Prison — But We Can Decide How to Create Actual Safety,” Q&A with Maya Schenwar and Vikki Law, authors of the new book Prison By Any Other Name. Waging Nonviolence. (August 3, 2020).
“The Trump Administration Just Opened a New Immigrant Prison in Rural Michigan.” In These Times. (January 16, 2020).
“Illinois Prison Phone Rates Are Lowest Following Grassroots Activism.” Truthout. (February 24, 2019).
“Local Sheriff Cooperating With ICE.” Smile Politely. (October 23, 2018).
“After Four Months in Detention, 8 Year-old Girl Reunited with Family in C-U.” Smile Politely. (October 10, 2018).
“Putting Freedom on the Table: A Chicago Forum on Electronic Monitoring.” #NoDigitalPrisons Blog hosted by Center for Media Justice. (August 10, 2018).
“With Gen. Inch in Charge, We Can Expect Further Militarization of the Prison System.” Truthout. (August 3, 2017).
“Orange Crush: The Rise of Tactical Teams in Prison.” Truthout. (January 2, 2017).
“Prison Boycott in Illinois Targets Costs of Incarceration.” Truthout. (June 22, 2016).
“Despite Stated Aims, Obama’s New ICE Policy Targets Immigrants for Minor Offenses.” Truthout. (February 12, 2016).
“Children With Incarcerated Parents Played Key Role in Phone Justice Victory.” Truthout. (October 28, 2015).
“Confronting Mass Incarceration in the Heart of a Red State.” Truthout. (April 29, 2015).
“Follow the Money: Invisible Investors Seek Big Bucks in Mass Incarceration.” Truthout. (April 8, 2015).
“‘Carceral Conglomerate’ Makes Millions From Incarcerated, Their Friends and Families.” Co-authored with James Kilgore. Truthout. (February 13, 2015).
“In the Koch Brothers’ Backyard.” Counterpunch. (September 5, 2014).
“The Banality of Police Militarization: How Champaign-Urbana Acquired Its MRAP.” Truthout. (August 26, 2014).
“How Privatization Destroyed an Illinois Jail’s Award-winning Suicide Prevention Program.” Prison Legal News. (September 2013).
“Why Does Sheriff of Small Midwestern College Town Need a Drone?” Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. (November 8, 2012).
“‘Secure Communities’” Program Adopted by Sheriff Terrorizing Local Immigrant Community.” Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. (November 2, 2011).
“Why Was Kiwane Killed?” Socialist Worker. (October 20, 2009).
Media Appearances
Rev. Mark A. Thompson, Make It Plain, “COVID Relief Funding The Police And Prisons” (April 22, 2022).
UpFront, KPFA 94.1FM, Pacifica Radio, Berkeley, California, “Police Spending from Local to National” (April 12, 2022).
Roland Martin, Unfiltered, “Covid $$ Used for Law Enforcement” (April 1, 2022).
Kite Line Radio, “Prison Profiteering with Brian Dolinar” (March 11, 2022).
Other Writing
“Folklorist of Black America: The Lawrence Gellert Story.” Against The Current. (January/February 2015).
“Pete Seeger’s 1958 Visit to U of I Amidst the Red Scare.” Smile Politely. (April 30, 2014).
“Chicago’s Renaissance Woman: Margaret Burroughs.” Against The Current. (May/June 2011).
“Long Before ‘Boondocks’.” Book Review. Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist by Nancy Goldstein. Against the Current. (January/February 2009).
Brian Dolinar 