It is a relief that Firedoglake is back up and running again, especially because writer Brian Sonenstein will be a guest blogger at The Dissenter all week while I am in Costa Rica for a wedding.

Sonenstein launched a website called Prison Protest last year. He focuses much of his attention of the role of private prisons in mass incarceration in the United States but also covers stories that explore “reforms” states or the federal government propose for prisons.

He has been tracking the rules for “reforming” solitary confinement that have been up for consideration in New York. He has tracked Corizon Health Services and how it might lose its $1.2 billion contract in Florida. And he has written about the Corrections Corporation of America, one of the most corrupt and vile private prison corporations in America. (Note: This is a fact proven by the number of lawsuits filed against the company.)

It is my pleasure to have Sonenstein take over while I am away. It will give people a great opportunity to closely follow prison issues that often are not covered here at The Dissenter.