Did Obama Approve GOP Efforts To Water-Down Criminal Justice Reform?
Republicans are likely to further weaken bipartisan criminal justice reform, and it appears President Obama may have given them the green light.
Denver Inmate’s Death Calls Attention to Disturbing Use of Restraints in Jails
Michael Marshall, a fifty year-old homeless black man in Denver, Colorado, who was jailed for trespassing, died while officers restrained him. His death has received a substantial amount of attention. Sadly, there is not much that is unique about Marshall’s case. A survey of news reports from the last three
Obama Limits Solitary Confinement As Government Plans New Supermax Facility
President Barack Obama announced his administration will take action to limit the use of solitary confinement in federal prisons. The actions, determined by recommendations made by a Justice Department task force in July 2015, include a ban on the use of solitary confinement against juveniles and as a response to low-level infractions. The administration
Juveniles In Prison For Life Without Parole Given New Hope For Freedom
The United States Supreme Court determined juvenile offenders serving life sentences for homicides without parole should be granted the opportunity to “show their crime did not reflect irreparable corruption.” The decision clarified a ruling issued in the 2012 case Miller v. Alabama, which prohibited life without parole sentences for juveniles who
Are We There Yet? The Promise, Perils and Politics of Penal Reform
The reach of the carceral state is truly breathtaking, extending well beyond the estimated 2.2 million people sitting in jail or prison today in America.
Rikers Island Imposes Harsh Restrictions on Contact Between Inmates And Visitors
Just before the holidays, NYC’s jail oversight board voted to restrict physical contact between inmates and their visitors on Rikers Island.
Clemency Is Not Enough: Thousands Still Imprisoned For Nonviolent Marijuana Crimes
About 44 percent of federal marijuana inmates had no or very minimal criminal histories prior to their conviction, and over a third are over the age of 40.
Reforms For Young Adults On Rikers Island Could Face Further Delays
NYC Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte made his second request for more time to end punitive segregation for Young Adults on Rikers Island.
DHS Says ‘Focus On The Family’ With Latest Deportation Action
When will the U.S. accept that deportation, detention and messaging campaigns mean little to people immersed in danger and suffering at home?
DNC Chairwoman Flippantly Defends Her Support for War on Drugs
The DNC Chairwoman’s scary feelings about “drug culture” perpetuate the destruction of “safety” for countless Americans, especially those in her state.