Tag Archives: prison

Bail helps to keep the penal process moving more smoothly, but there are nearly 40 million Americans who can’t afford bail or even a bail bond.

Since 1986, The Sentencing Project has worked to address ineffectiveness and racial bias in sentencing policy.

Affluenza, the inability to comprehend the consequences of one’s actions thanks to financial privilege and influence, has been with us for all of history.

Systemwide, DOC counted 468 K2-related incidents thus far this year, not counting the most recent five deaths and a dozen or so inmates treated for signs of reactions to the drug.

The Sentencing Project calls for states and the federal government to terminate private prison contracts, require greater disclosure of private prison records, and stop sending inmates to prisons far from their homes.

In a recent 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a dispute among lower federal courts about how large a share of damage awards won by inmates in civil rights cases must be paid towards their lawyers’ fees.

The simple act of learning what is good to put in your body and how to budget for the healthy food you need, along with how to prepare it, should be taught not only in every prison, but in every school and in every household in America. One Arkansas program for female inmates is lighting the way.

The care of a family should not be a solo venture that falls on one woman's shoulders. In the best of circumstances, it should be shared among immediate and extended family and the greater community. If the burden were lightened and shared, the result might be that we'd see fewer women – and men – behind bars.

In America, you can make a lot of money. You can put a businessman in charge of the country to ensure that you keep making that money. You can go from penniless to a multi-millionaire. Turns out some just aren't too choosy about how they get there.

For a democratic nation that's not even close to having the world’s highest population, there are a lot of people in jail. Non-violent drug offenders and people of color are disproportionally over-represented, and women are committing more crimes than ever before. Yet, thanks to the hard work of policymakers and organizations and individuals pressing for change, the dramatic decline in incarcerated youth is encouraging.