The company says it expects to recover the investment by increased inmate pay calls Global Tel*Link (GTL) has misled customers to pay in advance if they want to continue receiving collect calls from inmates in prison, a San Quentin News … [Read more...]
Winners and Losers as Program Funds Shifted
Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan called Realignment is aimed at reducing prison overcrowding by redirecting low-level offenders away from state prisons and into county jails. The plan leaves mostly high-risk offenders serving time in state prisons. Prison … [Read more...]
Journalist Suggests Changes To Solitary Confinement
California needs to significantly change its policies and practices on solitary confinement, a noted broadcaster said before a group of San Quentin Prison journalists. The speaker was Peter B. Collins, one of a growing number of journalists who … [Read more...]
Report: Criminal Justice Policies Waste Resources and Hinder Rehabilitation
The policy of arrest and systematic incarceration of low-level offenders, wastes county jail resources needed for more serious offenders, and it hinders rehabilitation, according to a new report. Numerous counties lock up every offender, causing a … [Read more...]
Reviewing the Rich History of African-Americans
In recent years, there has been much debate on whether black history is merely a subordinate piece of American history. That would only be true if black history’s African origin were excluded. That being said, black history is comprised of the … [Read more...]
CDCR Complaint Process Fails
California has overhauled its handling of prisoner appeals in response to numerous complaints, but key problems remain unaddressed, according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General. In a letter to then-CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate, the IG … [Read more...]
Phone Monopolies Score Profits
SELECT CORPORATIONS CHARGE PRISONERS INFLATED RATES TO CALL HOME A new report details how several corporations are driving prices up and increasing their profits, while monopolizing the state prison telephone industry. Global Tel*Link (GTL), Securus … [Read more...]
Study: Innocent Often Pressured into Plea Bargains
Suspects who are falsely accused of committing crimes are often pressured into accepting plea bargains, according to a recent study. “It is unclear how many of the more than 96 percent of defendants who are convicted through pleas of guilty each year … [Read more...]
Group Pushes to Reduce Cost of Prisoner Collect Calls
Advocates for prison reform have renewed attempts to stop telephone companies from overcharging inmates and their families. Some collect telephone calls made from prison cost as much as $17 to talk for 15 minutes, reported The Lookout news blog. “It … [Read more...]
Technology Used for Blocking Prison Cell Phones Problematic
A plan to block inmate use of contraband cell phones with new technology is plagued with problems, according to a new study by the California Council on Science and Technology. The nonpartisan study raised serious concerns about California prison … [Read more...]