Juneau, Alaska—Goose Creek, the state’s newest prison, was built in 2012. It is 64 inmates short of its housing capacity of 1,472 inmates, reports The Associated Press. Alaskans pay $58,000 a year to house each of the state’s inmates. The state Senate recently passed a bill designed to find alternatives to incarceration and to re-evaluate its sentencing laws.
Portland, Oregon—Parenting Inside Out (PIO) — a program designed to “give parents skills to parent their children from prison and when they return to the community, reduce recidivism through strengthening family connections, and reduce intergenerational criminality”— is now included on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. More information can be found at www.parentinginsideout.org.
Sacramento—Morgan Stanley is leading a deal that would generate $793 million in bond revenues to fund two new infill construction projects, one at Mule Creek and the other at Richard Donovan Correctional Facility. Construction at the two sites is slated to begin in May, Reuters reported.
Folsom—The California Prison Industry Authority, along with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, has launched a Computer-Aided Design certification program at the Folsom Women’s Facility. The first-of-its-kind training program will also assist participants in obtaining jobs in architectural, mechanical or engineering fields upon their parole, reports the Sierra Sun Times.
Oakland—Operation Ceasefire is the centerpiece of Mayor Jean Quan’s crime reduction plan and a key to her re-election campaign, reports The San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland launched Operation Ceasefire in 2012. In the Chronicle report, Kevin Grant — who runs street outreach for the program — said it is a chance for ex-offenders to “get on the right tract and end up at a good station.”
Boise, Idaho—Corrections Corporation of America is under investigation for an Idaho prison with a reputation so violent, inmates reportedly dubbed it “Gladiator School,” reports The Associated Press. The Federal Bureau of Investigations began investigating accusations of rampant understaffing at the prison in February.
Huntsville, Texas—Ray Jasper, 33, was executed by lethal injection on March 19, reports The Associated Press. Jasper was convicted for a knife attack and robbery more than 15 years ago that killed a recording studio owner.
St. Paul, Minn—Restore the Vote Coalition is lobbying state legislators to change state law to restore the voting rights of felons who have served their time, reports Minnesota Public Radio News. “It’s a civil rights issue that will allow thousand of people to have a say in the political process,” RVC representatives said in the report.
Hutchinson, Kan.—The state’s department of corrections has developed a mentorship program that has connected some 150 inmates with 110 life skills mentors, reports The Hutchinson News. Since the program began in 2012, nearly 3,350 matches have been made with about 700 offenders completing its one-year curriculum.
Chicago—About 100 inmates who were juveniles when they were convicted of murder and given mandatory life terms will receive a new sentencing hearing following a recent ruling by the state Supreme Court, The Associated Press reports.
Peoria, Ill.—Christopher Coleman spent nearly 20 years in prison before the state’s attorney dropped all charges against him, reports The Journal Star. Coleman was convicted for the rape of a 16-year old girl in 1994. Problems with “the evidence, including the death of an eyewitness as well as others recanting their testimony,” led to charges being dropped in the interest of justice.
Richmond, Va.—DNA testing has cleared the name of Percell F. Warren, who died in December 2012 while serving a 160-year term for a 1996 rape. The Innocence Project has filed additional paperwork with the Virginia Supreme Court to clear Warren’s brother-in-law, Nathaniel E. Epps, who is serving a 153-year term for the same crime.
Montpelier, Vt.—The legislation currently under consideration to change the way drug-related crime is treated in the criminal justice system would be one of the most comprehensive state laws in the nation, according to a report by The Associated Press. The current diversion program has been reported as a “soaring success,” with at least 80 percent of participants conviction-free after a year.
Tallahassee, Florida—Robert Lavern Henry, 55, was executed by lethal injection on March 20, Reuters reports. In 1987, Henry was convicted for killing two of his co-workers.
