A well-known drug rehabilitation foundation is using its patients in Texas and Louisiana for what critics call “slave labor.” The Cenikor Foundation said the workers’ pay goes to offset the cost of their participation in a two-year work-rehabilitation program. “It’s the closest thing to slavery,” said Logan Tullier, a former Cenikor participant who worked 10 hours a day at oil refineries, and laying steel rebar in 115-degree heat. “We were making them all the money.” Over the years the foundation has sent its patients to work for … [Read more...] about Allegations of slave labor tarnish drug rehabilitation program’s record
Florida county jail injury
Florida A mentally ill prisoner at the Broward County Jail in Florida used a razor to commit an act of self-mutilation, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “I have a real medical emergency,” the prisoner, who goes by the initials J.I., told an officer. “I just cut off my penis and flushed it down the toilet. I have no need for it anymore.” J.I. was sent to solitary confinement for yelling at staff and had been there for 112 days prior to the incident. Even before his placement in solitary confinement he … [Read more...] about Florida county jail injury
USSC denies stay of execution because of constitutional issues
Over the last three months, six executions in the United States have been stayed or rescheduled because of constitutional issues regarding the method of execution or who can be present in the death chamber, according to Reuters. At the helm of this controversy is the state of Alabama, according to recent articles featured in Reuters and Mother Jones. Christopher Price was scheduled to be executed at the beginning of April. Price filed an appeal when he found out that he was to be lethally injected. He wants to die by lethal gas. The … [Read more...] about USSC denies stay of execution because of constitutional issues
Study: mental health diagnoses result in high rates of prisoner isolation
New Mexico has one of the smallest prison populations in the country at 7,300 but is fourth in the nation when it comes to confining prisoners to solitary, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. On any given day one out of 10 prisoners is being held in isolation, just because they have been diagnosed with mental illness, accord- ing to the article. According to the ACLU, the state has routinely underreported its use of solitary confinement over the past decade, in part because it has no clear definition of “solitary” and instead uses … [Read more...] about Study: mental health diagnoses result in high rates of prisoner isolation
More than 4,000 mentally ill prisoners held in isolation
More than 4,000 prisoners diagnosed with mental illness throughout the country are being held in solitary lock-up, according to The Guardian. Confinement intensifies their illness. Despite U.S. prisons having this knowledge, this practice continues, the article said. “This is tragic,” said Judith Resnik, a professor of law at Yale University. She is the director of the Arthur Liman Center. “Solitary confinement is a disabling setting that is harmful for human health and safety. It can do harm for people who are mentally OK and inflict … [Read more...] about More than 4,000 mentally ill prisoners held in isolation
Collateral consequences of incarceration still linger
Jay Jordan’s story is an example of the barriers the formerly incarcerated face when trying to make a new life outside of prison. He was paroled in 2011 following seven years in prison. He filled out 30 applications as a barber, a skill he learned while locked up. He remained unemployed. Everywhere he went, his past convictions stopped employers from even considering him, reports Kay Wicker for thinkprogress.org. These circumstances are anything but unusual. One in five Californians have convictions, according to a report published by … [Read more...] about Collateral consequences of incarceration still linger
Subtle tactics to dismiss Black jurors in CA trials
Some prosecutors may be using subtle tactics to dismiss Black jurors, despite laws against such racial bias in jury selection, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. You could call it the “O.J. Strategy.” Rather than addressing race overtly, these prosecutors ask jurors whether they agreed with the controversial 1995 acquittal of O.J. Simpson. Simpson, a Black football star, was charged with the murders of his ex-wife and her friend, who were both White. If jurors agreed with the verdict, they are dismissed, and prosecutors cite … [Read more...] about Subtle tactics to dismiss Black jurors in CA trials
More job opportunities opening up for formerly incarcerated
More job opportunities are opening up for parolees and others with criminal records, according to CNBC.com. The Prison Policy Initiative estimates unemployment among ex-felons at 27 percent, but some corporations and human resource executives show signs of interest in hiring former inmates, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, (SHRM). “This is not a problem of aspirations; it’s a structural problem, involving discrimination and a lack of opportunities made available to people who have been to prison,” said … [Read more...] about More job opportunities opening up for formerly incarcerated
US High Court excludes Imam at execution
A Muslim prisoner awaiting execution for rape and murder in Alabama lost a court appeal that claimed that his religious rights were being violated by not allowing his spiritual prayer adviser (imam) to be present during his execution, according to the ABA Journal. com Domineque Ray was put to death after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated his stay of execution by Alabama’s lower courts. Ray wanted the state to allow a local imam at his execution, not the Christian chaplain, who worked for the state. The state contended that the imam did not … [Read more...] about US High Court excludes Imam at execution
Colorado Department of Corrections to spend $41 million for hep-C treatment
Colorado has agreed to provide medical treatment to cure hepatitis C among 2,200 prisoners. The action came in the settlement of a lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Corrections. The prison system said it would spend $41 million over the next two years to finance the treatments, according to a Sept. 12 Westword story. The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) and the Fox Rothschild law firm. “The funding and policy changes in the settlement will help solve an immense public health crisis in Colorado’s … [Read more...] about Colorado Department of Corrections to spend $41 million for hep-C treatment