David Archer

By David Eugene Archer Sr. Even though the California prisoner count has dropped, spending has increased, according to a Sacramento Bee report. The report, written by Dan Walters, states that “something of a peace dividend was promised – or at least assumed – when California, according to federal court pressure, sharply reduced its prison population.” The number of inmates declined sharply in just a few years, from 166,000 to 129,000, according to the California Legislature’s budget analyst, Mac Taylor. “One might think that reducing the … [Read more...] about Prison Spending Increased With Lower Prisoner Count

By David Eugene Archer Sr. The female prison population in the United States from 2000 through 2009 rose by 21.6 percent while there was a 15.6 percent increase for men. In 2010, 205,000 women were in prison or jail. This growth resulted in families and communities that were torn apart, reported Julie Ajinkya, a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress. Ajinkya contends that sexual violence, drug dependence and poverty are strongly correlated with women’s incarceration. She said we lock women up instead of providing services that … [Read more...] about Rise in Female Prisoners Correlates With Poverty, Violence and Drug Dependence

By David Eugene Archer Sr. San Joaquin County’s recidivism rate is trending downward, according to the county probation department. San Joaquin County Chief Probation Officer Stephanie James in July presented an annual recidivism report to the County Board of Supervisors that reflected a decline in convictions of released prisoners. “We’re continually assessing the work that we’re doing, improving the strategies... our communication, and ... our referral process,” James told supervisors. Many Californians who normally would have spent time … [Read more...] about Friends Outside Helps to Reduce Recidivism Rate

By David Eugene Archer Sr. The United States Attorney General urged the nation’s governors to help released prisoners obtain state-issued identification – one part of a multi-pronged effort to ease reentry back into society. AG Loretta Lynch has testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the Justice Department’s plan to help the 600,000 state and federal prisoners who return to society each year, according to reporter Eric Tucker of The Associated Press. Lynch noted the federal prison system has nearly 200,000 prisoners, and … [Read more...] about AG Calls for Governors to Assist in Prisoners’ Re-Entry

By David Eugene Archer Sr. The July/August issue of Mother Jones (MJ) magazine portrays Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) in great detail. The nation’s second-largest private prison company, based in Nashville, began operations in 1983 in a motel in Houston, Texas. CCA now houses more than 66,000 prisoners in 61 facilities across the nation. It owns 50 of them. In 2015, it declared $1.9 billion in revenue and $221 million in net income. This adds up to $3,300 per prisoner. However, last year CCA revealed to stockholders it … [Read more...] about Report of Corrections Corporations of America by the Numbers

By David Eugene Archer Sr. Two Texas detention prison-like facilities are holding immigrant families, including children, according to The Christian Science Monitor. The Karnes City center holds 500 beds for immigrants apprehended in the US. Last year a judge ruled that it would have to refrain from keeping children there, as it did not meet licensing requirements, reports Ben Thompson for the Monitor. Now, the facility has received a temporary residential child-care license from state authorities. Even with the authorization there is … [Read more...] about Texas Detention Centers Holds Immigrant Families, Including Children

By David Eugene Archer Sr. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) has announced a four-year extension of its lease agreement for the California City Correctional Center with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), reported Globe Newswire. CCA agreed to extend the lease through Nov. 30, 2020, during which time CCA will provide up to $4 million of certain facility and other tenant improvements, according to Globe Newswire on June 13, 2016. “We are pleased … to further extend the relationship we have had with … [Read more...] about Private Prisons Corporation Extends California Lease

By David Eugene Archer Sr. Poor medical care in jails and prisons is contributing to poor health in some communities, the Vera Institute of Justice reports. “The burden of disease behind bars is unacceptably high and largely invisible to the health system, and the negative impacts of incarceration on the health of communities is a serious issue,” the report says. “The millions of people who cycle through the nation’s courts, jails and prisons experience chronic health conditions, infectious diseases, substance use and mental illness at … [Read more...] about Jails’ and Prisons’ Poor Healthcare Burdens Communities

Treatment for Hepatitis C in California prisons is now more effective but much more costly, according to a report. About 17,000 prisoners in California have tested positive for Hepatitis C though health officials suggest the actual number is probably much higher, according to George Lavender for MarketPlace. “... It’s a question of spending now versus later” Liver cancer as a result of chronic Hepatitis C infection is the most common cause of cancer death in the state’s prisons. Intravenous drug use is a common way infection occurs, though … [Read more...] about Prisoners’ Hep C Treatment Is Effective But More Costly