Susan Burton was exactly where she wanted to be that day in May— back in prison. It had been twenty years since her last incarceration but this time, she wasn’t in the California Institute for Women (CIW) to serve time. She was there to talk. “Your life matters,” she told her audience of 100 inmates before signing copies of her book for the women. The memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women, tells a story of “unspeakable violence” according to the Los Angeles Times. Violent incidents … [Read more...] about Susan Burton advocating for justice
Court order gives defense lawyers a raise
Court-appointed lawyers in Wisconsin are getting a raise in an order meant to address a chronic lack of attorneys willing to take on public defense cases. In May, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered that private attorneys assigned to defend cases must be paid $100 an hour—up from $70—beginning in 2020. While defense lawyers welcome the higher rate they say it may not reach far enough, as the court declined to declare lower rates unreasonable. The Wisconsin Public Defender’s Office assigns about 40 percent of its cases to private … [Read more...] about Court order gives defense lawyers a raise
Plea bargain challenges are not barred to defendant
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that plea bargains do not prohibit defendants from challenging the constitutionality of their convictions. The decision held that even though a guilty plea waives a defendant’s right to appeal their case or challenge the sentence, it does not waive their right to question the state’s right to charge them in the first place. Criminal Legal News reported the case as Class v. United States (2018). “There are over 4,800 legal restrictions facing people with convictions after sentence completion…73% of these … [Read more...] about Plea bargain challenges are not barred to defendant
Fewer re-entry resources for poor and people of color
Poor people and people of color have fewer resources to deal with mental and physical health problems when released from prison, The Atlantic reported. Instead of having measures to help the vulnerable manage their well-being, society punishes those battling addiction and mental health issues with more time in prison, exacerbating the problems further, the story stated. “African American families comprise 42 percent of welfare recipients…but are 59 percent of poor people shown on television are African American.” “Sustaining Stereotypes” by … [Read more...] about Fewer re-entry resources for poor and people of color
Legendary song writer’s history
It’s been 40 years since Glen Sherley, the legendary song writer who created the song “Greystone Chapel,” took his own life at age 42, according to For The Californian. Sherley wrote the song about the chapel in Folsom State Prison, where he was serving time for armed robbery when Johnny Cash came to perform there in 1968. “Inside the walls of prison, my body may be. But my lord has set my heart free,” Sherley wrote. Cash heard those words on Sherley’s demo tape and learned them in time to perform “Greystone Chapel” at the prison on Jan. 11, … [Read more...] about Legendary song writer’s history
Corcoran prison 30 years later
California State Prison, Corcoran has changed dramatically since it opened 30 years ago, according to an officer who has been there since the beginning. “It’s turned to the better,” Correctional Officer Rey Aguirre said, at ceremonies marking the 30 years of Corcoran history. Corcoran was the 19th of the current 35 prisons built in California. It opened in February 1988 with a cost of $262 million, the Hanford Sentinel reported March 29. The prison houses 3,202 inmates and comprises nine facilities. The prison was built on 942 acres and the … [Read more...] about Corcoran prison 30 years later
China teaches prison inmates e-commerce before reléase
More than 30 prisoners at Qiao Si Prison, the largest prison in China’s Zhejiang Province, received a training course in e-commerce last December, according to an article by Jenny W. Hsu for an Alibaba publication. Taobao University, which offers the e-commerce course, was established in 2009 as the educational arm of Alibaba, the Hangzhou-based tech giant. A team of e-commerce specialists and industrial players are involved with the university. The program’s primary aim is to teach online business methods and worldwide practical insight. … [Read more...] about China teaches prison inmates e-commerce before reléase
Tulsa county jail’s mental health pod a step in the right direction
The Tulsa, OK, county jail used to place their mentally ill inmates in the same bare cells as everyone else. Now, the jail sports a new mental health pod, where some of those inmates can access a more relaxed and therapeutic environment, according to a report from the Tulsa World. That is a step up, proponents say, but it’s not a solution. The root of the problem, David Van Risseghem of the Public Policy Committee for the National Alliance on Mental Illness told the World, “we’re criminalizing mental illness. We’re punishing people … [Read more...] about Tulsa county jail’s mental health pod a step in the right direction
NY’s pilot inmate package program not well received
Earlier this year, New York state suspended a pilot program forcing families of inmates to buy from a limited number of private vendors when sending care packages to their loved ones. New York began its own private care package pilot program at the start of the year at Taconic, Greene, and Green Haven Correctional Facilities. The plan was to extend it to all state facilities, according to a report from The Marshall Project. While the program was in effect, family and friends of inmates could only send care packages from select private … [Read more...] about NY’s pilot inmate package program not well received
Florida reduces in-person visits with more video
Florida never seems to pass up the opportunity to make a bad situation worse, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Are prison video calls a convenience or a scheme to make money for prison officials? Florida ignores criminal justice reform and spends around $2.4 billion annually on its prison system, which in this situation means reducing in-person visits, according to Times columnist John Romano. There are studies that show inmates who stay connected to the outside world are less likely to re-offend. It also leads to better-behaved inmates, … [Read more...] about Florida reduces in-person visits with more video