Inmates at Sun City prison in Johannesburg, South Africa, attempted to file a fraud complaint against staff members but claim the investigation was blocked by prison officials. Cell Block The focal point of the allegation regarded the high costs and absence of profits from the canteens used for prisoner recreation activities, according to GroundUp.org and later reprinted in the Daily Maverick newspaper. The prison has two canteens. One is used by prison staff and the other is used by 3,000 inmates.. Inmates assert that the prison staff … [Read more...] about Prison officials block fraud complaints from inmates
Unfulfilled promises of prison improvement anger inmates in Canada
Renovations at Burnside jail (Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility) in Canada have sparked wide- spread anger among inmates. Inmates were promised programs and new amenities—promises that they said were unfulfilled. In- stead, they spent most of their day in lockdown with poor living conditions, including toilets that didn’t flush, according to the Halifax Examiner. Part of the renovation was the installation of body scanners, which prison officials hope will reduce contraband by 90 percent. The body scanners provide X-ray images, which … [Read more...] about Unfulfilled promises of prison improvement anger inmates in Canada
Arkansas judge faces sanction for blocking lethal injection
An Arkansas judge faces judicial sanction for blocking the state’s use of a lethal injection drug on the same day he pro- tested the death penalty out- side the governor’s mansion, reported The Associated Press. The Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission charged Judge Wendell Griffen, a Pulaski County Circuit Judge, with violating ethics rules in June. The three- member panel cited the judge’s online and social media comments against the death penalty as evidence of an ethical violation. Griffen asked a judicial ethics commission to … [Read more...] about Arkansas judge faces sanction for blocking lethal injection
Formerly incarcerated author, Donna Hylton
Donna Hylton, who was abused as a child, spent 27 years in prison and wrote a book about how she turned her life around. She said her mission today is to be “a voice for the silenced” women still in prison. At age 20, Hylton was sentenced to 25 years to life for her role as a nonviolent accessory to kidnapping and second-degree murder. She is finally freed. Hylton’s childhood was a living hell. She was abandoned by her mother in Jamaica, N.Y., at age 8, according to the article by The Glow Up. At that time, she was subjected to … [Read more...] about Formerly incarcerated author, Donna Hylton
Missouri limits inmates – postcards only
Incoming mail for inmates in the Missouri Newton County Jail will be limited to postcards starting Oct. 11, reports the Joplin Globe. The change is meant to decrease the time spent inspecting envelopes for contraband, but inmates and their loved ones say that it restricts their ability to communicate. Newton County Sheriff Chris Jennings acknowledged the “inconvenience” the policy might cause but said that the action was in line with developments in other county jails in the region, according to correctionsone.com. “We have to remove … [Read more...] about Missouri limits inmates – postcards only
Susan Burton advocating for justice
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