Inmates, at a women’s prison in Raleigh North Carolina do an unusual job, according to an article in USA Today. They spend their days answering an 800 call line. Inmates responding to calls on the 800-VISITNC phone line will answer questions about whitewater rafting, fairs, ski slopes, festivals, Civil War sites and wineries in the state’s 100 counties. The program was created in 1980, when tourism calls were handled by state employees or an automated service. Through the program, inmates learn telemarketing skills and callers can talk … [Read more...] about Tourists unknowingly ask women prisoners for help
Daniel Barfield spent nine years in solitary confinment
During his 20 years of incarceration at Georgia’s Diagnostic and Classification Prison, Daniel Barfield spent nine years in the solitary unit, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’ve seen people go crazy,” Barfield said regarding his stay in isolation, adding, “I’ve heard people go crazy. Just out of the blue a person will flip and act out all kind of different ways, saying they’re going to kill themelves.” Barfield was sent to prison in 1988. He was 13 years old when he was accused by a relative of molesting her 3-year old … [Read more...] about Daniel Barfield spent nine years in solitary confinment
Texas program produces more than 350 entrepeneurs from prison
Texas has graduated more than 2,000 individuals from a prison entrepreneurship program. Upon release, some of these graduates have gone on to create more than 350 businesses in their local communities, according to The Crime Report. All 2000 of the individuals who graduated from Texas’ Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) were employed or self-employed within 90 days of their release from jail. Most of them have retained their employment for more than a year after obtaining the positions. The program has a low 7 percent recidivism … [Read more...] about Texas program produces more than 350 entrepeneurs from prison
Marsy’s Law measure to expand victims’ rights
A ballot measure meant to expand the rights of victims of crime passed in six more states in November, according to an article by Forbes. Known as “Marsy’s Law,” the measure gives victims certain rights, including notice of criminal proceedings related to the crime and presence at those proceedings. “It is gratifying to know that innocent victims of crime in these six states will not have to suffer the injustices that my family endured upon my sister’s murder,” said Henry Nicholas, who spent $71.8 million in support of the … [Read more...] about Marsy’s Law measure to expand victims’ rights
Prison officials block fraud complaints from inmates
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