Female visitors entering Virginia State Prison have been forced to remove certain feminine products to visit their family member or friend, according to the Capitol News Service. But under the new House Bill 1884, which is awaiting approval in the House of Delegates, the Virginia Department of Corrections would have to modify the policy for visitors using menstrual products. The current policy is in place to avoid the smuggling of contraband into Department of Corrections facilities. “If someone chooses to visit a Virginia Department of … [Read more...] about Virginia believes women’s sanitary products pose a threat to prisons
California Death Row prisoner qualifies under new felony murder rule
Demetrius Howard is on California’s Death Row for a crime in which he did not kill anyone. He was never accused of firing a shot, but based on California’s felony murder rule then in effect, he was eligible for a death sentence due to his participation in the crime, reported The Appeal. The felony murder rule was revised in 2018 so that participants in a crime do not face a death penalty unless they directly killed, or encouraged the killing, or otherwise “acted with reckless indifference to human life” when commit- ting their crime. … [Read more...] about California Death Row prisoner qualifies under new felony murder rule
A civil liberties debate over NY prison’s biometric voice system
There are differing opinions of whether the new biometric voice recognition system put in place at New York Department of Corrections is a violation of prisoners’ rights and civil liberties, according to Popular Mechanics. “Once the data exists, and it becomes an accepted part of what’s happening, it’s very hard to protect or limit its use in the future,” said Jerome Greco, a digital forensics attorney at New York’s Legal Aid Society. “If you have a family member convicted of a crime, yet you haven’t been, why are you now having your … [Read more...] about A civil liberties debate over NY prison’s biometric voice system
Tourists unknowingly ask women prisoners for help
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