News Briefs

1. Texas — The Death Penalty Information Center re- ports that Texas has scheduled 13 executions between August and December, which is more than the rest of the U.S. combined. Two of the men have strong claims of innocence; two, authorities know did not kill anyone, and eight that show serious mental health problems. 2. USA — The Death Penalty Information Center re- ports that there have been 1,506 executions in the U.S. since 1976. The race of per- sons executed: 55.8% Black, 34.1% White, 8.5% Hispanic and 1.6% other. The race of the … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS

USA — A new report Can’t Pay Can’t Vote by the Civil Rights Clinic at Georgetown Law shows that 30 states still keep people from voting by use of what can be called a poll tax. Eight states include explicit payment requirements within their election laws, two states retain permanent disenfranchisement laws and require payment of legal debts for clemency eligibility, and 20 states require completion of parole and or probation for voting rights restoration and payment of legal debt is included as a condition of one's parole or probation. NYC— … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS

US States Alabama — In response to a call to action from a coalition of prisoners, including the Free Alabama Movement and Unheard Voices OTCJ, Kinetik Justice and Swift Justice, four prisoners went on a hunger strike at the Limestone Correctional Facility in protest against corruption, abuse, and the lack of accountability for the inhumane conditions in the state’s prisons, Truthout reports. Pennsylvania — As part of the Clean Slate law passed last year, state officials began seal- ing 30 million records that did not result in … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS

US States 1. Vermont—The ACLU of Vermont and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation at Harvard Law School filed a class action lawsuit challenging the state’s refusal to treat hundreds of inmates with Hepatitis C, Vermont Business Magazine reports. The law- suit claims that the inmates are systematically denied medication that would cure their chronic Hepatitis C, which they claim violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment as well as the Americans with Dis- abilities Act. The inmates are asking the … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS

1. Muscatine, Iowa – Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that more states should let people with felony records vote while they’re in prison in an article in the Des Moines Register. “I think that is absolutely the direction we should go,” Sanders said in response to a question regarding voting from prison. 2. Nevada – An estimated 90,000 Nevadans were un- able to vote in the 2016 election because of prior convictions, or about 4% of the voting age population, reports The Nevada Independent. A new bill would … [Read more...] about News Briefs