The voices of formerly incarcerated women are rising as they mobilize around the nation to change prison conditions for the women prisoners they left behind. “Twenty States by 2020” is a campaign to help pass the “Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act” across the nation. The campaign is being led by the #Cut50 organization and its campaign director, Topeka Sam, who was formerly incarcerated. Sam served time in federal facilities on the East Coast. The campaign has been successful in passing the legislation in seven states, including California, … [Read more...] about Former female prisoners fighting for the ones they left behind
Prison Reform
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
The purpose behind prison strikes
The push for better food and higher pay in prisons coupled with ongoing parole denials sparked a nationwide prison protest in August. Prison reform advocacy groups confirmed that demonstrations were taking place in prisons across the country and beyond—from California and Washington to Nova Scotia in Canada, according to The Guardian. There were also unconfirmed reports of prison strikes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The strike, which was the first nationwide prison demonstration in two years, was triggered … [Read more...] about The purpose behind prison strikes
Florida hosts prison reform conference – FICPFM
More than 50 social justice organizations led by formerly incarcerated people met in Orlando, Fla., last month. The occasion was the second national gathering of the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People & Families Movement ( FICPFM ). The first national gathering took place in Oakland in 2016. By Andrew Beale Contributing Writer The conference’s theme this year was “A Quest for Democracy,” and its location allowed attendees to pursue that quest by getting out the vote for Amendment Four, a ballot item that Floridians will vote on … [Read more...] about Florida hosts prison reform conference – FICPFM
Coding program attracts wide range of media attention
The Last Mile Works buzzed with excitement when two filmmakers and a formerly incarcerated graduate returned, accompanied by several co-workers from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), to tour the prison and get stories for their website. Code 7370 teaches inmates the fundamentals of coding, while The Last Mile Works (TLM Works) is composed of seasoned coders who work on paid contracts as part of a joint venture between California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) and private companies. Aly Tamboura, a graduate of Code.7370 and … [Read more...] about Coding program attracts wide range of media attention
CCWP advocates mount a fight to end LWOP
Advocates are mounting a fight to end the other death penalty—life without the possibility of parole. These “hidden death sentences” mean prisoners must live the rest of their lives in “prisons with extraordinarily high suicide rates, with substandard medical, dental, and mental health care and with scant rehabilitative programs. Prisons rife with gang violence, racism, and despair,” said Kenneth Hartman in a Truthout article. Hartman was recently released from a life without possibility of parole sentence by the California Parole Board, … [Read more...] about CCWP advocates mount a fight to end LWOP
Texas warden demoted after instituting quotas
A Texas warden was demoted and transferred following the discovery of a disciplinary quota scheme used in the Ramsey Unit of the Texas prison system, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice terminated more than 500 disciplinary cases after an investigation revealed that four state facilities implemented a disciplinary quota in which officers were required to write up a certain number of inmates or potentially face punishment themselves. The discovery of these quotas has led to a statewide audit and … [Read more...] about Texas warden demoted after instituting quotas
Oklahoma has highest incarceration rate in U.S.
Oklahoma has passed Louisiana as the state with the highest incarceration rate in the country, a new study reports. Oklahoma’s incarceration rate is 1,079 per 100,000 population. Louisiana’s is 1,052 per 100,000, the Prison Policy Initiative study reported in May. The Associated Press story reported Oklahoma also incarcerates at a higher rate than all countries with a population of at least 500,000. Nonetheless, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed legislation designed to reduce the state’s prison population, the AP reports. “The … [Read more...] about Oklahoma has highest incarceration rate in U.S.
Defy Ventures
Defy Ventures wants to give San Quentin residents a chance to become entrepreneurs and CEOs of their own lives. Defy Ventures is a national organization that uses entrepreneurship and employment training to help incarcerated men learn how to start and maintain their own businesses. They have offered to start their program at San Quentin, but they need administration approval. In November, Defy representative Melissa O’Dell ventured into Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll’s Financial Literacy class and pitched the program to a class of about 25 … [Read more...] about Defy Ventures
Prop 47 savings underestimated
California Governor Jerry Brown’s 2016-17 budget underestimates the promise of Proposition 47 by over $100 million, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Proposition 47 reclassified certain nonviolent drug and petty-theft related offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. The money supposedly saved was intended to enhance rehabilitation efforts at the county level. Brown’s 2016-17 budget estimates a net savings of only $29.3 million from Proposition 47 to be deposited from the general fund into the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund … [Read more...] about Prop 47 savings underestimated