SAN FRANCISCO ― Jasmine Washington lifted the lapels of her sleek blazer and boldly strutted between rows of fellow women parolees at the Southeast Community Facility in San Francisco on Oct. 24. Surrounded by 67 of her peers, representatives from 56 local resource service providers and the supportive Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) staff from the Adult Programs Unit (APU), Washington displayed her own empowerment just as sharply as she did her new suit ― courtesy of Dress for Success. “I think that I was showing the … [Read more...] about Bay Area reentry event empowers 68 female parolees
Prison Reform
La retórica de Trump puede ser una farsa
Las declaraciones de Trump sobre sus intenciones de impedir el acceso a la caravana de inmigrantes hondureños, no es más que una farsa. Es indiscutible que a la administración de Trump, le conviene que la caravana llegue a territorio americano para que puedan arrestarlos y así ayudar a las corporaciones que contribuyen con su gobierno. GEO Group y CoreCivic Inc., son dos de las más grandes corporaciones privadas de detención en los Estados Unidos que han sido favorecidas con las pólizas de detención bajo la administración de … [Read more...] about La retórica de Trump puede ser una farsa
State v. Gregory ruled unconstitutional
Abolition of the death penalty is likely in the near future, a constitutional law professor says. “The American death penalty lurched one step closer to its eventual demise” because of a Washington State Supreme Court decision in October, Garrett Epps wrote in an article for The Atlantic. “In State v. Gregory, the state court held that the death penalty, as imposed in the state of Washington, was unconstitutional because it was racially biased,” noted Epps, a faculty member at the University of Baltimore. Epps pointed to a ruling from … [Read more...] about State v. Gregory ruled unconstitutional
Former female prisoners fighting for the ones they left behind
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
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