1. Utah — (The Hill) Transgender women in a Utah facility were discriminated against according to a complaint filed by the The Department of Justice. The lawsuit claimed the women were denied access to healthcare services and medical treatment for gender dysphoria. The medical condition is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act including for those incarcerated in detention facilities. “People with gender dysphoria, including those held in jails and prisons, are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are entitled to equal access to medical care just like anyone else with a disability,” said Assistant Attorney Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights division at the DOJ. Utah’s department of corrections executive director said “We fundamentally disagree with the DOJ on key issues, and are disappointed with their approach,” he said.
2. Illinois — (Associated Press) A new proposed legislation seeks to require 20 years of experience in criminal justice before being appointed to the Prisoner Review Board. The legislation was created after a man was released from prison and attacked a pregnant mother and fatally stabbing her 11-year-old son. “I don’t know why it’s taken a dead child for people to finally recognize some of these people are not qualified to serve on the board,” said Sens. Jason Plummer. The plan is to have each appointee attend annual training on pinpointing the warning signs that precede attacks of domestic violence and sexual assaults. “We must take politics out of the appointment process to create a qualified board with a deep understanding of the criminal justice system,” said Republican Leader John Curran.
3. Florida — (USA Today) A new training program in Florida teaches beekeeping to people in detention facilities. The goal of the six-month program is to equip participants with skills they can use in society. The Ecology And Reentry Training Hub Haven program also called EARTH Haven is in Leon County and is available in the community if a participant is released before completing the program. One incarcerated father, Donatarius Gavin, is a father of five and would love to teach what he’s learned to his kids. “It’s teaching me how to wake up all the time to go to work,” he said. Participants earn beekeeper apprenticeship certification and can go on to become master beekeepers.
4. Philadelphia — (WHYY Philadelphia PBS) The 180-year-old prison will open its doors for families with children during a weeks-long exhibit displaying the history of sports behind bars. “Visitors will have the opportunity to see original copies of the ‘Umpire’ and the ‘Eastern Echo,’ which were magazines that were written and published by incarcerated people at East State,” said Damon McCool who is the senior specialist of research and public programming at the facility. The goal of the event is to teach visitors about the history of liberty and incarceration noted Kerry Sautner, president and CEO of Historic site at the facility.
5. New York — (The Washington Post) Six incarcerated people at Woodbourne Correctional Facility filed a lawsuit against the facility because of a planned lockdown in early April during the eclipse. The suit claimed discrimination depriving the incarcerated people of their religious rights and accommodations. The state planned to distribute glasses for viewing the eclipse from housing units and work locations inside the prison for staff and residents. Attorney Christopher L. McArdle who represents the plaintiffs said “We are pleased that, in response to our lawsuit alleging religious discrimination, New York State has entered into a binding settlement agreement that will allow our six clients to view the solar eclipse in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs,” he said.
6. Delaware — (Associated Press) A wrongful imprisonment lawsuit was thrown out by a federal judge who said that the defendant did not prove police fabricated evidence against him and could not show facts warranting a trial. Elmer Daniels spent 40 years in prison and after a task force was formed to review his case revealing that the evidence gathered against him had “exceeded the limits of science”. This resole in turn dismissed his case based on the “interest of justice” and his current length of sentence. The federal judge, Stephanos Bibas said “courts cannot right all wrongs”. Daniels filed a lawsuit against the state and federal officials in 2020, but later dropped his claim.
7. Massachusetts — (The Hill) Teachers, case managers and secretaries have been filling in as the vacancies of congressionally-funded corrections officers continue to rise. There is access to learning programs, but the goal is to learn about shifting prison culture to solve staffing problems. “Transforming the culture within prisons starts with those in charge,” wrote Dan Kingery who contributed the story for The Hill.
