The state of Arizona lifted its ban on the book Chokehold after gaining national attention for banning the book written about the US criminal justice system policing Black men. “An uproar over the ban of Chokehold: Policing Black Men, including threats of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, prompted Arizona prison officials to review a publication blacklist and reverse suspending the book,” National Public Radio (NPR) reported. A growing number of state prison systems, including California, bans prisoners from possessing … [Read more...] about Arizona rethinks its ban on prison literature
Arizona
Arizona crisis for low-level drug offenders
Arizona is wasting millions of dollars by imprisoning low-level drug offenders and failing to treat drug addicts, a recent report concludes. “Arizona imprisonment crisis removes thousands of people from the economy and costs tax- payers more than $1 billion each year (for the state Department of Corrections budget)-preventing the state from investing in other critical priorities like education, social services for families, and child safety,” said the report by FWD.us. FWD.us is a bipartisan political group founded by Silicon Valley … [Read more...] about Arizona crisis for low-level drug offenders
NEWS BRIEFS September 2018 USA, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania & Arizona
1. USA - The stocks of two of the world’s biggest private prison companies are outperforming the market amid the current immigration crisis. Both the GEO Group and CoreCivic sup- ported Donald J. Trump’s presidency. The companies donated $250,000 to Trump’s Inaugural Committee, with GEO hav- ing donated $225,000 to a Trump Super PAC during the 2016 election. 2. USA — There were 56 percent fewer criminal convictions of illegal immigrants than of native- born Americans in Texas in 2015, a new report shows. The report by the Cato Institute … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS September 2018 USA, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania & Arizona
Arizona Tent City shut down
Arizona’s infamous Tent City outdoor inmate lodging touted by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has finally collapsed under new Sheriff Paul Penzone, reported The New York Times. “This facility is not a crime deterrent,” Penzone said in a news conference. “It is not cost-efficient. And, it is not tough on criminals. That may have been the intent when it was first opened, and there was a need. “But this facility has become more of a circus atmosphere for the general public. Starting today, that circus ends, and these tents come down,” … [Read more...] about Arizona Tent City shut down
University helps prisoners learn
The University of Arizona English Department, with the encouragement of the state of Arizona, has initiated a writing and literary program to rehabilitate prisoners, reports The Arizona Wildcat. They started the Prison Education Project, now called Prison Instruction to Change Minds (PRISM) last spring and enroll up to 20 inmates each term. The goal of the curriculum is to improve prisoners’ critical thinking and comprehension skills, gain rhetorical awareness, and engage with the texts to reflect on their lives and hopes for the … [Read more...] about University helps prisoners learn