Where North Carolina Stands on Reforms proposed by the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity and Justice
Where North Carolina Stands on Reforms proposed by the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity and Justice Late last year, partly in response to the protests that rocked the nation after the murder of George Floyd, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill that was passed with bipartisan support. […]
Prisoner Reintegration: Lessons From Norway
Reentry to Society Is Primary Goal of Norwegian Prisons, Not Punishment Bastoy Island is just like any other small Norwegian village. It is filled with fishermen along its coasts, who go out in the morning hoping for a good day’s catch. Along with its well-maintained greenery, the island is a beautiful environment and lush space […]
Prisoner Education Offers a Way Out
Education for Inmates Has Major Cost-Saving Benefits for Society Before imprisonment, Martin spent most of his time working for a small, marginal family-run grocery store. The need to do his part in supporting the family unit prevented him from going to high school. At the age of 19, Martin was barely literate and in prison […]
Fiscal Mismanagement, Natural Disasters Push Puerto Rico’s Prison System to the Brink
Puerto Rican Debt Crisis Impacts Basic Services and Living Conditions for Inmates In this article, we shine a spotlight on how decades of fiscal mismanagement by Puerto Rico’s government, and a pair of devastating natural disasters in Hurricanes Irma and Maria have pushed the island’s prison system to the brink of collapse. Seven years later, […]
The Fight to Stop Solitary Confinement in Connecticut
Solitary Confinement Deemed Form of Torture, Leaves Permanent Psychological Scars Solitary confinement, also known as “the hole” or “administrative segregation,” involves isolating prisoners in tiny cells for up to 23 hours a day, often for weeks, months, or even years on end. Often less than 1/4 the size of a typical college dorm room, inmates […]
Waiting and Decision Making
Waiting and Decision Making The Mental Competency Process On December 24, 2009, 24-year old Victor Carrero ran into two people on the corner of Central and Jefferson Avenues in Brooklyn. He proceeded to knock one of them to the ground, stabbing them in their head and shoulder before running away. Al Jazeera America reported that […]
Bias Behind the Badge: How Officer Demographics Affect Arrest Escalation
Bias Behind the Badge: How Officer Demographics Affect Arrest Escalation Kemonte Hampton walked out of a gas station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was told to get on the ground; he was being arrested for jaywalking. He complied, but was pushed over on his way down and handcuffed. In the arresting officer’s haste to get out […]
Kayla’s Act Gives Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence
Kayla’s Act Gives Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence In the week of Thanksgiving 2022, Kayla Hammonds was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in a grocery store parking lot in Lumberton, NC. The ex-boyfriend, Desmond Sampson, had a significant prior history of violence, with Hammonds having filed multiple protective orders against him, including […]
Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender
Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender By 9 a.m., she’s already met two new clients, each facing felony charges. By noon, she’s given her case in front of a judge, scrambled to finalize paperwork, and returned half a dozen voicemails from frantic family members. “Sometimes it feels like my client’s freedom […]
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Illness and Incarceration
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Illness and Incarceration What does it mean to be ill? Going by Dr. Peter Eisenberg’s definition, it means to lose your freedom. Working as an oncologist with prisoners from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center for many years, he noticed one thread that connected all of them: they were confined […]