Many issues that are primary drivers of mass incarceration cannot be remedied through government solutions alone. Issues such as broken families and mental health, both forever altered by over criminalization, cannot be simply be repaired through legislation. Civil Society has the unique capability to address certain social issues that government cannot, or to address them more effectively than government can. This section also addresses issues in which over-policing attempts to fix issues that should be handled through the community.
“Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Justice Department leadership today announced the recipients of the Second Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 25 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.“
U.S. Department of Justice
September 19, 2018
Read More“The case is complicated, but on the surface it involves shoddy police work, zero physical evidence linking Dixon, conflicting testimony of unreliable witnesses, the videotaped confession to the crime by another man, a public defender who didn’t call a witness at trial, and perjury charges against those who said Dixon didn’t do it. All together, a fairly clear instance of local officials hastily railroading a young black man with a prior criminal record into jail. Dixon’s past wasn’t spotless, he had sold some cocaine, but that didn’t make him a murderer.“
Golf Digest
September 19, 2018
Read More“The NAS report offers powerful confirmation that police departments around the country have discovered techniques that have significantly reduced crime. The impact of these efforts has been felt most profoundly in urban communities, most notably in New York City, where the murder rate has declined by 82 percent over the past 20 years.“
Governing Institute
September 17, 2018
Read More“When backup arrived, Williams raised his gun in their direction and the officers fired, killing him. A few weeks later, Mader was ousted by the police department of Weirton, West Virginia, for failing to eliminate a threat. Mader is not alone. Across the country, police officers have been disciplined for doing what they believe is the right thing.“
The Marshall Project
September 17, 2018
Read More“Becker also addressed police shootings in his newsletter. If his child were shot by police, he wrote, ‘rather than blaming the cop, I’d be blaming myself and endlessly soul searching to figure out how I failed as a parent and why my kid grew up to be a punk.’ He added, ‘Based on the evidence of what I see on television, it often times appears to me that justice was delivered to the dead punk’.“
The Appeal
September 14, 2018
Read More“Chef Kurt Evans is taking the idea behind his End Mass Incarceration dinner series several steps further with Down North, his upcoming North Philly pizza shop. The restaurant, at 28th and Lehigh in the city’s Strawberry Mansion section, will employ ex-offenders in a move to help former prisoners reenter the community and find work. He hopes it have it up and running in mid-November.“
Eater Philadelphia
September 14, 2018
Read More“The culture of the parole system is to “trail, nail and jail” people. That is devastating for people who are trying to rebuild their lives and for their families, who find themselves that much further behind the eight ball. The culture and practices of parole need to change drastically. “
Amsterdam News
September 13, 2018
Read More“The purpose of gathering all of the influencers in one room was not just about planning a single event, however. It was to connect them all -- policymakers with public defenders, company heads with job placement providers -- to ensure the essential components of a complicated system are communicating with one another moving forward to promote greater efficiency.“
ESPN
September 12, 2018
Read More“But a review by The Appeal found that notice of the governor’s message had not filtered down to the state’s more than 50 county-level Board of Elections websites, well past the Aug. 19 deadline to register to vote in Thursday’s state primary election.“
The Appeal
September 12, 2018
Read More“Instead of being part of the complex life of the city, this latest Spider-Man sees a black-and-white world of cops and robbers. He aids in state surveillance, standing unquestioningly alongside an overly idealized caricature of the police. He’s still friendly, but I don’t know if he’s part of the neighborhood now. “
Kotaku
September 12, 2018
Read More“For eight hours, Goodell listened attentively — sometimes interjecting questions — as defense attorneys and formerly incarcerated people spoke. In the day’s first session, Orleans Parish Chief Public Defender Derwyn Bunton explained the plethora of bail fees and court costs that defendants pay to help support the city's criminal justice system.“
The Advocate
September 11, 2018
Read More“We would be enraged and filing class action malpractice suits if the medical community operated hospital emergency departments like we administer criminal justice. Imagine walking into an emergency room where everyone got the same, uninformed diagnosis, and in turn the same treatment. A reasonable person would expert poor outcomes from such policies. That is precisely what we get in the criminal justice system, with tremendous social and financial cost.“
Psychology Today
September 11, 2018
Read More“But, ultimately, this trial—regardless of the outcome—underscores a narrative that is central to life in Chicago today, and in most American cities: the broadening gap between those who have and those who have not. Acree has taken to calling Chicago “a tale of two cities,” a shorthand description that has become so prevalent when people talk about the city’s trajectory that the mayor pointedly dismissed the characterization this summer. “
The New Yorker
September 11, 2018
Read More“Over the next few years, Safe Streets & Second Chances will assist Goodwill and the DOC with research and data analysis as Pennsylvania changes its methods for rehabilitation and reentry. The agency will work with incarcerated individuals from the day they enter the prison system through the months following their release to prepare them for reentering society. That work includes job training, mental health support, substance abuse treatment and other programs that prepare individuals to live outside of prison and never return.“
Safe Streets & Second Chances
September 7, 2018
Read More"Often using state-issued material or contraband, imprisoned artists use a myriad of genres and styles to create political collages, portraits of other imprisoned people and mixed-media works that comment on abuse, racism and the exploitation of prison labor. In Dimanche’s story, I see the stories of thousands of others in U.S. prisons who are using art and creativity to shine a light on their experiences and advocate for systemic change."
The Conversation
August 31, 2018
Read More"Launched in New York City in April 2016, “States of Incarceration” is run by the Humanities Action Lab, a coalition of more than 20 universities that collaborate to produce projects that foster public dialogue on pressing social issues by exploring local histories to understand shared global concerns. More than 700 university students and formerly incarcerated individuals from 30 communities across the country contributed to the exhibition, funded by a $310,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities."
Arizona State University
August 31, 2018
Read More"On Friday, Aug. 24, students at Stearne received backpacks filled with notebooks, crayons and other school supplies in time for the new school year. Men of Action’s members, many of whom are serving life sentences, each donated at least $28 to purchase the supplies."
Generocity
August 30, 2018
Read More"Now more than 100 Slack employees have visited San Quentin to meet and mentor people enrolled in The Last Mile’s coding program. And Butterfield offered up his company as the test case for getting prison-trained coders into high-growth start-ups, something that has not really worked yet."
The Atlantic
August 29, 2018
Read More"There is no greater indicator of citizenship than having the ability to vote, and nothing speaks more to the founding of our country than second chances."
Human Rights Watch
August 27, 2018
Read More"Georgia is a “right to work state,” meaning companies largely have free rein to do as they please. Companies argue they want to know whether their employees are a threat to other employees. And they worry about liability."
Atlanta Journal Constitution
August 27, 2018
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