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.
“Promise works with government agencies to support individuals being released from custody both pre-trial and post-conviction. Promise provides tools for the individuals being released, for the government workers interacting with those individuals, and for government leaders who need data to make better-informed decisions around incarceration and public safety.“
Forbes
March 18, 2019
Read More“His woes are typical of those faced by millions of arrestees each year. Even with expunction orders in place, it is legal for criminal justice and private websites to maintain the expunged criminal records online. The only requirement is that they be made public prior to the date of the order. Most law enforcement agencies release arrest information on a weekly basis—much faster than any arrestee could receive an order to expunge.“
Criminal Legal News
March 15, 2019
Read More“Sponsored by Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) this ‘For the People Act’ is designed ‘to expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants and for other purposes.’ It does all that. And, thanks to Pocan, it also addresses one of the great injustices in American politics—prison gerrymandering.“
The Nation
March 8, 2019
Read More“Because Census data is used for redistricting at every level of government, prison gerrymandering creates distorted maps. In an era of mass incarceration, this distortion creates an even greater injustice because, as the Prison Policy Initiative explains, “counting the people in prison in the wrong place now undermines the Supreme Court’s requirement that political power be apportioned on the basis of population. The process of drawing fair and equal districts fails when the underlying data are flawed.”“
The Nation
March 8, 2019
Read More“States throughout the U.S. have recently expanded voting rights to millions of people with felony records previously barred from participating in elections. After a brief moment of celebration, two of them, Iowa and Florida, are now experiencing backlash from Republican lawmakers advocating for policies that would curtail those rights. This week, we are joined by The Appeal’s Kira Lerner to discuss the hurdles these movements still face and the forces pushing back against the wave of increased enfranchisement.“
The Appeal
March 7, 2019
Read More“Johnston, who is jokingly called “Biggy” because he is such a small guy, is one of approximately 36,000 people on parole and probation in Louisiana expected to get their voting rights restored Friday. After 26 years out of prison and on parole, he said he’s not going to waste any time signing up before the next election.“
New Orleans Times-Picayune
February 28, 2019
Read More“People who have experienced incarceration have unique insights into the criminal system—insights that are often missing from legal scholarship and criminal justice policy. This Collection begins to bridge that gap.“
The Yale Law Journal
February 25, 2019
Read More“He’s not saying there should be no consequences for criminality. Rather, he’s asking, “Are there ways we could accomplish the goals of prison more effectively?” Asking the question puts him in some highly esteemed company indeed.“
Quartz
February 15, 2019
Read More“Reynolds has personal experience with the criminal justice system that has made her vocal about her belief in second chances. In 2000, almost two decades before she would become the first female governor of Iowa, she was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. It was her second offense—she had been charged with the same crime the year before—but she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to pay a $1,500 fine and serve 12 months of informal probation.“
The Appeal
February 7, 2019
Read More“There’s an opportunity cost to this. When we exalt the killer, we’re diverting our focus from people and ideas more worthy of our attention. We could be considering the victims and the people they left behind. Or examining how it is that women’s bodies are selected as an outlet for violence, both extreme and quotidian, again and again. “
The Cut
February 5, 2019
Read More“‘Family members of people in prison have needs in every area of life,’ Laure said. ‘Physical, financial, emotional, mental and spiritual. For some people, they might need to know where they can get groceries to feed their families. Others might need a job to make ends meet when the primary wage-earner goes to prison. They need to know how to deal with the mental duress, the stress, what they’re allowed to wear while visiting their loved one in prison, where to find local counselors or even daycare’.“
The Alabama Baptist
January 29, 2019
Read More“Since its launch, Appolition has raised around $200,000 to bail more than 50 people out of jail across the U.S., according to founder and CEO Kortney Ziegler. Upon releasing the app in November 2017, his goal was to reach 200 donors in a month. Instead, he got 5,000.“
Money Magazine
January 23, 2019
Read More“The Jumpsuit Project challenges ideas about mass incarceration, helping to bring about an understanding of prisons and the United States justice system. The experience also opened his eyes to the effect incarceration has on those behind bars, as well as their family and friends. ‘I went into prison judging the other men by the misconceptions we have,’ he said. ‘When I got to know who they really were, it opened my world up a lot. You can’t judge a book by its cover. Everyone is capable of making a mistake’.“
The Two Rivers Times
January 22, 2019
Read More“Ensuring some amount of punishment was extremely important to our participants, but when confronted with the rising price tag of those moral convictions, people are forced to think about how limited dollars are best spent, and under these conditions most of them ultimately tempered their sentencing recommendations“
Georgia State University
January 22, 2019
Read More“A homeless veteran living in Baltimore, Mr. Freburger would usually have difficulty securing such an outfit, especially one selected for him personally. But in this instance, he was referred to the nonprofit Sharp Dressed Man. Since 2011, the organization has been helping men improve their lives by equipping them for job interviews and other occasions with well-fitting suits and accessories. This isn’t a “grab any jacket off the rack” kind of experience; rather, the nonprofit provides a measure-to-fit, personalized styling experience.“
Christian Science Monitor
January 17, 2019
Read More“In late 2015, photographer Lili Kobielski began visiting inmates in Cook County Jail and documenting the plight of prisoners living with mental illness. Her new book, I Refuse for the Devil to Take My Soul: Inside Cook County Jail, is a powerful examination of the intersections between poverty, mental illness, mass incarceration, and race.“
VICE
January 17, 2019
Read More“According to a poll released today by the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, a majority of Kentuckians, across political affiliation, gender and age categories, support the automatic restoration of voting rights for persons who complete their felony sentence. Overall support is 2-1 with 66% in favor and 32% opposed, according to a December 2018 statewide poll of Kentucky voters.“
League of Women Voters of Kentucky
January 17, 2019
Read More“Lawmakers must approve legislation creating a constitutional amendment in two consecutive two-year general assemblies, and then Iowans must approve it in a statewide vote. If the measure is adopted, it could be reversed only through a second constitutional amendment. Though advocates for criminal justice reform agree that a constitutional amendment is necessary and provides long-term protections from the whims of future Legislatures, they've also called on Reynolds to take immediate action through an executive order while the amendment moves through the years long process.“
Des Moines Register
January 15, 2019
Read More“NEADS World Class Service Dogs works with inmates at seven facilities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to train service dogs, while Leader Dogs For the Blind works with prisons in Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan in raising puppies that eventually become guide dogs for people who are blind. At one program at the Erie County Correctional Facility in New York, inmates raise pheasant chicks that are then released into the wild.“
CBS 13 New Hampshire
January 11, 2019
Read More“The season contains heartbreaking juvenile cases, the constantly infuriating combination of arbitrariness in the application of justice and systemic discrimination, the back-breaking fines inflicted on poor people, the community’s frustration and so much more. In the city where police killed 12-year old Tamir Rice in a park while he was playing with a toy gun and the prosecutor convinced a grand jury not to bring charges, it’s important to listen to the stories coming through the Justice Center.“
The Open File
January 4, 2019
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