Prison Programs — Jail and Prison Conditions — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

For Some Illinois Prisoners, One Good Eye Is Enough

“It’s easy to underestimate the brutality of boredom, but people in prison will tell you that keeping your mind occupied is essential to survival. Paulette Fiedler, a 69-year-old prisoner at Logan Correctional Center in Illinois, keeps her mind alive by reading — she plows through book after book. So, Fiedler said, when she got cataracts in both eyes, she wanted them fixed as soon as possible. But the prison doctor told her that she’d have to make a choice. Which eye did she want fixed, the right one or the left one? Multiple Illinois prisoners say they have been denied eye surgery because of a “one good eye” policy that only entitles them to have one functioning eye.“

WBEZ Chicago

November 19, 2019

Prison Programs, Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesNovember 19, 2019WBEZ Chicago, IllinoisComment

Chess Tournament At Cook County Jail Seeks To Teach Inmates Critical Thinking; ‘It Makes My Mind Move’

“Chess players from all over the world were facing off in a first of its kind tournament on Tuesday, in a place you might not expect: jail. Inmates at Cook County Jail have been taking part in a round-robin chess tournament online, competing against inmates from six other countries: Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, England, Italy, and Russia. The Cook County Sheriff’s office said it’s the first international prisoner chess tournament of its kind. For the inmates, it’s about a lot more than chess. Some said playing chess is teaching them how to make better life decisions.“

CBS 2 Chicago

August 6, 2019

Access to Outside World, Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesAugust 6, 2019CBS 2 Chicago, Cook County, Chicago, ChessComment

John Oliver Goes to Work for Prison Labor Reform on Last Week Tonight

“On Sunday night’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver returned to one of his favorite topics: The criminal justice system in the United States. He has covered prosecutors, the use of lethal injections, mandatory minimum sentences, and the reentry of prisoners to mainstream society and this time he focused on prison labor.“

Time Magazine

August 5, 2019

Jail & Prison Conditions, Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesAugust 5, 2019TIME Magazine, John OliverComment

New York prisons offer tough love boot camp programs. But prisoners say they're 'torture' and 'hell'

“In New York’s shock incarceration programs, prisoners with three years or less left on their sentences can spend six months doing drills, learning military discipline and taking substance abuse classes in a strict “therapeutic community” environment in exchange for an early shot at freedom. “

The Appeal

May 21, 2019

Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesMay 21, 2019The Appeal, New YorkComment

Prison problems: Miscarriages, a baby born in a cell, inadequate services for disabilities

“Women miscarrying due to a lack of proper health care, a woman giving birth alone in a cell, and deaf inmates not getting interpretation services during doctor visits. These instances and numerous others were detailed in more than 200 letters lawyers sent to Arizona Department of Corrections officials over the past four months.“

Arizona Central

May 20, 2019

Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesMay 20, 2019Arizona Central, ArizonaComment

Oregon Prison Industry Program Nets Record $28.5 Million as Prisoners Earn $1.25/Hour

“DOC spokesman Jim Lockwood quickly made assurances that prison officials would not force prisoners to work without compensation. Ultimately, the DOC replaced prisoner wages with a point system. At the end of each month, a prisoner’s accumulated points are converted into a monetary amount ranging between $8 and $77 for most prison jobs. Prisoners can earn more working for OCE, which pays an average of $158 per month, according to the agency. That is equivalent to around $1.25 per hour rather than the maximum $0.61 per hour for non-OCE prison jobs.“

Prison Legal News

April 2, 2019

Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesApril 2, 2019Prison Legal News, OregonComment

A prison program in Connecticut seeks to find out what happens when prisoners are treated as victims

“Prisoners report past abuse at rates up to twice that of the general population. Youth who get caught up in the criminal justice system have experienced chronic trauma at rates triple those of youth in the general population. A study of people who spent time in prison, conducted by sociologist Bruce Western, found that 42 percent had witnessed a violent death as children. Advocates of criminal justice reform are beginning to catch up with what social scientists have shown for years: The correlation between being the victim of a crime and committing crime cannot be ignored in serious conversations about sending fewer people to prison.“

The Conversation

March 7, 2019

Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesMarch 7, 2019The Conversation, Connecticut, TRUEComment

Built with rehabilitation in mind, Texas state jails are now viewed by lawmakers as a "complete failure"

“But advocates and lawmakers say the system has failed. Attitudes about criminal justice shifted soon after the system was put in place. The state began using the jails as way stations for inmates convicted of more serious crimes on their way to state prisons. Few rehabilitative services were made available in state jails, and the low-level offenders who went to the facilities have been rearrested at a higher rate than the general prison population.“

Texas Tribune

February 14, 2019

Prison Design, Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesFebruary 14, 2019Texas Tribune, TexasComment

Beyond Bars: Education opportunities give prisoners a chance to contribute positively

“Prisoners in uPrep are receiving an education and valuable skills. The things they are learning give them confidence and the ability to succeed as they reenter society. uPrep has “coding camp,” where inmates are learning computer programming, a skill that is in demand in the outside world.“

Utah Standard Examiner

September 24, 2018

Education, Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesSeptember 24, 2018Utah Standard Examiner, uPrepComment

LI correctional facility carves out a separate space for older inmates

"The Senior Rehabilitation Pod Program is believed to be the first in the nation to segregate seniors from younger inmates, Suffolk Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. said during a recent interview. The program began in mid-July and will start offering a full array of health, counseling and employment services by early September."

Newsday

August 23, 2018

End of Life Care, Prison ProgramsAnthony BradleyAugust 28, 2018Newsday, Long Island

Why Incarcerated People At Poultry Plants Deserve Better

"In Alabama, the state we examined most closely, it’s a sweet deal for the companies and the state. The plants get highly vulnerable workers who are unlikely to complain about low wages or unsafe working conditions. The state, in turn, reaps millions to help pay for its mass incarceration operations. For prisoners, however, work release can be a double-edged sword."

The Marshall Project

August 13, 2018

Prison ProgramsAnthony BradleyAugust 14, 2018The Marshall Project, Alabama, Work release

How young women are building promise in a Connecticut prison

"The mentors and staff at York brought the W.O.R.T.H name to life—putting in countless hours of hard work in partnership with Vera’s Restoring Promise team to ensure that the unit is a success: It prioritizes family engagement, self-expression, peer support, personal growth and development, education, and career readiness."

Vera Institute

August 2, 2018

Prison ProgramsAnthony BradleyAugust 6, 2018Vera Institute, Connecticut, WORTH

Should prisons be in business with one of the most dangerous industries in America?

"Records reviewed by the SPLC show dozens of poultry companies employed more than 600 prisoners in at least seven states in 2016. The SPLC investigation also turned up documents from Georgia and North Carolina showing at least two dozen prisoners have been injured at their poultry jobs since 2015."

Southern Poverty Law Center

July 26, 2018

Deschutes jail inmates use yoga to relieve stress, anxiety

"'Programs help us get out of our mind, because you get in, you get stuck,' she said. 'You think, what I could have done, what I couldn't have done. What I should have done, what I didn't' -- and it’ll drive you really anxious and excited, and it brings on other emotions. But this helps. The program helps'."

KTVZ Central Oregon

July 16, 2018

Prison ProgramsAnthony BradleyJuly 29, 2018KTVZ Central Oregon, Deschutes County, Portland

A Day in the Life of a Prisoner

"People are constantly asking me: What’s a day in prison like? Is it boring? Or are you busy? So the other day, I toted a pocket-sized notebook with me everywhere I went, scribbling down every single thing I did. I thought I’d share my findings with you to show you that we prisoners aren’t deadbeats — our days are, in fact, incredibly full."

The Marshall Project

July 12, 2018

Learning Violin Helped Me Survive Prison

"I felt stuck in limbo—stuck because I knew a lot about what not to do. I had given up most of my bad habits and examined my heart and mind with help from counselors, both inmates and professionals, but still had no real purpose. Nothing to do. At the prison there was a program called Musicambia that brings teachers in every week for music theory and performance classes....I thought: I have to get into this program."

The Marshall Project

July 5, 2018

Jail education programs offer inmates life line

"Working with Workforce Solutions Alamo to determine local employer market needs, the Alamo Colleges have developed new classes. Some of the class offerings now include national certification in manufacturing quality and safety, Express-News education writer Alia Malik reported recently. Over the last four years, nearly 3,000 inmates have taken at least one of the vocational classes offered by the Alamo Colleges District."

San Antonio Express-News

May 14, 2018

Education, Prison ProgramsAnthony BradleyJuly 29, 2018San Antonio Express News, Texas, San Antonio

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