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

How This Prison Collaborated on a Larger-Than-Life Work of Art

“For three days in October, giant faces were visible from the air over the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi, California. They were portraits of 48 currently or formerly incarcerated people, correctional officers and victims of crimes, assembled in a large-scale mural made up of paper strips. A few days later the mural was gone, disintegrated by the Southern California wind and sun and carefully taken apart by the prisoners who live there. In collaboration with the men depicted in the artwork, the French artist JR created an ephemeral window into the lives of those affected by the U.S. prison system.“

The Marshall Project

November 25, 2019

San Quentin prisoners reframe photos to share their stories

“In a photography course that she still teaches through the not-for-profit initiative Prison University Project, Poor engaged her students – incarcerated at San Quentin – with visual mapping exercises encouraging them to write and draw directly on to the found photos. Adding poetic musings, facts and speculative theories to the works, the students interpreted a range of scenes – from visiting-room weddings and ice sculpture-carving contests to family visits and attempted escapes. Presented without context, the diagrammed images are time capsules that chart how the culture of San Quentin has evolved from the 60s to the present.“

The Guardian

September 10, 2019

Access to Outside WorldPhillip ReevesSeptember 10, 2019The Guardian, San Quentin, CaliforniaComment

When America had an open prison – the story of Kenyon Scudder and his ‘prison without walls’

“Many Scandinavian countries even have open prisons – minimum security institutions that rely less on force and more on trust. Some don’t even have a locked perimeter, and they emphasize rehabilitation and preparation for a return to society. Back in the U.S., this might seem like an unattainable ideal. But in California, nearly 80 years ago, there was an open prison.“

The Conversation

June 14, 2019

Prison DesignPhillip ReevesJune 14, 2019The Conversation, CaliforniaComment

There Has Been an Explosion of Homicides in California’s County Jails. Here’s Why.

“Some California county jails saw their rate of inmate-on-inmate homicides triple or quadruple, and statewide the number rose 46% after 2011 prison reforms shifted responsibility from state prisons to county lockups. As sheriffs and jail staffs strain, some inmate crimes go undetected for hours.“

ProPublica

June 13, 2019

Death in PrisonPhillip ReevesJune 13, 2019ProPublica, CaliforniaComment

It’s 100 degrees in California and this prison’s air conditioning is broken, again

“Temperatures are supposed to hover around 100 degrees this week at a federal prison in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, and they’ll remain in the high 90s all summer. For the third year running, prison staff say their air conditioning is broken under the strain of those high temperatures.“

McClatchy DC

June 6, 2019

Prison DesignPhillip ReevesJune 6, 2019California, McClatchy DCComment

California’s jails are so bad some inmates beg to go to prison instead

“Solitary confinement — in a windowless room — was a common punishment; Garland says he lost track of whether it was day or night during a spell in solitary and began to hear voices. Mental-health help was hard to get, he alleged, even after he started swallowing shards of metal and tried to hang himself. He detailed the treatment in a lawsuit accusing the county of subjecting inmates to inhumane conditions — a claim the county denies.“

LA Times

May 23, 2019

Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesMay 23, 2019LA Times, CaliforniaComment

Reform LA Jails Campaign Heats Up As Historic Initiative Heads To The Ballot In 2020

“If the LA county-wide initiative passes, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Civilian Oversight Commission will be granted subpoena and investigative power to effectively and independently investigate misconduct; the commission will also have the power to develop a plan that will reduce jail populations and redirect the cost savings into alternatives to incarceration.“

Essence

March 4, 2019

Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesMarch 4, 2019LA County, Los Angeles, California, EssenceComment

Solitary confinement, jail deaths rock race for sheriff in California

“In Santa Clara County, incarcerated people, and a former undersheriff challenging six-term sheriff Laurie Smith, have turned conditions of confinement into a potent electoral issue.“

The Appeal

October 29, 2018

Death in Prison, Mental HealthPhillip ReevesOctober 30, 2018The Appeal, Santa Clara, CaliforniaComment

Protesters blame riot at Norco prison on new state reintegration policy

“Rubio is referring to a new policy by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in which the general prison population is being reintegrated with those with sensitive needs. In other words, the general prison population will be sharing facilities with those prisoners serving time for child molestation, or those who've cooperated with law enforcement.“

ABC 7 Southern California

October 4, 2018

Jail & Prison Conditions, InformantsPhillip ReevesOctober 4, 2018ABC 7 Southern California, CaliforniaComment

Prisoners file federal class action lawsuit against Sacramento County

"Six prisoners in Sacramento County’s jails filed a federal class action lawsuit today, claiming that jail conditions do not meet minimum standards under the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The lawsuit asserts that the County’s jails are overcrowded and dangerously understaffed, and that they fail to provide adequate mental health and medical care."

Disability Rights California

July 31, 2018

Reforming Solitary Confinement at an Infamous California Prison

"Oprah Winfrey visits Pelican Bay State Prison where she reports on conditions in the "SHU" isolation unit and on a nationwide reform movement that is reducing the use of solitary confinement."

CBS

July 22, 2018

Solitary ConfinementAnthony BradleyJuly 29, 2018CBS, Oprah, California