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

Federal court order officially ends Tennessee 'inmate sterilization' program

“A federal court order officially ended a Tennessee program that shortened people's jail sentences if they agreed to get vasectomies or other forms of birth control. The order was filed Monday as part of a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit over the program. The lawsuit, filed in 2017, said White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe and Judge Sam Benningfield violated the constitution by allowing inmates to get 30 days off a jail term if they agreed to a birth control implant or vasectomy.“

The Tennessean

May 20, 2019

Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesMay 20, 2019The Tennessean, TennesseeComment

Postcards from hell: Inmate’s manuscript describes horrors of Florida prison system

“Hempstead is far from unique in complaining about the brutalities and indignities of the Florida prison system from an inmate’s perspective. But he is one of the few to have the focus and dedication to write a more than 400-page book cataloging everything he saw and experienced. He calls it: ‘Department of Corruption: Darren Rainey, the Untold Story’.“

Miami Herald

November 1, 2018

Death in PrisonPhillip ReevesNovember 1, 2018Miami Herald, Florida, Tennessee, Darren RaineyComment

As Tennessee Restarts Executions, 40 Years of Data Expose Its Death Penalty as a 'Cruel Lottery'

"Yet the restarting of the death machinery in Nashville runs against a well-documented trend both in Tennessee and the rest of the country. Executions are declining year after year — and new death sentences have become vanishingly rare."

The Intercept

August 15, 2018

Death RowAnthony BradleyAugust 17, 2018The Intercept, Tennessee

Tennessee Sheriff: Solitary Confinement for 16 Year-Old Girl Is No Different Than a 'Private Room'

"The devastating and lasting psychiatric effects of solitary confinement have been extensively documented. Solitary confinement is harmful to the mental health of inmates because it restricts social contact, which is a psychological stimulus that humans require to remain healthy and functioning. Prolonged isolation causes anxiety, panic, hallucinations, paranoia, insomnia, aggression, depression, and an increased risk of suicide, especially for people with pre-existing mental health conditions."

The Appeal

February 13, 2018

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