Jail and Prison Conditions — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Jail and Prison Conditions

Even if an inmate's sentence is not oppressively long, their treatment while incarcerated can still constitute subhuman treatment. Prisons are not medical facilities, but they regularly are forced to deal with mental health problems and care for elderly and terminally ill inmates. Food, if it's even edible, usually lacks enough nutrition for inmates' health to not deteriorate. Plus, with a lack of opportunities to see family, read, or gain skill sets, inmates are placed in buildings which lack any resemblance of the civilized world.

When Solitary Confinement Is A Death Sentence

“Arizona, where Abdullah died, is tied for sixth highest in its use of solitary confinement. It has also seen an uptick in the number of suicides and instances of self-harm. During the fiscal year in which Abdullah killed herself, six prisoners died by suicide in Arizona prisons. In fiscal year 2018, there were seven suicides and 708 recorded instances of self-harm. For the last three-quarters of fiscal year 2019, after the state changed how it documented these events, there were six suicides, 87 suicide attempts and 1,406 non-suicidal instances of self-harm in the average daily population of about 42,000 inmates.“

Huffington Post

August 29, 2019

Death in Prison, Solitary ConfinementPhillip ReevesAugust 29, 2019Arizona, Huffington PostComment

Cuomo supportive of minimum wage hike for prison inmates

“In New York prisons, inmates are required to pay for phone calls, stamps and items from the commissary. The last pay raise in New York was approved by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo more than 25 years ago. The legislative sponsors are also calling for a commission to conduct a study examining the cost as well as any benefits of increasing the minimum wage for inmates.“

Albany Times Union

August 27, 2019

Access to Outside WorldPhillip ReevesAugust 27, 2019Albany Times Union, New York, Cuomo, Andrew CuomoComment

Prison audit suggests separating gang members, letting inmates earn more ‘good time credit’

“South Carolina should improve prison officers’ training, better manage gang members and penalize their leaders, and offer inmates more opportunities to shave time off their sentences to incentivize good behavior, according to a state audit presented to legislators Monday. A lengthy review by the Legislative Audit Council also found inconsistencies in how and whether inmates and visitors are searched for contraband. And it’s unclear how much contraband — such as cellphones, which have allowed inmates to carry on their criminal enterprises — is found because it’s not being properly tracked, the audit found.“

Charleston Post and Courier

August 26, 2019

Death in Prison, Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesAugust 26, 2019Charleston Post and Courier, South CarolinaComment

Federal prison suicides were quietly rising before Jeffrey Epstein's death in a New York detention center

“When accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself while awaiting trial this month, it was the first recorded suicide at Manhattan’s federal detention center in 13 years. But across the vast Bureau of Prisons, suicides have been gradually ticking up even as the overall inmate population has declined. Twenty-seven federal inmates committed suicide in the fiscal year that ended in September 2018, the largest number in at least the past five years, according to prison system records. At least 21 inmates, including Epstein, have killed themselves in federal facilities since Oct. 1.“

USA Today

August 22, 2019

Death in PrisonPhillip ReevesAugust 22, 2019USA Today, Jeffrey EpsteinComment

New Bill Educates Illinois Prisoners on Voting Rights After Release

“The bill, which takes effect in January 2020, will add mandatory workshops at both adult and juvenile prison facilities to instruct inmates that their voting rights are restored as soon as they finish out their prison sentences. Prisoners entering the last 12 months of their sentence already go through similar lessons informing them how to find housing or set up health care once they’re released. This new workshop will operate similarly, but will instead focus on civics and voting.“

WTTW Chicago

August 21, 2019

Access to Outside World, EducationPhillip ReevesAugust 21, 2019WTTW Chicago, IllinoisComment

Beatings, murders and prisoners set on fire: inside the prison called 'gangland'

“The state has sharply cut spending on prisons over the last few years. Along the way, the number of guards at the three state-run prisons has plummeted, from 905 in July 2017 to 627 two years later, even as the number of inmates has remained the same. Vacancies abound, largely because the pay is so low.“

The Guardian

August 21, 2019

UnderstaffingPhillip ReevesAugust 21, 2019The Guardian, MississippiComment

Caged: ‘Pure torture.’ Inmates suffer and die as Kentucky overcrowds its county jails.

“Terrible things happen when too many people are crammed into too small a space, a common practice in Kentucky’s local jails, which are packed far beyond their capacity with state inmates who should be serving their felony sentences in a prison. At the Boyd County Detention Center, which typically houses at least 50 percent more prisoners than it’s supposed to, an Ashland police officer left 40-year-old Michael “Boo” Moore last Nov. 27 to be booked for public intoxication, a minor offense. Moore’s battered corpse was carried out of the jail two days later.“

Lexington Herald Ledger

August 21, 2019

Understaffing, Death in PrisonPhillip ReevesAugust 21, 2019Lexington Herald Leader, Kentucky, Boyd County, Boyd County Detention CenterComment

Inmates swelter in uncooled prisons during heat wave

“"Being in here is like being in hell," said one prisoner, who spent part of the heat wave in a solitary confinement cell with little air flow. He slept on the floor, his mattress soaked with sweat, he said. Though prison officials say the cells are ventilated, the prisoner only felt a thin stream of air flow through the cell door's slot for food trays as heat indexes in Alabama hovered in the 110 to 115 degree range.“

Montgomery Advertiser

August 20, 2019

Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesAugust 20, 2019Montgomery Advertiser, AlabamaComment

State of Mind: Mental health puts pressure on jails

“"We also know that people suffering a mental health issue are likely to be in jail longer than the average arrestee," Fuller said, "which puts them in a system that is not specifically designed for their mental health issues. It's designed for criminal justice."“

CBS 3 West Michigan

August 19, 2019

Mental HealthPhillip ReevesAugust 19, 2019CBS 3 West Michigan, MichiganComment

I Tried to Tell the World About Epstein’s Jail. No One Wanted to Listen.

“I spent a decade trying to get media outlets to pay attention to the MCC, in Lower Manhattan, pleading with journalists for hours on the phone, over email, and in person to launch investigations of the jail. Over and over, for years, these media organizations did not follow up. Suddenly, there was urgency to talk about the conditions at MCC. The jail now provided an intriguingly grimy backdrop to an already sordid story. The question is whether a sustained light will actually be shined on the conditions there, or whether the widespread fascination with MCC just becomes part of the spectacle.“

The Atlantic

August 16, 2019

Death in Prison, Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesAugust 16, 2019The Atlantic, Jeffrey Epstein, MCCComment

LA County Scraps Mental Health Jail After Protests Led By Reform LA Jails

“On Tuesday (August 13), the 3,885-bed facility, which was slated to house pretrial detainees with mental health and substance abuse issues, was scrapped in large part due to years of activism from prison reform groups and added to a growing nationwide trend of halting the expansion of mass incarceration in favor of investing in community-based treatment programs and other alternatives.“

BET

August 15, 2019

Mental Health, Prison DesignPhillip ReevesAugust 15, 2019BET, LA County, Los AngelesComment

Expand college-in-prison programs — then give participants time off their sentences

“Earned time credit has the dual effect of reducing costs and improving outcomes, shortening students’ time behind bars while harnessing the power of education to make it less likely that they will reoffend after release. In states such as Washington and Oregon, these policies have saved taxpayers millions of dollars.“

The Hill

August 13, 2019

EducationPhillip ReevesAugust 13, 2019The Hill, Pell GrantsComment

Thirty-Two Short Stories About Death in Prison

“These stories don’t mention Jeffrey Epstein, but they are about him. Epstein was incarcerated in the United States of America, and this is how the United States of America, the mightiest and richest nation there is or ever has been, treats incarcerated people. When you say, “There is no way that guards could be so reckless, so indifferent, so malicious as to just let someone as important as Epstein die,” this is how 32 Americans respond. Many, many more could respond in kind.“

The Atlantic

August 13, 2019

Death in PrisonPhillip ReevesAugust 13, 2019The Atlantic, Jeffrey EpsteinComment

Each night, Philly jails release scores of inmates without returning their IDs, cash or phones

“According to data obtained and analyzed by The Inquirer, 73% of all inmates released from Philadelphia jails from April 2017 to April 2018 — more than 16,000 prisoners — were discharged after the cashier’s offices had closed, leaving them without any identification, cash, phone or other possessions for hours or even days. The offices are closed on weekends.“

Philadelphia Inquirer

August 12, 2019

Access to Outside WorldPhillip ReevesAugust 12, 2019Philadelphia Inquirer, PhiladelphiaComment

They Survived Solitary Confinement. Now They’re Fighting to End It.

“More than 80,000 people are locked in solitary confinement in the U.S., and the practice is finally garnering more public attention and outrage. Meanwhile, activists, including formerly incarcerated people who have experienced isolation themselves, are pushing for laws that limit the amount of time in solitary both as a way to immediately stop ongoing torture and as a stepping stone to larger criminal legal reforms.“

Truthout

August 12, 2019

Solitary ConfinementPhillip ReevesAugust 12, 2019TruthoutComment

Solitary confinement used a record number of times in Minnesota last year

“Meanwhile, the department implemented new regulations in June that increase the maximum time allowed in solitary from 90 days to a year. It also put levels of infractions in place, designed to connect the infraction and the punishment. For example, Level 1 allows up to 30 days in solitary for minor misconduct, while a person may be sentenced to up to a year in segregation for “major offenses,” such as homicide or sexual assault.“

Minnesota Public Radio

August 12, 2019

Solitary ConfinementPhillip ReevesAugust 12, 2019Minnesota, Minnesota Public RadioComment

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

No water, no lights and broken toilets: Parchman health inspection uncovers hundreds of problems, many repeat violations

“Hundreds of other environmental sanitation deficiencies are also identified across the prison, including instances of black mold and mildew, exposed wiring, raw sewage as well as showers and ice machines that were inoperable. Unit 29, which has more than 1,500 beds, has the most violations, although the inspector found deficiencies across all of Parchman’s open units. Many of these issues are repeated across state health inspection reports since 2016, a Mississippi Today review found.“

Mississippi Today

August 5, 2019

Jail & Prison ConditionsPhillip ReevesAugust 5, 2019Mississippi, Mississippi Today, ParchmanComment

Getting Out of Jail After Dark Can Be Dangerous—and Sometimes Deadly

“It’s not unusual for jails large and small to release inmates after dark or in the early hours of the morning. For many people released before daybreak, the hours that follow are difficult, dangerous, and sometimes deadly. Many hit the streets without phones, money, a ride, or knowledge of local public transportation, if it’s still running. They may be struggling with addiction or mental health issues; some have no place to go.“

Mother Jones

July 31, 2019

Access to Outside World, Drug AddictionPhillip ReevesJuly 31, 2019Mother JonesComment