AltWeeklies Wire
What Texas Criminal Justice Reformers Could Teach the Booming Immigrant Detention Systemnew
GOP State Rep. Jerry Madden took the helm of the House corrections committee in 2005, just in time for a deeply distressing projection: booming incarceration in our notoriously tough-on-crime state meant Texas would need eight new prisons by 2012, at a cost of about $1 billion.
San Antonio Current |
Michael Barajas |
09-20-2012 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: jail, criminal justice
One Man's Jail Misery in Harris County, Texasnew
Monte Killian has many of the health problems that people have who wind up in jail -- cavities in his teeth, blood clots in his leg, Hepatitis C and a full-blown case of AIDS. And without proper treatment, he continues to get sicker in the Harris County Jail.
Houston Press |
Randall Patterson |
11-24-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Connecticut Tackles the DNA Questionnew
Connecticut is one of 29 states that doesn't collect DNA at the time of arrest for felonies. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, among others, would like to see that changed.
New Haven Advocate |
Daniel D'Ambrosio |
11-17-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Using Soccer to Help Juvenile Offenders in Santa Cruz Countynew
For the last four years, Gina Castaneda has been a deputy probation officer for Santa Cruz County, working with juvenile offenders who live in the Watsonville area. Her soccer team is made up of a small handful of the 400 youths currently on, or at least in contact with, county probation, some of them from rival gangs.
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Jessica Lussenhop |
11-11-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Clemency for Six Colorado Prisoners Could Serve Justice and Save Millions -- So Why Won't the Gov. Try It?new
To date, Gov. Bill Ritter has issued just two pardons and not a single commutation, a situation that frustrates prisoner advocates.
Westword |
Alan Prendergast |
10-26-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Lauded Prison Drug-Treatment Services are the Latest Victim of California's Budget Cutsnew
The Amity Foundation's highly regarded Right Turn program, held up as a national model for effective prisoner rehabilitation, is being closed down at Donovan State Prison, making Donovan one of eight prisons statewide that won't provide any sort of professional in-custody substance-abuse treatment.
San Diego CityBeat |
Kelly Davis |
10-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Did a False Confession and Faulty Arson Science Land Alredo Guardiola in Prison for 19 Years and Counting?new
A six-month Observer investigation of the case -- using new research into arson and false confessions -- shows that he is probably innocent.
The Texas Observer |
Dave Mann |
10-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Survivor of Ohio's Latest Botched Execution Reveals Breathtaking Incompetencenew
Romell Broom achieved a macabre notoriety this past month when he became the first man to survive his date with the needle. The eyes of the world are on Ohio now, and many are questioning our death-penalty apparatus.
Cleveland Scene |
Damian Guevara |
10-07-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Freed After 24 Years of False Imprisonment, Darryl Burton Forgives Younew
Burton didn't just survive prison -- he met other innocents there, too, victims of a flawed justice system. Now, he says, it's his calling to do something about it.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
09-29-2009 |
Crime & Justice
New Mexico's Laws and GPS Technology Keep Sex Offenders Under Lock and Signalnew
In orbit 13,000 miles above earth, 24 US military satellites with atomic-clock hearts cycle the earth twice a day. The Corrections Department relies on this Big Brother-style satellite technology to track the 80 sex offenders currently under real-time electronic supervision.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Dave Maass |
09-24-2009 |
Crime & Justice
After Mentally Ill Prisoner Dies in Illinois 'Supermax' Prison, Reforms Are Promisednew
As human rights organizations stepped forward to speak for Robert Foor, a 33-year-old who died in June after nearly 11 years in isolation at the Tamms Closed Maximum Security Unit, the Illinois Department of Corrections announced its plans to reform the southern Illinois “supermax” prison.
Illinois Times |
Amanda Robert |
09-24-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Go Directly to Jail: The Latest Victim of the Economy Appears to be Bailnew
In Las Vegas, where bond is 15 percent of bail (most states are 10 percent), more are having to make tough choices when faced with having a loved one spend the night in jail. As a result, jails are staying occupied a little longer than they used to.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Ken Miller |
09-18-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Chaplain Bonnie Polley, Doing God's Work in Jailnew
Although her title is chaplain, a lot of what Polley does is remarkably not so preachy. She spends most days helping inmates and their families with the smaller dignities of jail life -- expediting visits, making phone calls, connecting people with resources.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Stacy J. Willis |
09-10-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Parolees Looking for a Second Chance are Finding it More Difficult Than Evernew
With recidivism rates in the state hovering around 67 percent and the attendant costs of continuing to house prisoners, their success or failure at finding jobs, at re-entering society, becomes more than just a concern for bleeding hearts.
Las Vegas Weekly |
T.R. Witcher |
09-10-2009 |
Crime & Justice
As Virginia Jail Inmates Prepare for Release, Challenges Aboundnew
Of the roughly 4,800 men who are inmates each year at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, 72 go through the eight-week Re-entry program. Who gets tapped is mainly a matter of scheduling, but once on the list, they're given a choice: Take the eight-week course, or lose as much as six months time off they've earned for good behavior.
C-Ville Weekly |
Erika Howsare |
09-02-2009 |
Crime & Justice
