Prisoners Fighting Fires Are Being Denied Justice
Sep 12, 2018 Joining the professional firefighting crews on the front lines of the massive California wildfires are thousands of prisoners, brought out of their jails to engage in this dangerous work, all for a dollar an hour or less.
‘A Pipeline Straight to Jail’
Jun 26, 2017 This repost of a 2015 column tells the story of Boris Franklin, who was caught up in a system that destroys millions of Americans, often people of color. He is now a free man and studying at Rutgers.
At Least Seven States Have Prison Inmates Working in Governors’ Mansions and Capitol Buildings
Jun 25, 2017 The 13th Amendment provides a loophole that allows for the legality of unpaid prison labor, which is sometimes called "modern-day slavery."
Report: Shift in Sentencing Guidelines Will Mean Freedom for 6,000 U.S. Inmates
Oct 7, 2015 In a move that will hopefully lead to further concrete steps to target America's mass incarceration problem, the U.S. Justice Department is getting ready to release some 6,000 inmates from federal prisons, according to The New York Times.
Across the Nation, States Charge Inmates for Prison Costs
Jun 11, 2015 The fees incurred aren't just for the major expenses, but also for clothing, blankets, toilet paper and towels. One study found that many former inmates ended up dealing with collections agencies or even back in lockup for failure to pay the debts.
Report: 48 Dead Due to Alleged Poisoning in Venezuelan Jail
Dec 12, 2014 The exact cause of the inmates' deaths has been the subject of conflicting reports.
Locking Kids Up, Letting Them Down
Oct 8, 2014 At-risk youth in the United States are being locked up without a key.
Prison Fire Kills More Than 300 in Honduras
Feb 15, 2012 One inmate's reported death wish led to the immolation of more than 300 people at a Honduran prison after the apparent instigator set fire to his mattress on Wednesday in the town of Comayagua, where some 356 others were still missing after the blaze, according to The Associated Press.
No High Ground for New York’s Inmates
Aug 27, 2011 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday that the approximately 12,000 prisoners being held on low-lying Rikers Island will not be evacuated to escape Hurricane Irene. (more)
L.A. Jails to Get Ray-Gun Technology
Aug 27, 2010 Los Angeles jails may become the new frontier for science-fiction weaponry after the Sheriff's Department unveiled plans to use heat-beam ray guns in one county jail, zapping unruly inmates with a beam that “makes them feel as though they are burning.”
