Deputy Attorney General James Cole
Thousands of nonviolent federal prisoners are expected to take up an offer by the Obama administration to apply for early release. It’s an effort to deal with high costs and overcrowding in prisons, and also a matter of fairness, the government says.
Continue reading… “U.S. weighs clemency for thousands of inmates jailed for 10 years”
Recent lawsuits and Justice Department investigations have uncovered grotesque abuses of mentally ill inmates at state and local prisons.
It has been an extraordinary three weeks , and maybe the darkest period in the history of the American penal system. In four states the systemic abuse and neglect of inmates, and especially mentally ill inmates, has been investigated, chronicled and disclosed in grim detail to the world by lawyers, government investigators and one federal judge. The conclusions are inescapable: In our zeal to dehumanize criminals we have allowed our prisons to become medieval places of unspeakable cruelty so far beyond constitutional norms that they are barely recognizable.
Continue reading… “The American prison system’s darkest period in history”
Prison inmates post reviews to Yelp.
Robert Miller , an attorney, has visited five prisons and 17 jails in his lifetime, but he has reviewed only three of them on Yelp. One he found “average,” with inexperienced and power-hungry officers. Another he faulted for its “kind of very firmly rude staff.” His most recent review, a January critique of Theo Lacy jail in Orange County, Calif., lauds the cleanliness, urban setting and “very nice” deputies.
Continue reading… “Inmates post reviews of prisons on Yelp”
Many times it’s simple mistakes that send people to the slammer
A greater percentage of the population in the U.S. is locked up in prison than any other country in the world.
Continue reading… “11 stunning facts about the American prison system”
Cellphones thriving in prisons.
At a Georgia state prison, a counterfeiter ticks off the remaining days of his three-year sentence on his Facebook page. He has 91 digital “friends.” Like many of his fellow inmates, he plays the online games FarmVille and Street Wars.
Continue reading… “Smartphones Are Thriving in Prisons Despite Being Banned”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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