Prison Fellowship Hails Bipartisan Panel’s Guidelines to Prevent Prison Rape
Breaking News (6/23): Prison Fellowship applauds the release of guidelines to eliminate sexual abuse in prisons across the country as a significant step forward in the effort to ensure justice for the incarcerated. More . . .
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Justice in the News
Defender deficit
Plummeting revenue has led states to think about cutting their budgets for public defenders. Yet, this only means states have to pay more to hire private attorneys. Even worse, it means delayed justice for the poor.
Hasty to imprison
A man in Florida has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for shooting and killing a bald eagle. Our country's gluttony for imprisonment is all too evident. Targeting corrections resources on protecting public safety is tough in a society with a burgeoning number of crimes..
Cutting food to cut costs
Several states are eliminating some of prisoners' meals or reducing the amount of fresh fruit and milk offered in order to save money. These cuts are bad for inmates' health. Because changes in prisoners' food are linked to unrest, they bode poorly for prison safety, too. There are far better alternatives for slashing corrections costs.
Real drug free zones
Debate rages in New Jersey over repealing the laws that increase prison terms for drug crimes near schools. Some people fear change will signal leniency toward drug offenses while others argue that the laws are damaging communities and are unproductive. The current sentencing policies clog New Jersey's prisons with a high number of non-violent, minimal-risk offenders. If the state truely wants to have drug free zones, it should invest its resources in prevention and addiction treatment.
A deal for inmate healthcare
The bickering between federal receiver Clark Kelso and Gov. Schwarzenegger over how to fix Califiornia's prison healthcare system may finally be over. Kelso and the governor's office reached a tentative deal to build two hospitals and remodel additional prison space for medical needs. Better medical care for prisoners is good news for the health of California's communities.
Navigating the transition
A halfway house in Maryland boasts remarkable success in helping offenders transition back into society. The keys to its effectiveness are giving offenders meaningful incentives for good behavior and focusing on employment. It truly is safer for communities when offenders go through reentry programs - rather than walking into a neighborhood straight out of a prison cell.
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Recent JF Website Updates
Second Chance Act Resource Page
Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illness under Community Corrections Supervision
Practices based on sound evidence of success should guide probation and parole officers who work with mentally ill offenders. This guide, from the Council of State Governments, provides helpful insight.
Improving Prosecutorial Accountability
The Justice Project's report notes the significant harm that occurs when prosecutors abuse their power. States must increase prosecutors' accountability to ensure that justice prevails.
Healing Communities Toolkits for Faith Communities
The Annie E. Casey Foundation provides resources for faith communities to minister to their members who have been affected by crime and the criminal justice system.
The Bureau of Prisons rule on Chapel Library Materials
The BOP has proposed a rule that threatens inmates' legitimate religious expression and violates established law. Prison Fellowship has responded to the BOP with a letter asking for revisions.
For information on past regulation of prison chapel libraries, read the Justice eReport "Religious Books Purged from Prison Libraries" and "Good News about Religious Books in Federal Prison."
Why We Must Fix Our Prisons
Senator Jim Webb indicts our prison system as vastly counterproductive and a national disgrace.
Hellhole
The New Yorker documents the horrors of solitary confinement and discusses their implications for United States prisons. Isolating inmates, the author speculates, may resemble torture.
1 in 31: The Long Reach of American Corrections
The Pew Center on the States presents its finding that 1 out of every 31 American adults is under supervision by our criminal justice system. A strategy for increased safety and corrections savings is included in the report, as well as the latest information on probation, parole, and prison populations.
Incarcerated Parents and Their Children
The Sentencing Project reports on trends in families affected by imprisonment in the past 16 years.
What is the future of forensics?
Watch an interview with several forensics experts as they discuss the future of their field in light of a recent National Academy of Sciences report on the pitfalls of forensics.
Internal Exile: Collateral Consequences of Conviction in Federal Laws and Regulations
The American Bar Association catalogues the numerous barriers to to reentry that ex-offenders must face.
The Public Safety Performance Project
Through this project, the Pew Center on the States equips states to implement the most cost-effective sentencing and corrections practices that hold offenders accountable and enhance public safety. Targeted research, multi-state conferences, data-driven, fiscally sound policy recommendations, and public education campaigns provide the information and impetus for needed reforms.
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