Posted at http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-09-30/civil-rights/court-rules-counties-can-be-sued-to-force-adequate-legal-defense/a54267-1 September 30, 2016 – Andrea Sears, Public News Service (PA) Play Audio in Browser Window Advocates say that inadequate legal defense is the leading cause of wrongful convictions. (Erika Wittlieb/Pixabay) PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has … Continued
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.” from Psalm 23 Where would we be without nature, our environment, God’s creation? A loss of experiencing the “outdoors” has … Continued
From the Sentencing Project (http://www.sentencingproject.org): As you know, sentencing reform legislation has gained significant ground in Congress over the past year. Both the Senate and House Judiciary Committees have passed bills that would scale back the use of mandatory sentencing, … Continued
Posted at http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/08/31/debtors-prison-kids-poor-children-incarcerated-when-families-cant-pay-juvenile-court Published on Wednesday, August 31, 2016 by Common Dreams First-of-its-kind report finds children are being imprisoned nationwide when families can’t pay fines levied by juvenile justice system By Nika Knight, staff writer “The debt in effect creates … Continued
From the National Council of Churches (http://www.ncccusa.org): We are down to mere days that Congress will be in session before Election Day. That likely means mere days left to pass criminal justice reform legislation in this Congress. After the election, … Continued
From Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (http://www.pa-abolitionists.org/): Two innocent men won court victories last Tuesday. James A. Dennis and Anthony Wright have a lot in common. They are both African American, both were wrongfully imprisoned for over 20 … Continued
Posted at http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/08/18/admitting-failed-experiment-doj-phase-out-private-prisons Published on Thursday, August 18, 2016 by Common Dreams Private prisons more dangerous and costly, Justice Department finally admits Corrections Corporations of America is one of the largest private prison corporations in the country, and currently runs … Continued
Posted at http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/08/12/revealed-private-federal-prisons-more-abusive-and-violent Published on Friday, August 12, 2016 by Common Dreams Damning Department of Justice report finds that privately owned federal prisons cause more bodily injuries and even death By Nika Knight, staff writer Some private federal prisons place … Continued
You might have heard about two recent studies claiming that “ban the box” policies enacted around the country detrimentally affect the employment of young men of color who do not have a conviction record. One of the authors has boldly … Continued
Posted at http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2016-06-20/criminal-justice/national-study-shows-crime-and-prison-populations-declining/a52503-1 June 20, 2016 – Andrea Sears, Public News Service (PA) Play Audio in Browser Window Pennsylvania’s prison population grew 12 percent and crime decreased 23 percent, according to a new national report, between 2006 and 2014. (Marduk/Wikimedia … Continued