The strange and unfortunate decision by the full Appeal Court of the First District in the Michelle Kosilek case gets not only my thoughts yesterday. The insightful legal view today came from Jennifer Levi, director of the Transgender … [Read more...]
Juvenile Delinquency: If We Fail Our Children, We Fail Our Future
I am very please the Gov Patrick has decided to push Massachusetts towards age appropriate juvenile justice reform. I am especially pleased because there is a trend in America that is leading us to be more punitive in how we address … [Read more...]
Racism in the Criminal Justice System: #NN12 series, cont’d
Among all the keynote addresses given at Netroots Nation, the one that seemed the 'least sexy' (ie, I didn't know any of the speakers), was also what ended up being my favorite. The main exhibition room was kept so dark that it was hard … [Read more...]
Can Prison Planning Learn Something From the MBTA?
The MBTA debacle should have been a foreseeable crisis and one that was avoided. I now ask: What is another crisis on the horizon? Prison overcrowding. PRISON OVERCROWDING At 140%+ capacity, we know from other state's experience that … [Read more...]
MA Progressive Derides Monarchy
Small's UMN has successfully attacked some of the most daunting issues for communities of color here. That includes high unemployment,CORI reform, prisons, and education in poor communities. Listen in as he talks about successes...and … [Read more...]
CA prisons on brink of collapse – is Massachusetts next in line?
LA Times Reports Governor Schwarzenegger warned today that the entire California prison system is on the brink of collapse. The governor and his corrections chief, Matt Cate, walked through the destruction at a housing unit for … [Read more...]
ANOTHER inmate suicide, yesterday, in Shirley MCI – with POLL!!
Here is the story: http://www.boston.com/news/loc... Once again, history of suicide attempts. History of mental health problems. Dead - and with over crowding, cuts in prison mental health, cuts in staffing, cuts in mental … [Read more...]
The USA has 5% of the worlds population and 25% of the world’s prison inmates [WITH POLL]
Bibliography: School to Prison Pipeline - NAACP Legal Defense Fund http://www.naacpldf.org/conten... http://www.globalresearch.ca/i... The prison industry - new form of slavery?The Prison/Industrial Complex … [Read more...]
Shutting down the school to prison pipeline – what can we do?
Here is the bibliography:http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/05/28/problem_students_in_pipeline_to_prison/ School to prison pipeline: http://www.naacpldf.org/conten... NAACP Legal Defense … [Read more...]
Seven Suicides in Massachusetts prisons this year – WHY??
My point, again, is that money spent on prisons and incarceration is money falling into a bottomless pit. Human capitol is diminished and tax dollars generate no economic benefit. A prison model based on retribution and … [Read more...]