Editorial Section NY Times - 4/27/15 An analysis in The Times — “1.5 Million Missing Black Men” — showed that more than one in every six black men in the 24-to-54 age group has disappeared from civic life, mainly because they died young or are locked away in prison. This means that there are only 83 black men living outside of jail for every 100 black women — in striking contrast to the white population, where men and women are about equal in numbers. This astounding shortfall in black men translates into lower marriage rates, more out-of-wedlock births, a greater risk of poverty for families and, by extension, less stable communities. The missing men should be a source of concern to political leaders … [Read more...]
California Voters Deal Blow To Prisons, Drug War
California approved a major shift against mass incarceration on Tuesday in a vote that could lead to the release of thousands of state prisoners. Nonviolent felonies like shoplifting and drug possession will be downgraded to misdemeanors under the ballot measure, Proposition 47. As many as 10,000 people could be eligible for early release from state prisons, and it's expected that courts will annually dispense around 40,000 fewer felony convictions. The state Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the new measure will save hundreds of millions of dollars on prisons. That money is to be redirected to education, mental health and addiction services -- a novel approach that reformers hope will … [Read more...]
The Justice Imperative: The Expanded Length of Prison Stays in Connecticut
The Justice Imperative: The Expanded Length of Prison Stays in Connecticut Dicky Joe Jackson was a trucker whose 2-year old son needed a bone-marrow transplant to save his life. He raised $50,000 through community fund-raisers. But that money was not enough. To make up the difference, he began carrying methadone in his truck. He was arrested and convicted. A non-violent offender who was never a large-scale narcotics trafficker, Dicky Joe is now in the 17th year of a life sentence. He divorced his wife of 19 years to allow her to get on with her life. See More: Please go to Chapter Five in “The Justice Imperative” www.TheJusticeImperative.org … [Read more...]
California Prison Guards Sit Out Debate On Letting Non-Violent Prisoners Go Free
Re-post From Huffington Post Politics By Matt Sledge Matt Sledge@huffingtonpost.com For decades, California's prison guard union was a feared political animal. It backed harsh sentencing laws and the construction of dozens of new prisons, and its membership rolls swelled. Now, a November ballot referendum could release thousands of non-violent prisoners, and the 33,000-member union's response has been surprising. Silence. The guards are sitting this one out. California Correctional Peace Officers Association spokesman JeVaughn Baker told The Huffington Post in an email that the union "has not taken a position on Proposition 47 and has no intention of doing so." In years past, … [Read more...]
