There is a growing trend in the United States to reduce crime and recidivism by educating, treating, and reforming individuals rather than punishing them with harsh sentences. This takes on many forms. The First Step Act, for instance, seeks to reduce existing sentences and reincarceration through Read More...
Many of the 153,316 individuals currently incarcerated in federal and private facilities in the United States face lengthy sentences for nonviolent crimes. Upon release, most of these inmates will have significant difficulty finding work or a stable living, increasing their risk of returning to Read More...
A few months ago, we reported on a federal initiative to discontinue the use of privately-run for-profit prisons. It turns out Washington State is taking its own steps to halt the use of these unjust institutions with a new bill, approved by the governor, that bans for-profit detention centers in Read More...
A big hurdle in criminal justice reform in the United States is the abolishment of for-profit private prisons. In a system that already disproportionately convicts and incarcerates people of color, for-profit systems further exploit and profit off this system of injustice. As a major step towards Read More...
The voices of incarcerated Americans often go unheard or are actively suppressed, but the increasing prevalence of prison newsrooms is shining a light on the experiences of incarcerated individuals and calling attention to the pressing need for reforms in the system. At San Quentin State Read More...
The problem with America’s prisons is that although they are called “correctional facilities”, prisons are really just a place where criminals are punished. This is reflected in America’s absurdly high recidivism rates: people released from state prisons have a five-year recidivism rate of Read More...