Louisiana prisons routinely hold inmates past release date: DOJ
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a lawsuit filed Friday that Louisiana prisons routinely hold inmates for weeks or months when they would have been released after completing their sentences. The lawsuit against the state was filed after a multi-year investigation into a pattern of “systematic over-incarceration” that violates prisoners' rights and costs taxpayers […]
Elderly activist to spend Christmas in prison because tag does not fit | Prisons and probation
A 77-year-old environmental activist will spend Christmas in prison after authorities can't find an electronic device small enough to fit on his wrist, despite being released with an electronic tag. Gaie Delap, a former teacher and Quaker from Bristol, was jailed in August along with four co-defendants for taking part in the destructive Just Stop […]
Freed After Decades in Assad’s Prisons
Christians in Lebanon are celebrating the release of several prisoners abducted by the Syrian regime during decades of occupation and finally freed on Sunday after the sudden fall of Assad's regime. Lorient today reported: Suhail Hamawi, a Lebanese citizen held captive in Syria for 33 years, has returned to his home in northern Lebanon. According […]
Drones could bring guns into prisons in England and Wales, watchdog fears | Prisons and probation
Guns could be delivered by drone to prisons already roiled by drug-related gang warfare amid an “inadequate” response from prison authorities, a leading watchdog told the Guardian. Britain's chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said the rapid increase in the use of large unmanned aerial vehicles was of “biggest concern”, increasing the likelihood that firearms […]
1,100 more prisoners set for early release as minister admits recall rate ‘very high’ | Prisons and probation
Attorney-General Shabana Mahmood said the proportion of people released early from prison who are recalled is “very high” as the government prepares to release more prisoners to ease the overcrowding crisis. He admitted that it was expensive. Mahmoud said the number of prisoners returned after the first wave of releases in September has not yet […]
Georgia prisons 'deliberately indifferent' to abuses: DOJ
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday. findings He said his review of prison conditions in Georgia was “inhumane” and violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. “Our investigative report reveals the horrifying and inhumane conditions in which people are confined within Georgia's state prison system,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the […]
Prisons need more than an architecture of hope | Prisons and probation
There are other issues to consider before modernizing prisons with new architecture, as Yvonne Jewkes has argued ('A place to heal, not to hurt': why cruel prison design kills hope) September 24th). There are examples of places that radically transformed prisoners without resorting to architecture. For many prison activists, the Barlinnie Task Force, before its […]
Some crime victims ‘unaware’ of offenders’ early prison release in England and Wales | Prisons and probation
Hundreds of crime victims are unaware that the perpetrator will be released on Tuesday, despite their requests that he not be released, the Victims Protection Committee claimed. As the government prepares to release 1,700 prisoners to ease overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales, Helen Newlove said some victims were “unaware of the prisoner releases” […]
To tackle crime, spend less on prisons and more on people
With just two months to go until Election Day, crime and criminal justice have emerged as central issues in the campaign, with candidates on all sides of the political spectrum eager to demonstrate their tough-on-crime stances, especially in presidential elections. Last month, former President Donald Trump I swore While vowing to “make America safe again” […]
England prison overcrowding emergency measures come into force | Prisons and probation
Ministers have launched emergency measures to ease prison overcrowding as more rioters are sentenced for their roles in the recent unrest. The long-standing measure, known as “Operation Early Dawn,” allows defendants to be held in police custody until prison beds become available, and court dates can be hastily postponed or adjourned. The system went live […]