Prison justice covers reforms, legal victories, and policy shifts that make incarceration more humane and equitable. Stories here examine alternatives to imprisonment, reentry programs, and efforts to address racial and economic disparities in criminal legal systems worldwide.
Over 10,000 offenders and inmates are being released from prisons following the legalization of the plant “Kratom” in Thailand. Legally, these prisoners will be considered as having never committed an offense.
The decision to abolish capital punishment is a significant step forward for fundamental human rights in Sierra Leone and will be especially beneficial to women and girls found guilty of murdering an abuser.
The decisive 8-3 ruling comes after advocates pushed for decriminalization as a means to reduce drug-fueled cartel violence in the country.
Connecticut became the first state this week to make all prison phone calls free, addressing one of the biggest emotional and financial burdens faced by incarcerated men and women and their families as they try to stay in touch.
Home cannabis cultivators can grow up to six plants per person, or 12 plants per household. Police will no longer be able to use the scent of cannabis as grounds for arrest.
Under the new law, the Northwest Detention Center, a 1,575-bed immigration jail in Tacoma, will be forced to shut down. The facility is run by GEO Group, a private prison company under federal contract.
A judge in the Bronx ruled that people incarcerated in the state’s prisons and jails had been arbitrarily excluded from the coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Under the new policy, Virginia joins Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C who all maintain voting rights for felons and even protect the right to vote for individuals during their prison time.
A new executive order calls on the Department of Justice to not renew contracts with privately operated criminal detention centers. There are currently more than 14,000 incarcerated individuals housed in privately-operated facilities in the US.
In a huge win for racial justice, the state of Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to end wealth-based pre-trial detention.
