Video: Time is Money for Offenders’ Families

timeismoney1010How are prison bankers, private vendors, and corrections agencies profiting within an industry plagued by debt? By charging the families of those incarcerated for everything from phone calls to restitution and fees to goods and services they need while behind bars. Prisoners who have jobs on the inside make extremely low wages, and those with families on the outside who can help often receive funds from an internet service called JPay, the undisputed leader in the market for getting money into prisons.

With families sending almost a billion dollars to loved ones behind bars through JPay in the past year alone, the company easily collected millions of dollars in fees. In many states, families do not have a choice when using the services, as JPay has become responsible for handling not only electronic payments in prisons, but the traditional money order services as well.

Is this new method of caring for incarcerated loved ones fair to families already in crisis? Watch the full video at publicintegrity.orgarrow1

The Financial Barriers to Offender Reintegration

debtpenalty1010In a new paper released in August, Douglas N. Evans of John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Research & Evaluation Center discusses the seemingly endless cycle of crime, fees and debt associated with our current penal system. Across the country, convicts are required to pay varying sums of money to courts and victims in the form of court fees, installment fees, late fees, and restitution, which can become a large burden for offenders who have poor chances of finding employment upon release.

In some states, parole and probation may be revoked if an offender is unable to pay his or her court fees, often leading to high recidivism rates. On the contrary, in cases where restitution to victims is mandated, recidivism rates tend to be lower, especially if the offender is able to make payments to the court. Across the country, court systems are using both of these methods and everything in between, producing both positive and negative results.

What is the best way to incorporate debt and corrections? Read the full reportarrow1

From Court School to the Classroom

arrow1courtschool1010Out of 42,000 children who attend court schools in California as part of the state’s juvenile corrections system, only about 20% re-register at other schools upon their release. A juvenile record combined with the lack of a high school education is a recipe for disaster, and helps fuel California’s large adult prison population.

However, a new bill that passed unopposed through the state’s legislature and chartered by the Secretary of State on September 30th requires county agencies to immediately enroll all students exiting juvenile court schools, which include juvenile halls, day centers, ranches, camps and other county facilities serving youth in detention, eliminating even the potential for a gap in education for these at-risk youth.

Will this bill help with juvenile offenders’ recidivism? Find out more at newamericamedia.org

Will the JJDPA be Reauthorized in 2014?

juvenile1010The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, a 40 year old landmark federal mandate aimed at helping one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations, is supposed to be reauthorized every five years. Unfortunately, the last reauthorization by Congress was back in 2002. In addition, it has been almost 20 years since substantial amendments were added to the legislation, no doubt leaving gaps in services for at-risk youth.

With the bulk of juvenile corrections funding currently coming from individual states, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) plans to submit a bill to reauthorize and strengthen the core requirements of the JJDPA by the end of the year.

Will this be enough? Read more at jjie.orgarrow1

The Crisis of America’s Aging Prison Population

agingprisoner1010The past four decades have brought about the most sustained and widespread imprisonment in human history. The United States represents 5% of the world’s population, yet it is responsible for 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. With 2.3 million inmates, the U.S. beats all other countries in terms of the overall prison population and incarceration rates per capita.

Significant costs of incarceration have sparked debate about reducing the prison population as a matter of fiscal and budgetary necessity. With the prison population aging, the costs associated with incarceration and care will soon spiral out of control. Despite the fields of gerontology, medical and mental health, philanthropy, and corrections having a common interest in the issue, they have only addressed it intermittently and never acted with a unified voice. For the problem to be resolved there needs to be multi-sector dialogue, cross-pollination of ideas, and a shared foundational knowledge that will strengthen the interconnectedness of these fields and act as a platform for unified action.

The Osborne Association finds that austerity-driven policies and public discomfort with mass incarceration create an opportunity to solve the problem of the graying prison population and make the criminal justice system more humane, cost-effective and socially responsible.

Read more in the full paper at osborneny.orgarrow1

Report Finds Nearly Half of Canadian Inmate Suicides Take Place in Segregation

canada102A recently completed three year review of federal inmate suicides in Canada show that nearly half occurred in segregation cells – which are supposed to be under close supervision – prompting the chief correctional investigator Howard Sapers, to raise questions about the treatment of mentally ill inmates in the system.

“It is concerning that these individuals were able to find the means to end their lives in an area of the prison where safety, security and surveillance protocols are elevated,” Sapers said. Suicide is the leading cause of inmate deaths in Canada, yet despite a previous directive, there has been no work undertaken to identify and remove suspension points in segregation cells.

Will this new report be a wake up call for Canada’s correctional system? Read more at ctvnews.caarrow1

St. Clair County Looks to Train Jurors for Teen Court

teencourt102In southwestern Illinois, the juvenile court system is looking to make good on the concept of “a jury of one’s peers” with a new teen court model. Any teen without a serious offense (or no non-violent offenses in the last six months) is eligible to sign up to become a teen juror, with a training to be held in mid-October.

Any youth offender who admits their guilt and participates in the new teen court will be given a sentence by a literal jury of his or her peers, and once the sentence is completed, the charge will be wiped from their record. Everyone from the state’s attorney to the sheriff and superintendent of schools in the area have signed off on this innovative idea, believing it will make offenders more accountable as well as giving them a second chance without a permanent delinquent label.

Will teen court take off in Illinois? Learn more at bnd.comarrow1

From Prison to the Stage

safestreets102On August 30th, the <a href="http://www Get More Information.safestreetsarts.org/” target=”_blank”>Safe Streets Arts Foundation presented “From Prison to the Stage” as part of the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival. The words and music of the production were written entirely by incarcerated playwrights and poets, and there were special appearances from a host of formerly imprisoned artists and performers.

Allowing prisoners to showcase their creativity while behind bars has been shown to reduce recidivism by allowing inmates to feel a sense of purpose. The Safe Streets Arts Foundation is at the forefront of this practice, publishing books from incarcerated authors and providing many creative outlets for prisoners.

Curious? You can watch the entire performance at youtube.comarrow1

Federal Prosecution for the 21st Century

brennan102In this new report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, researchers looked at one very specific piece of the criminal justice puzzle – federal prosecutors. These men and women have significant power within the system; they decide which cases to bring to trial and also make sentencing recommendations.

The report proposes redefining what success means to these prosecutors, with three key goals:

  • reducing violent and serious crime
  • reducing prison populations
  • reducing recidivism

Would this proposed refocusing of federal prosecutors’ priorities make a significant difference in prison reform?

Find out more at brennancenter.orgarrow1

Wyoming’s Prison Education Programs Help Keep Recidivism Rates Low

wyoming102Wyoming’s prisons currently have the second best recidivism rate in the US. In Wyoming out of a hundred released prisoners, only twenty five return to prison – compared with forty nationally – an achievement the Wyoming Department of Corrections attributes to its education programs. According to inmates, prison education provides a silver lining during incarceration, and a RAND corporation report finds that it also saves taxpayer’s money.

Betty Abbott, the Education Programs Manager for the Department of Corrections, says that education improves inmates’ career prospects upon release, which makes them less likely to return to crime and reincarceration. However, prison education programs remain underfunded nationally and are disproportionately targeted during budget cuts.

How important is a prison education? Read more at wyomingpublicmedia.orgarrow1