Are Prison Commissaries Fair?
Prisons and jails charge inmates substantial portions of their annual wages for basic necessities.
Prisoners
The Troubling Practice of Turning Semi-Trailers Into Jails
Facing a shortage of space for inmates, Missouri's Greene County Jail opted to build an insta-prison in the parking lot. Is that OK?
How Inmate Firefighting Compares to Other Prison Jobs
It's hard work and poorly paid, but at least it's a little more visible.
Who Does, and Who Doesn’t, Get Drug Treatment in Prison
New research finds a racial disparity.
The Importance of Community Support for Prisoner Re-Entry Programs
To be successful, re-entry programs must work to facilitate more interaction between former inmates and potential role models in their new neighborhoods.
Environmental Justice for Prisoners
Why doesn’t the Environmental Protection Agency count incarcerated populations in its impact statements?
Start Sending Parolees to New Neighborhoods
They'll stay out of trouble longer, a new study suggests.
The Elderly Prisoner Population Is Soaring, and So Are Its Costs
Advocates argue that early release is the most compassionate and cost-effective solution.
Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons
Offenders with brain injuries make up a huge percentage of prison populations; they also enter the criminal justice system earlier, and stay in it longer.
Sealing Criminal Records for the Possibility of Redemption
Cory Booker and Rand Paul’s REDEEM Act.
The Wild Illogic of Barring Felons From Voting
And what Attorney General Eric Holder missed in his recent speech on, among other things, the disproportionate burden of voter disenfranchisement of felons felt by minorities.
Can Shame Predict Whether a Released Felon Will Reoffend?
A new longitudinal study of incarcerated felons produces a nuanced answer.
Study: Belief We're Better Than Average Holds True Even for Convicts
The belief we’re better than the average person holds true even for convicts.
The Persistent Problem of Sexual Assault in Prison
Abuse continues, and oversight is getting harder.
Massive California Prison Strike Ends After 60 Days
Leaders say the strike is “suspended” after the promise of public hearings.
How Financial Education in Jail Can Empower Inmates
Incarcerated men say that money troubles put them in prison—and avoiding money troubles will keep them out.
The Impact of Body-Mounted Cameras on Cops and Criminals
Will we soon see video cameras on the shoulder of every cop and corrections officer? Or will the high cost to both budgets and, potentially, individual privacy be enough to stop their adoption nationwide?
Historic Hunger Strike in California Prisons Continues
On Day 43, a judge approved a request to force-feed striking inmates.
Thousands of California Inmates on Hunger Strike Against Solitary Confinement
Here are their five demands.
Overcrowded Prisons Giving Old Inmates New Life
Aging prisoners serving long sentences are filling overcrowded lockups across the nation. Colorado prison officials hope a new program will help let some of these old guys get out — and stay out.
Lee Baca Wants to Educate L.A.'s Prisoners
In this Miller-McCune Q&A, Los Angeles County's top cop Lee Baca explains why he wants to offer an education to tens of thousands of prisoners.
Budget Idea: Divert Money From Prisons to Schools
With a quarter of the world's prisoners in American lockups, an unlikely coalition ranging from the NAACP to Americans for Tax Reform wonders if we might be smarter to divert some of that prison money to schools.
Convict Commodification
Why incarceration should be just one of many strategies helping neighborhoods that produce bumper crops of crooks.
Why Victims Face the Criminals Who Hurt Them
Some crime victims find their only real healing comes from a face-to-face meeting with the criminals who hurt them. Can research into this counterintuitive process help more victims regain control of their lives?