California’s most high-profile prison will be reorganized as a rehabilitation center under a plan the governor is expected to announce Friday — a move hailed as revolutionary by some prison reform advocates but derided by prison abolitionists as mere window dressing in place of the more dramatic changes they want. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected […]
Prisons
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‘Mandela’ Bill Would Limit Solitary Confinement in California Prisons and Jails
In solitary confinement, a former California inmate recalled, there were two kinds of people: One kind would read books in their cells, exercise and do and re-do crossword puzzles. The other kind would scream and curse, refuse to dress and throw their feces at the walls. The goal in solitary confinement, he said, was to […]
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NCJ Preview: Early Prison Releases, Socially Distant Hikes and Lao Dishes on the Menu
This week we’re taking a tour around the county with photographer Mark Larson, who’s turned socially distant hiking into a mission. We’re also looking at how Public Health and parole staff are handling the logistics and health concerns regarding early release for state prisoners. And if you’ve been waiting for Lao food to show up […]
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Pelican Bay Hunger Strike Ends
Sixty days after it started, a hunger strike organized by inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison to protest prolonged solitary confinement ended today, according to state prison officials and various media reports. Lawmakers have reportedly agreed to hold hearings to further review conditions in the Security Housing Units, or SHUs (seen above). The strike began […]