20 May JPay Reveals Another Facet Of The Privatization of American Prisons
From its inception, JPay's business model has been to charge high fees for more convenient services. But in many jails and prisons, residents don't have other options.
Author: David Straughan
18 May How “Justice Fees” Maintain Cycles of Poverty and Increase Recidivism
States and court systems charge fees for dozens of items, ranging from facilities fees to fees that feed into law enforcement retirement pools. This system of fees can trap justice-impacted people in cycles of poverty. It also increases the likelihood that these people end up
11 May How Attorney-Client Privilege Breaks Down When The Client Is In Prison
While there are some exceptions, attorney-client privilege generally applies to all communications between those two parties. That includes digital communications such as email or instant messaging. But when it comes to people in prison and their legal counsel, that isn't always the case.
10 May Opioid Use Disorder in the Justice System: A Crisis Within the Crisis
The effects of OUD among justice-impacted populations can be devastating. Internationally, drug overdose is the leading cause of death among people recently released from jail or prison.
06 May Police In Newark Didn’t Fire a Single Shot in 2020 — Here’s How
Officers in Newark didn't fire a single shot in all of 2020. This marks a distinct turn for a city that, just a decade ago, faced a DOJ investigation for its heavy-handed policing tactics.
04 May Michigan Bills Would Support Both Crime Victims And Incarcerated People
The "Safer Michigan Act" challenges the notion that protections for crime victims and legal protections for those convicted of crimes must come at the expense of one another.
03 May Maryland Repeals Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, A First
In April, lawmakers in Maryland voted to repeal the state's Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, along with enacting several other police reforms. The move comes at a time when many states are moving in opposite directions on police and justice reform.
28 Apr A Tale of Two Bills: Lawmakers Move On Bail Reform in Texas
Two bills, one from each major party, take radically different approaches to reforming bail practices in the Lone Star State.
26 Apr 4/28: What We Know About the Andrew Brown Jr. Case and Elizabeth City
Andrew Brown was shot to death by a police officer in Elizabeth City, NC just one day after Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter. In the days that followed, protests have emerged in Elizabeth City and in Raleigh, the state's capital.
23 Apr Nevada Adds Limiting Cost of Phone Calls to Justice Reform Package
The personal economics of incarceration doesn't seem to garner the attention that issues like the use of force and hate crimes do. But the high cost of communication affects nearly every justice-impacted family.