federal prisons
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Calls and Video Visits Free in Federal Prisons During Pandemic
Those currently incarcerated are among the most vulnerable of our population when it comes to COVID-19, as the crowded living conditions make them far more susceptible to catching the disease. Exorbitant calling fees have also made it harder for inmates to check in on their loved ones during these trying times. At least, they did.…
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After Shutdown Causes Family Visits to Be Canceled, Inmates at New York City Jail Go on Hunger Strike
As the government shutdown rolls onward, inmates at federal prisons have been unable to see their families, attorneys and, in some instances, have been unable to receive medication. In response, prisoners at a high-security federal jail in New York City have gone on a hunger strike in protest. A group of inmates at Metropolitan Correctional…
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First Step Is One of the Biggest Criminal Justice Reforms in Decades. But How Great Will Its Effect Be?
On Tuesday night, a Republican-dominated Senate passed First Step, paving the way for the criminal justice reform bill to clear the House and be signed into law by Donald Trump. The bipartisan bill, which was overwhelmingly passed in an 87-12 vote, is widely considered to the most substantial legislation affecting the federal prison system in…
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DOJ to End Use of Private Prisons
The Department of Justice says it will stop using private prisons, saying that the facilities are less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than government-run prisons, the Washington Post reports. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates made the announcement Thursday in a memo that instructed officials to decline to renew contracts with private prisons…