mass incarceration

As Parole Hopes Fade, Older Prisoners Struggle to Guide the Young

For a long time, corrections departments around the country maintained order—relatively speaking—through the informal system of old prisoners showing new…

February 2, 2024

NYC Defies Mayor Adams to Ban Solitary Confinement, Rein In NYPD

The New York City Council has overwhelmingly approved a package of police and jail reforms, in defiance of Mayor Eric…

February 1, 2024

White House Issues Very Soft Call for Prisoner Access to OUD Meds

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released its first press release of 2024, promoting a January…

January 31, 2024

Prison Routines Have Fallen Apart, Leaving Old-Timers Adrift

Wesley*, 51, has been incarcerated in Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) prisons for more than half his life. Every morning…

January 25, 2024

As Prisons Shutter Classes and Mental Health Care, Drugs Fill the Gap

I first met David "Lucky" Kestner about 15 years ago, when we were both incarcerated at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution…

January 24, 2024

Call It “Overcrowding,” Not “Understaffing,” and Fix It With Parole

In 1996, the Prison Litigation Reform Act was enacted in response to the rising number of lawsuits prisoners were filing…

January 17, 2024

The Tightrope of Talking About Mental Health in Prison

Dan*, a 40-something prisoner in Tennessee’s South Central Correctional Facility (SCCF), wants to make it clear that he doesn't intend…

January 16, 2024

NYC Activists Rally as Rikers Receivership Decision Delayed

On December 14, a federal judge held the New York City Department of Correction in contempt of court, as Gothamist…

December 15, 2023

St. Louis Jail Now Tracking Overdoses, Still Blocking Oversight Board

A St. Louis city jail is reportedly now tracking overdoses among incarcerated people, after local media forced its hand. But…

December 1, 2023

In Brazil, Hopes of Decriminalization Fade as Lula Embraces Drug War

On November 27, Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva appointed Flavio Dino to Brazil's Supreme Court. In filling the…

November 29, 2023