What's behind the increase of older inmates in the state prison system?
Experts point to everything from aging baby boomers and longer life spans to overall prison population growth and a trend toward stiffer sentences.
"Lifers" make up a sizable portion of the elderly state prison population, said Dr. Larry Rosenberg, a Millersville University assistant professor of sociology who teaches a course on modern corrections.
The elderly prison population also includes repeat offenders incarcerated after their "third strike" and inmates serving long sentences for crimes committed in their 40s and 50s, he said. Read more...
Monday, November 28, 2011
Panel recommends reforms to stem prison spending
Shortening sentences for some nonviolent offenses and creating a statewide network of accountability courts could help prevent Georgia taxpayers from spending more than $250 million to accommodate an expanding prison population, a state panel said Friday.
The Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform said changes are needed to control the unimpeded growth in state prison spending, which has doubled over the past two decades to $1.05 billion a year. The panel noted the growth is being fueled by drug and property offenders who account for about 60 percent of all prison admissions.
The council noted more than 3,200 offenders enter prison on a drug possession conviction each year and two-thirds of these inmates have been found to be low risks to offend again. Read more...
The Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform said changes are needed to control the unimpeded growth in state prison spending, which has doubled over the past two decades to $1.05 billion a year. The panel noted the growth is being fueled by drug and property offenders who account for about 60 percent of all prison admissions.
The council noted more than 3,200 offenders enter prison on a drug possession conviction each year and two-thirds of these inmates have been found to be low risks to offend again. Read more...
Shifting prisoners to counties could strain local services
California needs to pay attention to potential strains on county services as it implements Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to shift nonviolent criminals and parolees to counties, a RAND Corp. study says.
The study [PDF], “Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California,” released last week, said the plan to shift low-level offenders to county custody could strain local health care and social services programs that already have been ravaged by budget cuts.
California began sending low-level felony offenders and parole violators to county jails on Oct. 1.
“There’s no turning back,” Brown said at a Sept. 29 press conference. “The only way is forward in a collaborative way.” Read more...
The study [PDF], “Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California,” released last week, said the plan to shift low-level offenders to county custody could strain local health care and social services programs that already have been ravaged by budget cuts.
California began sending low-level felony offenders and parole violators to county jails on Oct. 1.
“There’s no turning back,” Brown said at a Sept. 29 press conference. “The only way is forward in a collaborative way.” Read more...
Probation Numbers Down, Parolees Up Slightly in 2010: BJS Survey
The number of adult offenders on probation or parole declined by 1.3 percent last year, dropping to 4.9 million, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said today. It was the second consecutive year of decline in the number of adults under community supervision. At year's end, about 1 in every 48 adults in the U.S. was on probation or parole. The number of adult probationers declined for the second consecutive year to nearly 4.1 million but the number of parolees increased to 840,700.
The failure rate of parolees-the percentage who were returned to incarceration at some point during the year-decreased over the decade. During 2010, about 13 percent of parolees were reincarcerated at some time during the year, down from about 16 percent in 2000. About 5.7 percent of probationers were incarcerated at some point during 2010, nearly unchanged since 2000 (5.5 percent). Read more...
The failure rate of parolees-the percentage who were returned to incarceration at some point during the year-decreased over the decade. During 2010, about 13 percent of parolees were reincarcerated at some time during the year, down from about 16 percent in 2000. About 5.7 percent of probationers were incarcerated at some point during 2010, nearly unchanged since 2000 (5.5 percent). Read more...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Harlem reentry court: One parolee's experience
The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship
By The Center for Court Innovation
A number of challenges exist for a parolee just leaving prison, and the newfound freedom of a parolee can be overwhelming. The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship.
About a week before Debra left prison, she learned that she would be part of a new reentry program involving frequent court appearances and participation in a drug treatment program, among other activities. Debra had never heard of parole reentry before. "At first I was really mad," she says. "I had never done parole in my life, but I knew you weren't supposed to go to court or in front of a judge. I was really angry that I had to go every week."
Six months later, she completed the program and had an entirely new perspective: "Putting me in the parole reentry program was the best thing they ever could have done for me and my life," she says. "I think they should put more people in it. If you're coming home to do the right thing, it's the place to be." Read more...
By The Center for Court Innovation
A number of challenges exist for a parolee just leaving prison, and the newfound freedom of a parolee can be overwhelming. The Harlem Community Justice Center helps parolees make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship.
About a week before Debra left prison, she learned that she would be part of a new reentry program involving frequent court appearances and participation in a drug treatment program, among other activities. Debra had never heard of parole reentry before. "At first I was really mad," she says. "I had never done parole in my life, but I knew you weren't supposed to go to court or in front of a judge. I was really angry that I had to go every week."
Six months later, she completed the program and had an entirely new perspective: "Putting me in the parole reentry program was the best thing they ever could have done for me and my life," she says. "I think they should put more people in it. If you're coming home to do the right thing, it's the place to be." Read more...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Parole Supervision Helps Cut Recidivism: Montana Study
In a study of Montana ex-inmates, researchers found that offenders released early from prison without parole supervision are more likely to recidivate than those freed with parole supervision. Kevin A. Wright of Arizona State University and Jeffrey W. Rosky of the University of Central Florida believe that offenders who are released early are more likely to recidivate because they are not adequately prepared for reentry into the community. The study was published in Criminology & Public Policy, which is available only by subscription or to members of the American Society of Criminology.
Montana offenders released from prison on traditional parole supervision are required to have a detailed parole plan that includes housing and employment. The authors argue that given current pressures on correctional systems to reduce their budgets, it is unwise to do away with early release procedures. They say attention should be paid to the transition between prison and community reentry. In the same issue, Faye Taxman of George Mason University and Susan Turner of the University of California, Irvine, argue that correctional practitioners should look beyond the basic risk-assessment model of release and focus more on a client-centered approach, like the healthcare field. Journalists who want access to the papers should send a message to tgest@sas.upenn.edu. Read more...
Montana offenders released from prison on traditional parole supervision are required to have a detailed parole plan that includes housing and employment. The authors argue that given current pressures on correctional systems to reduce their budgets, it is unwise to do away with early release procedures. They say attention should be paid to the transition between prison and community reentry. In the same issue, Faye Taxman of George Mason University and Susan Turner of the University of California, Irvine, argue that correctional practitioners should look beyond the basic risk-assessment model of release and focus more on a client-centered approach, like the healthcare field. Journalists who want access to the papers should send a message to tgest@sas.upenn.edu. Read more...
Monday, November 7, 2011
APAI Business Plan Updated and Available Online
Over the last several months, the Executive Committee has been working on updating the APAI Business Plan. After many hours of discussion, it has now been updated and can be found on our website HERE!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Effecting Change Through Outreach and Partnership
Effecting Change through Outreach and Partnership
by Mark Prieur and Jane McDonald, Parole Board of Canada
The criminal justice system is a field that is often misunderstood and that is generally ripe with misconceptions. The area of conditional release is a good example of this. Just ask the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), the government agency in that country mandated to make conditional release and pardons decisions.
The PBC makes approximately 25,000 conditional release decisions, and a similar number of pardons decisions, every year. And although its track record is excellent for both conditional release decisions – over the past 10 years 93% of offenders on day and full parole have not committed a new offence, and 99% have not committed a new violent offence, while on parole – and for pardon decisions – 96% of the more than 400,000 granted since 1970 remain in force today – public confidence in both systems remains low in Canada.
“These statistics tell a very positive story and clearly show that the Board is effectively meeting its mandate of contributing to public safety,” says PBC Chairperson Harvey Cenaiko. He attributes the disconnect between the public’s perception of the system and its reality to a combination of factors. Chief among these are the general public’s limited awareness of the conditional release and pardons systems, and the media’s tendency to focus on high-profile, violent offenders. “These misconceptions present a picture of the system that is not always accurate or based on factual information,” he says.
To address this situation, the PBC invests time into public education and outreach. Canada’s Corrections and Conditional Release Act mandates the PBC to establish and maintain a program of communications and public education to enhance its effectiveness and openness, and this is something the Board takes very seriously.
“Outreach gives us a chance to speak directly to our various stakeholders and to inform them about the conditional release and pardons systems – how each one works, their measurable benefits and outcomes,” says Caroline Douglas, Director of Communications at the PBC. “It also gives us an opportunity to interact and engage with these audiences – which includes victims of crime, women, and Aboriginal people – about the Board and the services available to them.”
In 2009, the PBC undertook a review of its outreach program with a view to enhancing its effectiveness and reach. As a result of the review, the PBC updated its national outreach strategy, emphasizing two key objectives: to establish a planned, targeted, and measurable outreach program; and to identify and pursue opportunities for collaboration in the delivery of outreach activities, to maximize their impact and the Board’s limited resources.
To view the power point presentation from a workshop given at the APAI Annual Training Conference concerning PBC’s outreach program visit
.http://www.apaintl.org/resources/documents/ParoleBoardofCanadaOutreachProgram.pdf
“One group that I felt the Board needed to increase its outreach efforts to was our criminal justice partners, such as the police,” says Mr. Cenaiko. “They play a crucial part in the Board’s ability to make high-quality decisions through the quality of information they provide to us, and this is a message I was eager to share with them.”
The focus on partnerships is a key aspect of the Board’s approach to outreach given the large geographical area the PBC must cover – its five regional offices together cover a span of some 3.8 million square miles – and the limited resources at its disposal.
On example of a key partnership is the PBC’s joint work with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) in the area of victim services. Under Canadian law, victims of crime are entitled to certain information about the offender who harmed them while that offender is under the jurisdiction of the PBC and the CSC. As Regional Manager of Community Relations for the Atlantic Region Sylvie Blanchet explains, “Given our joint responsibility in the area of victim services, it makes perfect sense for us to do joint outreach to this group, and this has allowed us to increase the amount of outreach we do with them.” And the efforts are paying off. Ms. Blanchet says that once the decision-making process is explained to victims, they usually come out with a better understanding of how and why decisions are made. “They may still not agree with the decision,” she says, “but they understand the reasons behind it.”
Another example of a key partnership is the highly successful pilot project that the PBC recently concluded in Nova Scotia with CSC and the Halifax Regional Police.
Mr. Cenaiko maintains the information that Board members pull from Crown briefs, psychological assessments, police reports and other sources is essential. In fact, the work of law enforcement is absolutely critical to the Board’s success as decision-makers.
“Decisions are available to the public and explain how the Board assesses risk,” he says. “Our goal, then, is to get timely and detailed intelligence information in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Our challenge as an organization has always been ‘how do we achieve a clear picture of the offender that leads to the highest quality decisions and greater public safety?’”
Atlantic Regional Director General Brian Chase has devoted considerable time and energy to that very question.
“Because the Board’s mandate intersects with law enforcement, it is important to better understand one another’s roles, how they fit together, and how we can work even better together,” he says.
In 2008, following training sessions between the Board in Atlantic Canada and the Halifax police, officials in both organizations acknowledged that a coordinated effort should be made to produce a model police report that would be simpler to use, yet still comprehensive.
At the time, average police occurrence reports were filled with extraneous information, which took hours to vet, read, analyze and extract information, and then even more time to review by Parole Board staff and Board members.
“Halifax police developed a model that supports both the Board and the Correctional Service in classifying an offender’s security level, assessing risk and/or treatment needs, and making better decisions,” Mr. Chase says. “The model includes not only suggested content but also relevant intelligence that can be safely shared.”
What used to run hundreds of pages can now be reduced to tailored intelligence summaries from a variety of sources—officer observations, street checks, motor-vehicle stops and safety bulletins—that best reflect the offence and include recommendations where content could be better stated or refined.
“We wanted to see this type of approach adopted elsewhere, so we sent Halifax Detective Constable Bob Lomond (now retired) out on the road to five outlying Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments in Nova Scotia to present the new model,” Mr. Chase says.
“All five RCMP detachments responded very favourably to the new model, and their response convinced us that it could be useful not just throughout Atlantic Canada but right across the country,” he adds.
While Halifax police have realized tangible benefits, the creation of the much reduced, summarized report has also saved tens of thousands of dollars in person hours at the Parole Board and Correctional Service of Canada.
Mr. Cenaiko says, “Information is key and it will really help the Board when assessing offenders many years, even decades, after police reports have been compiled on them.”
Good information exchange between criminal justice partners, he insists, is an important way to keep the system running well.
It is a success story the PBC plans to build on through continued outreach and public education with its key stakeholders and the public.
To view the power point presentation from a workshop given on this topic at the 2011 APAI Annual Training Conference visit: http://www.apaintl.org/resources/documents/PoliceInformationRelatedtoCorrectionsandParole-Canada.pdf
by Mark Prieur and Jane McDonald, Parole Board of Canada
The criminal justice system is a field that is often misunderstood and that is generally ripe with misconceptions. The area of conditional release is a good example of this. Just ask the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), the government agency in that country mandated to make conditional release and pardons decisions.
The PBC makes approximately 25,000 conditional release decisions, and a similar number of pardons decisions, every year. And although its track record is excellent for both conditional release decisions – over the past 10 years 93% of offenders on day and full parole have not committed a new offence, and 99% have not committed a new violent offence, while on parole – and for pardon decisions – 96% of the more than 400,000 granted since 1970 remain in force today – public confidence in both systems remains low in Canada.
“These statistics tell a very positive story and clearly show that the Board is effectively meeting its mandate of contributing to public safety,” says PBC Chairperson Harvey Cenaiko. He attributes the disconnect between the public’s perception of the system and its reality to a combination of factors. Chief among these are the general public’s limited awareness of the conditional release and pardons systems, and the media’s tendency to focus on high-profile, violent offenders. “These misconceptions present a picture of the system that is not always accurate or based on factual information,” he says.
To address this situation, the PBC invests time into public education and outreach. Canada’s Corrections and Conditional Release Act mandates the PBC to establish and maintain a program of communications and public education to enhance its effectiveness and openness, and this is something the Board takes very seriously.
“Outreach gives us a chance to speak directly to our various stakeholders and to inform them about the conditional release and pardons systems – how each one works, their measurable benefits and outcomes,” says Caroline Douglas, Director of Communications at the PBC. “It also gives us an opportunity to interact and engage with these audiences – which includes victims of crime, women, and Aboriginal people – about the Board and the services available to them.”
In 2009, the PBC undertook a review of its outreach program with a view to enhancing its effectiveness and reach. As a result of the review, the PBC updated its national outreach strategy, emphasizing two key objectives: to establish a planned, targeted, and measurable outreach program; and to identify and pursue opportunities for collaboration in the delivery of outreach activities, to maximize their impact and the Board’s limited resources.
To view the power point presentation from a workshop given at the APAI Annual Training Conference concerning PBC’s outreach program visit
.http://www.apaintl.org/resources/documents/ParoleBoardofCanadaOutreachProgram.pdf
“One group that I felt the Board needed to increase its outreach efforts to was our criminal justice partners, such as the police,” says Mr. Cenaiko. “They play a crucial part in the Board’s ability to make high-quality decisions through the quality of information they provide to us, and this is a message I was eager to share with them.”
The focus on partnerships is a key aspect of the Board’s approach to outreach given the large geographical area the PBC must cover – its five regional offices together cover a span of some 3.8 million square miles – and the limited resources at its disposal.
On example of a key partnership is the PBC’s joint work with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) in the area of victim services. Under Canadian law, victims of crime are entitled to certain information about the offender who harmed them while that offender is under the jurisdiction of the PBC and the CSC. As Regional Manager of Community Relations for the Atlantic Region Sylvie Blanchet explains, “Given our joint responsibility in the area of victim services, it makes perfect sense for us to do joint outreach to this group, and this has allowed us to increase the amount of outreach we do with them.” And the efforts are paying off. Ms. Blanchet says that once the decision-making process is explained to victims, they usually come out with a better understanding of how and why decisions are made. “They may still not agree with the decision,” she says, “but they understand the reasons behind it.”
Another example of a key partnership is the highly successful pilot project that the PBC recently concluded in Nova Scotia with CSC and the Halifax Regional Police.
Mr. Cenaiko maintains the information that Board members pull from Crown briefs, psychological assessments, police reports and other sources is essential. In fact, the work of law enforcement is absolutely critical to the Board’s success as decision-makers.
“Decisions are available to the public and explain how the Board assesses risk,” he says. “Our goal, then, is to get timely and detailed intelligence information in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Our challenge as an organization has always been ‘how do we achieve a clear picture of the offender that leads to the highest quality decisions and greater public safety?’”
Atlantic Regional Director General Brian Chase has devoted considerable time and energy to that very question.
“Because the Board’s mandate intersects with law enforcement, it is important to better understand one another’s roles, how they fit together, and how we can work even better together,” he says.
In 2008, following training sessions between the Board in Atlantic Canada and the Halifax police, officials in both organizations acknowledged that a coordinated effort should be made to produce a model police report that would be simpler to use, yet still comprehensive.
At the time, average police occurrence reports were filled with extraneous information, which took hours to vet, read, analyze and extract information, and then even more time to review by Parole Board staff and Board members.
“Halifax police developed a model that supports both the Board and the Correctional Service in classifying an offender’s security level, assessing risk and/or treatment needs, and making better decisions,” Mr. Chase says. “The model includes not only suggested content but also relevant intelligence that can be safely shared.”
What used to run hundreds of pages can now be reduced to tailored intelligence summaries from a variety of sources—officer observations, street checks, motor-vehicle stops and safety bulletins—that best reflect the offence and include recommendations where content could be better stated or refined.
“We wanted to see this type of approach adopted elsewhere, so we sent Halifax Detective Constable Bob Lomond (now retired) out on the road to five outlying Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments in Nova Scotia to present the new model,” Mr. Chase says.
“All five RCMP detachments responded very favourably to the new model, and their response convinced us that it could be useful not just throughout Atlantic Canada but right across the country,” he adds.
While Halifax police have realized tangible benefits, the creation of the much reduced, summarized report has also saved tens of thousands of dollars in person hours at the Parole Board and Correctional Service of Canada.
Mr. Cenaiko says, “Information is key and it will really help the Board when assessing offenders many years, even decades, after police reports have been compiled on them.”
Good information exchange between criminal justice partners, he insists, is an important way to keep the system running well.
It is a success story the PBC plans to build on through continued outreach and public education with its key stakeholders and the public.
To view the power point presentation from a workshop given on this topic at the 2011 APAI Annual Training Conference visit: http://www.apaintl.org/resources/documents/PoliceInformationRelatedtoCorrectionsandParole-Canada.pdf
Friday, July 8, 2011
Signed bills to free some inmates faster
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed bills into law Tuesday that he said will make the criminal justice system run more efficiently.
One of the bills could result in first-time offenders serving less time in prison while another seeks to clarify the amount of time toward release that inmates are credited for good behavior.
The legislation stemmed from recommendations by judges, attorneys and law enforcement officials who serve on the Louisiana Sentencing Commission. Read more...
One of the bills could result in first-time offenders serving less time in prison while another seeks to clarify the amount of time toward release that inmates are credited for good behavior.
The legislation stemmed from recommendations by judges, attorneys and law enforcement officials who serve on the Louisiana Sentencing Commission. Read more...
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Senate vote spares Parole Board
DOVER -- The Delaware Senate pardoned the Board of Parole from an immediate death sentence late Tuesday, even though the operating budget senators will consider today does not include direct funding for the panel.
House Bill 35 failed to get the minimum of eleven votes needed for passage, going down in defeat on a 9-10 vote. Sens. Harris McDowell and Liane Sorenson did not vote. Read more...
House Bill 35 failed to get the minimum of eleven votes needed for passage, going down in defeat on a 9-10 vote. Sens. Harris McDowell and Liane Sorenson did not vote. Read more...
Cuts in juvenile parole left teen in 'Tuba Man' case unsupervised
One of the three teens convicted of killing a popular Seattle street musician in 2008 continues to make headlines for his tangles with the law. Billy Chambers – who's now an adult – was most recently locked up for hit-and-run. It turns out he did not qualify for supervision by a juvenile parole officer because of state budget cuts.
Ed McMichael – aka "Tuba Man" – was a fixture outside Seattle's sports venues. He died in 2008 following a brutal attack by a group of teens.
Ultimately Chambers and two others pleaded guilty in the case. Chambers served one year behind bars.
Since then court records show he's racked up two theft convictions and faces multiple traffic offenses. Now he's accused of ramming his car into a woman who'd reported him to the police. Read more...
Ed McMichael – aka "Tuba Man" – was a fixture outside Seattle's sports venues. He died in 2008 following a brutal attack by a group of teens.
Ultimately Chambers and two others pleaded guilty in the case. Chambers served one year behind bars.
Since then court records show he's racked up two theft convictions and faces multiple traffic offenses. Now he's accused of ramming his car into a woman who'd reported him to the police. Read more...
Panel votes today on breaks in crack cases
WASHINGTON — One in every 20 federal prisoners could be eligible for early release under a potential sentencing change for inmates convicted of crack cocaine offenses that will be voted on Thursday.
Congress passed a law last year substantially lowering recommended sentences for people convicted of crack cocaine crimes, ranging from possession to trafficking. The idea was to fix a longstanding disparity in punishments for crack and powder cocaine crimes, but the new, lower recommended sentences for crack offenders didn’t automatically apply to people already in prison. Now it is up to the six-member U.S. Sentencing Commission to decide whether offenders locked up for crack offenses before the new law took effect should also benefit and get out earlier. Read more...
Congress passed a law last year substantially lowering recommended sentences for people convicted of crack cocaine crimes, ranging from possession to trafficking. The idea was to fix a longstanding disparity in punishments for crack and powder cocaine crimes, but the new, lower recommended sentences for crack offenders didn’t automatically apply to people already in prison. Now it is up to the six-member U.S. Sentencing Commission to decide whether offenders locked up for crack offenses before the new law took effect should also benefit and get out earlier. Read more...
New sentencing laws add costs for Hamilton County
Gov. John Kasich signed into law Wednesday criminal sentencing reforms that could release thousands of non-violent prisoners from the expensive prison system - and keep them out with drug rehabilitation and other programs.
But it may also bring a lot of headaches - and some resentment - to Hamilton County officials who believe the law means more mandated bureaucracy they will now have to pay for at a time when county government is struggling with a reduced budget and the possibility of additional layoffs among county workers.
"Today has been kind of a double whammy," Hamilton County Court Administrator Mike Walton said Wednesday. Read more...
But it may also bring a lot of headaches - and some resentment - to Hamilton County officials who believe the law means more mandated bureaucracy they will now have to pay for at a time when county government is struggling with a reduced budget and the possibility of additional layoffs among county workers.
"Today has been kind of a double whammy," Hamilton County Court Administrator Mike Walton said Wednesday. Read more...
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Audit adds to criticism of Michigan's parolee program
Lansing — Michigan's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative has won national acclaim for helping ex-convicts stay out of trouble, but critics say the state is undercounting lapsed parolees to make the program appear more successful than it is.
The criticism comes amid an audit of the 6-year-old Department of Corrections program that found other shortcomings, including overcharging vendors for services and allowing conflicts of interest between contractors and subcontractors.
Jim Chihak, a former parole and probation officer who was part of a panel that evaluated the program this spring, said the program's intent — to keep prisoners from returning to prison — is admirable, but "the way it's being handled is a disaster." Read more...
The criticism comes amid an audit of the 6-year-old Department of Corrections program that found other shortcomings, including overcharging vendors for services and allowing conflicts of interest between contractors and subcontractors.
Jim Chihak, a former parole and probation officer who was part of a panel that evaluated the program this spring, said the program's intent — to keep prisoners from returning to prison — is admirable, but "the way it's being handled is a disaster." Read more...
Gov. Brownback starts faith-based program for parolees
Kansas needs 5,000 volunteer mentors a year for paroled criminals, Gov. Sam Brownback said this week.
He spoke Monday in Wichita at the launch of an effort to merge government resources, social services, churches, businesses and mentors to keep parolees from returning to prison.
He announced the Out4Life faith-based program at the start of three days of workshops in which service providers and others discussed re-entry approaches.
The Kansas Department of Corrections will work with Prison Fellowship, a Christian group that created Out4Life about two years ago.
Brownback said he wants a mentor for each released criminal. Read more...
He spoke Monday in Wichita at the launch of an effort to merge government resources, social services, churches, businesses and mentors to keep parolees from returning to prison.
He announced the Out4Life faith-based program at the start of three days of workshops in which service providers and others discussed re-entry approaches.
The Kansas Department of Corrections will work with Prison Fellowship, a Christian group that created Out4Life about two years ago.
Brownback said he wants a mentor for each released criminal. Read more...
Monday, June 27, 2011
2011 Annual Training Conference Presentations
The presentations APAI received from the 2011 Annual Training Conference held May 15-18, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas have now been posted on the website. You can find those HERE!
Monday, June 20, 2011
NC probation, prison changes backed at Legislature
Significant changes to North Carolina's sentencing and probation laws designed to keep better track of offenders and discourage recidivism while scaling back prison construction are heading to Gov. Beverly Perdue's desk.
The General Assembly gave its final approval Wednesday night to the so-called "Justice Reinvestment Act" developed with the help of outside researchers and interest groups. The House agreed to changes approved by the Senate earlier in the day. Read more...
The General Assembly gave its final approval Wednesday night to the so-called "Justice Reinvestment Act" developed with the help of outside researchers and interest groups. The House agreed to changes approved by the Senate earlier in the day. Read more...
Paroled lifers pose high risk of new crimes
More than a third of the most serious criminal offenders paroled in Massachusetts over the past five years were returned to prison for committing new crimes or violating the conditions of their release, a Globe review has found, raising questions about the public risk posed by granting early release to scores of convicted murderers, as well as the state’s ability to supervise violent criminals on parole.
The Globe analysis, undertaken after last December’s fatal shooting of a Woburn police officer by a career criminal on parole from a life sentence, found that the Parole Board freed 201 prisoners serving 15 years to life from January 2006 through December 2010. Read more...
The Globe analysis, undertaken after last December’s fatal shooting of a Woburn police officer by a career criminal on parole from a life sentence, found that the Parole Board freed 201 prisoners serving 15 years to life from January 2006 through December 2010. Read more...
Friday, June 17, 2011
California Paroling Medically Incapacitated Inmate
COALINGA, Calif. -- A California convict in prison for a violent robbery is the first in the state granted parole under a new law allowing release of medically incapacitated inmates.
A state Board of Parole Hearings panel ruled Wednesday that 48-year-old Craig Lemke, who has served less than four years of a 68-year sentence, poses no threat to public safety because he's a quadriplegic. Read more...
A state Board of Parole Hearings panel ruled Wednesday that 48-year-old Craig Lemke, who has served less than four years of a 68-year sentence, poses no threat to public safety because he's a quadriplegic. Read more...
Political paralysis' in Calif. over prison reform
As California deeply cut spending for public schools, social services and health programs in recent years, state leaders also found themselves grappling with a court order to reduce the prison population by tens of thousands of inmates.
Some civil rights groups and criminal justice experts are now seizing on this perfect storm of chronic deficits and crowded prisons to push for wide-ranging changes to the state's sentencing laws that would transform California's handling of crime and punishment. The California chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups want the state to reduce drug possession and low-level, nonviolent property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, and they want more community-based alternatives to incarceration. Read more...
Some civil rights groups and criminal justice experts are now seizing on this perfect storm of chronic deficits and crowded prisons to push for wide-ranging changes to the state's sentencing laws that would transform California's handling of crime and punishment. The California chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups want the state to reduce drug possession and low-level, nonviolent property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, and they want more community-based alternatives to incarceration. Read more...
Field Poll: California Voters Favor Re-Vamping "Three-Strikes Law"
Most California voters see a court order to reduce the state's prison population by 30,000 inmates as a serious problem, and nearly three out of four say it is time to revamp the state's "three-strikes" law, a Field Poll out today finds.
The poll comes on the heels of last month's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ordering California to address its prison overcrowding problem, and 79 percent of those surveyed said the matter is serious. Read more...
The poll comes on the heels of last month's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ordering California to address its prison overcrowding problem, and 79 percent of those surveyed said the matter is serious. Read more...
High Court: Judges Can't Lengthen Prison Terms to Promote Rehab
Federal law bars judges from imposing or lengthening prison terms to promote a criminal defendant's rehabilitation, the Supreme Court ruled today. In a unanimous opinion by Justice Elena Kagan, the high court reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco. The case involved defendant Alejandra Tapia, who was convicted of smuggling unauthorized aliens into the country.
A judge imposed a 51-month prison term, referring to Tapia's need for drug treatment in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program. Kagan said a lower court judge "did nothing wrong-and probably something very right-intrying to get Tapia into an effective drug treatment program. But the record indicates that the court may have done more-that it may have selected the length of the sentence to ensure that Tapia could complete the 500 Hour Drug Program." Read more of the ruling...
A judge imposed a 51-month prison term, referring to Tapia's need for drug treatment in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program. Kagan said a lower court judge "did nothing wrong-and probably something very right-intrying to get Tapia into an effective drug treatment program. But the record indicates that the court may have done more-that it may have selected the length of the sentence to ensure that Tapia could complete the 500 Hour Drug Program." Read more of the ruling...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
APAI Election Results
APAI would like to congratulate Jeffrey Peterson of Minnesota, who will take office as Vice President of APAI beginning July 1, and Jeralia "Jeri" Costa from Washington who will continue in her role as Secretary of APAI.
Thank you to everyone who voted in the election.
Thank you to everyone who voted in the election.
The Role of Parole in Texas: Achieving Public Safety & Efficiency
Introduction
Texas recently earned national acclaim for avoiding what was expected to be a catastrophic prison overcrowding crisis. In 2005, in anticipation of overcrowding, the Legislative Budget Board recommended building more than 17,000 new prison beds. Texas did not build the beds, however, and it still managed to reduce crime throughout the state. Part of the credit for this impressive accomplishment must go to the state’s parole system. In 2009, out of 76,607 parole-eligible cases considered, 23,182 Texas inmates were placed on some kind of parole supervision. More importantly, the number of parolees revoked to prison has sharply declined from 11,311 in 2004 to 6,678 in 2010, reflecting a drop in both new crimes and technical violations serious enough to warrant revocation. Read more...
Texas recently earned national acclaim for avoiding what was expected to be a catastrophic prison overcrowding crisis. In 2005, in anticipation of overcrowding, the Legislative Budget Board recommended building more than 17,000 new prison beds. Texas did not build the beds, however, and it still managed to reduce crime throughout the state. Part of the credit for this impressive accomplishment must go to the state’s parole system. In 2009, out of 76,607 parole-eligible cases considered, 23,182 Texas inmates were placed on some kind of parole supervision. More importantly, the number of parolees revoked to prison has sharply declined from 11,311 in 2004 to 6,678 in 2010, reflecting a drop in both new crimes and technical violations serious enough to warrant revocation. Read more...
In 1st CA medical parole case, inmate rejected
A state board on Tuesday denied medical parole to a convicted rapist who has been a quadriplegic since he was attacked in prison 10 years ago, arguing that the inmate's verbal threats in prison to female staffers proves he would still pose a threat to public safety if he were to be released.
Steven Martinez, 42, was the first California inmate to be considered for medical parole under a law that took effect this year and is aimed at saving taxpayers the expense of providing medical care and security to incapacitated inmates. Under the law, inmates who are "permanently medically incapacitated with a medical condition" that makes them "unable to perform activities of basic daily living" may be released if they do not pose a threat to public safety. Read more...
Steven Martinez, 42, was the first California inmate to be considered for medical parole under a law that took effect this year and is aimed at saving taxpayers the expense of providing medical care and security to incapacitated inmates. Under the law, inmates who are "permanently medically incapacitated with a medical condition" that makes them "unable to perform activities of basic daily living" may be released if they do not pose a threat to public safety. Read more...
No easy fix for California's prison crisis
By Jack Dolan and Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Sacramento and Los Angeles -- California's effort to shift tens of thousands of inmates out of its chronically overcrowded prisons to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court order could be undone by the state's tough sentencing laws, persistent recidivism and recurring budget crises, analysts say.
More than 33,000 offenders must be moved out of the prisons under the high court's Monday decision, which upheld an earlier ruling that conditions in the teeming facilities cause preventable deaths and amount to cruel and unusual punishment. Read more...
Reporting from Sacramento and Los Angeles -- California's effort to shift tens of thousands of inmates out of its chronically overcrowded prisons to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court order could be undone by the state's tough sentencing laws, persistent recidivism and recurring budget crises, analysts say.
More than 33,000 offenders must be moved out of the prisons under the high court's Monday decision, which upheld an earlier ruling that conditions in the teeming facilities cause preventable deaths and amount to cruel and unusual punishment. Read more...
Monday, April 18, 2011
How a ‘Tough-on-Crime’ State Became Smart on Crime
Kentucky’s overhaul of its criminal justice system this spring is a textbook example of genuine bipartisanship.
For three decades, Kentucky politicians proved they were tough on crime. At every opportunity, they stiffened sentences and added offenses to the state’s penal code.
They nearly bankrupted the state. Read more...
For three decades, Kentucky politicians proved they were tough on crime. At every opportunity, they stiffened sentences and added offenses to the state’s penal code.
They nearly bankrupted the state. Read more...
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Michigan's parole policy costs taxpayers $280 million a year
Michigan often keeps inmates long after other states would have released them for similar crimes, driving up prison costs by millions of dollars a year and eating up a quarter of the state's general fund.
In the two years before she left office in December, former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm encouraged the parole board to be more lenient when it came to releasing prisoners who'd served their minimum sentences. Read more...
In the two years before she left office in December, former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm encouraged the parole board to be more lenient when it came to releasing prisoners who'd served their minimum sentences. Read more...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Gov. Christie working to abolish N.J. early release parole program
Declaring he is attempting to protect the public safety of New Jerseyans, Gov. Chris Christie Wednesday vetoed legislation related to the state’s early parole program and restored the state Parole Board’s discretion in deciding who is paroled.
The governor, who wants to abolish mandatory early parole, vetoed legislation that would have made a convict wait 10 years rather than three for a mandatory parole review. He said the legislation does not address the fundamental problems that have stem from statutorily-mandated parole review, including the impact on crime victims and their families and the failure to consider inmates’ rehabilitative progress in granting a parole review. Read more...
The governor, who wants to abolish mandatory early parole, vetoed legislation that would have made a convict wait 10 years rather than three for a mandatory parole review. He said the legislation does not address the fundamental problems that have stem from statutorily-mandated parole review, including the impact on crime victims and their families and the failure to consider inmates’ rehabilitative progress in granting a parole review. Read more...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Despite medical parole law, hospitalized prisoners are costing California taxpayers millions
With California mired in a budget crisis, guarding incapacitated prisoners at outside hospitals continues to cost taxpayers millions as the state figures out how to implement a new medical parole law.
Reporting from Vacaville, Calif. — A degenerative nerve disease has left 57-year-old California inmate Edward Ortiz semi-paralyzed in a private Bay Area hospital for the last year. The breathing tube in his throat tethers him to a ventilator at one end of the bed; steel bracelets shackle his ankles to safety rails at the other.
Still, California taxpayers are shelling out roughly $800,000 a year to prevent his escape. The guards watching Ortiz one day last week said department policy requires one corrections officer at the foot of his bed around the clock and another guard at the door. A sergeant also has to be there, to supervise. Read more...
Reporting from Vacaville, Calif. — A degenerative nerve disease has left 57-year-old California inmate Edward Ortiz semi-paralyzed in a private Bay Area hospital for the last year. The breathing tube in his throat tethers him to a ventilator at one end of the bed; steel bracelets shackle his ankles to safety rails at the other.
Still, California taxpayers are shelling out roughly $800,000 a year to prevent his escape. The guards watching Ortiz one day last week said department policy requires one corrections officer at the foot of his bed around the clock and another guard at the door. A sergeant also has to be there, to supervise. Read more...
Report: Prison cuts could cause bed shortage in 2 years
In the latest sign that Texas' budget woes could prove even tougher than expected, a new study warned Tuesday that the state could face a shortage of as many as 12,000 prison beds within two years if it whacks corrections programs as planned.
Cuts of up to $600 million over the next two years would hobble rehabilitation, probation and treatment programs that have saved taxpayers almost that much in the past four years, the report said, and the resulting flood of Texans that would be sent to prison would quickly overwhelm the current capacity of state-run lockups. Read more...
Cuts of up to $600 million over the next two years would hobble rehabilitation, probation and treatment programs that have saved taxpayers almost that much in the past four years, the report said, and the resulting flood of Texans that would be sent to prison would quickly overwhelm the current capacity of state-run lockups. Read more...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
What realignment means for California corrections
Gov. Jerry Brown's ambitious plan for balancing his state's budget includes moving parole services to county control and dismantling the DJJ
The current buzzword in California government fiscal circles is “Realignment.” This is what Governor Brown wants to do to many state services. Chief among these, at least for CorrectionsOne readers, is the idea of turning parole services over the county governments, along with a theoretically adequate funding level for these services. An important secondary consideration is the complete dismantling of DJJ (Division of Juvenile Justice) and turning it over to local control also. Read more...
The current buzzword in California government fiscal circles is “Realignment.” This is what Governor Brown wants to do to many state services. Chief among these, at least for CorrectionsOne readers, is the idea of turning parole services over the county governments, along with a theoretically adequate funding level for these services. An important secondary consideration is the complete dismantling of DJJ (Division of Juvenile Justice) and turning it over to local control also. Read more...
NH bill would let parole board decide on release
State parole board officials should have the power to keep inmates behind bars longer, reversing part of last year's prison reform law that said violators could be recommitted for a maximum of 90 days, witnesses told a Senate committee Thursday.
While there was some agreement on changing the recommitment limit, witnesses did not agree whether to change the mandatory release of all inmates nine months before they complete their sentences to they can be placed under intense supervision. Read more...
While there was some agreement on changing the recommitment limit, witnesses did not agree whether to change the mandatory release of all inmates nine months before they complete their sentences to they can be placed under intense supervision. Read more...
Friday, February 25, 2011
A "Golden Opportunity" For Smart Criminal Justice Reforms?
The current political and fiscal climate presents a "golden opportunity" for smart criminal justice reforms, James Burch, acting director of the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, told the National Committee on Community Corrections yesterday in Washington, D.C. The committee, a coalition of interest groups and corrections professionals, met in a session hosted by the Pew Center on the States Public Safety Performance Project.
Burch suggested that the relative lack of government dollars could be an advantage, forcing states and localities to be creative and not depend on the federal government for support. His agency supports the "Justice Reinvestment Initiative," which seeks ways to incarcerate fewer people and reinvest the cost savings on programs that do better at preventing recidivism. "This may be the most promising initiative [our agency] has going," Burch said. Pat Nolan of the Justice Fellowship spoke about the new "Right on Crime" campaign, in which conservatives are urging "most cost-effective approaches that enhance public safety." Nolan said the campaign so far has not targeted election officials for endorsements but said that some of its principles have been embraced by newly elected or incumbent governors in states like Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, and New York. Noting that new New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, backs justice reforms that save money, Nolan said the "right on crime" principles are "not captive of one party."
Burch suggested that the relative lack of government dollars could be an advantage, forcing states and localities to be creative and not depend on the federal government for support. His agency supports the "Justice Reinvestment Initiative," which seeks ways to incarcerate fewer people and reinvest the cost savings on programs that do better at preventing recidivism. "This may be the most promising initiative [our agency] has going," Burch said. Pat Nolan of the Justice Fellowship spoke about the new "Right on Crime" campaign, in which conservatives are urging "most cost-effective approaches that enhance public safety." Nolan said the campaign so far has not targeted election officials for endorsements but said that some of its principles have been embraced by newly elected or incumbent governors in states like Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, and New York. Noting that new New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, backs justice reforms that save money, Nolan said the "right on crime" principles are "not captive of one party."
Bill to overhaul Ky. prison system advances
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A bill to overhaul the state’s corrections system — and reduce the state’s costs — won unanimous approval Thursday from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
But action by the full Senate on what supporters have called landmark legislation was postponed until Monday after Senate President David Williams, a Burkesville Republican, had to leave the state for a political event in Washington. Read more...
But action by the full Senate on what supporters have called landmark legislation was postponed until Monday after Senate President David Williams, a Burkesville Republican, had to leave the state for a political event in Washington. Read more...
Fewer freed inmates returning to prison
The rate of released offenders returned to prison is the lowest it has been in 11 years, the director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said yesterday.
Last year, 34 percent of inmates returned to prison for a parole or probation violation or a new felony conviction, down from 36 percent in 2009, said Director Gary Mohr.
Last year's recidivism rate is the lowest since 1997, when it was also 34 percent.
The national recidivism rate averages about 50 percent, the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics says. Read more...
Last year, 34 percent of inmates returned to prison for a parole or probation violation or a new felony conviction, down from 36 percent in 2009, said Director Gary Mohr.
Last year's recidivism rate is the lowest since 1997, when it was also 34 percent.
The national recidivism rate averages about 50 percent, the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics says. Read more...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Conference Promotes Improved Responses to People with Mental Illnesses in the Criminal Justice System
Baltimore, MD—Criminal justice and mental health experts gather today to share strategies that improve outcomes for justice-involved people with mental illnesses. The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, with the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, has convened more than 400 practitioners, researchers, and public officials this week to address the overrepresentation of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system.
According to a recent study, 16.9 percent of people admitted to jail have serious mental illnesses—rates three times higher for men and six times higher for women than those found in the general population. Many have become familiar faces in local law enforcement incidents, courtrooms, and correctional facilities.
The conference connects front-line professionals with experts, peers, and mental health consumers who can provide guidance on maximizing available grant opportunities and ensuring programs have the greatest impact, including improving law enforcement encounters with people with mental illnesses; diverting individuals to treatment and services when appropriate; and providing assessments, programming, and services that can reduce reoffending and improve health outcomes.
“Recent tragic events have highlighted the critical need for justice and mental health communities to work together and share information to prevent and respond to crime,” said BJA Acting Director James H. Burch, II. “At the same time, our justice systems lack the budgetary strength and often the expertise to respond to the mental illnesses that link people to the justice system, creating a mandate for the two systems to work together to serve communities effectively.”
This conference is made possible through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which is administered by BJA. In 2004, Congress authorized the JMHCP through the landmark Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act in recognition that the justice system is filled with people with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders. The federal funding program authorizes funds for states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to more effectively use justice system resources to improve public safety and linkages to treatment. Through its technical assistance provider, the CSG Justice Center, BJA has offered training and guidance to grantees from more than 40 states.
“Lawmakers are facing great challenges in balancing their state's budgets,” said CSG Justice Center Board of Directors Vice-Chair and Kansas State Representative Pat Colloton. “By highlighting what works in reducing the number of people with mental illnesses who cycle in and out of the criminal justice system, BJA is helping state lawmakers reduce spending and focus investments on strategies that will improve the lives of these individuals and increase public health and safety.”
To view detailed information about the conference, access other criminal justice-mental health resources, and subscribe to the Consensus Project newsletter, visit www.consensusproject.org.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. The Justice Center provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies—informed by available evidence—to increase public safety and strengthen communities. For more information, see www.justicecenter.csg.org.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Budget cuts slice programs for ex-inmates
Cuts in probation and parole programs to reconcile state budget deficits could undermine recent successes in shrinking bloated prison populations, criminal justice officials say.
In some states, the number of people committing new felonies while on probation or parole has inched up, in part because of cuts to programs that helped former inmates stay out of prison. Other states are weighing substantial budget cuts to all parts of their criminal justice systems, including probation and parole programs. Read More...
In some states, the number of people committing new felonies while on probation or parole has inched up, in part because of cuts to programs that helped former inmates stay out of prison. Other states are weighing substantial budget cuts to all parts of their criminal justice systems, including probation and parole programs. Read More...
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Budget Cutting Starts at Justice Department
As President Barack Obama finalizes his proposals to increase federal funding for his priority programs, the White House is searching for ways to reduce spending elsewhere in the federal government.
At the Justice Department, officials are considering whether to shorten some federal prison terms and have already shut down a program that successfully encouraged fugitive criminals to turn themselves in.
The department—which saw years of rapid growth after the 2001 terrorist attacks—is just one of the federal agencies facing significant belt-tightening at a time of rising worries about the federal budget deficit. Read more...
At the Justice Department, officials are considering whether to shorten some federal prison terms and have already shut down a program that successfully encouraged fugitive criminals to turn themselves in.
The department—which saw years of rapid growth after the 2001 terrorist attacks—is just one of the federal agencies facing significant belt-tightening at a time of rising worries about the federal budget deficit. Read more...
Patrick pushes probation takeover: Sees Parole Board merger, then cuts
Governor Deval Patrick, unable to resolve a power struggle with House and Senate leaders, pressed ahead yesterday with a plan to merge the troubled state Probation Department and the embattled Parole Board, put them under his control, and slash their budgets.
In doing so, Patrick was acting on his long-stated goal of combining the agencies and seizing control, which he said would lead to better monitoring of prisoners before and after their release. Read more...
In doing so, Patrick was acting on his long-stated goal of combining the agencies and seizing control, which he said would lead to better monitoring of prisoners before and after their release. Read more...
Sentence reform could save state money
A Texas lawmaker came to Tallahassee to give lawmakers advice about prison reform -- help those with addictions stay out of prison.
Both Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders have pledged to offset the state's nearly $4 billion budget shortfall with cuts to the prison system.
With that in mind, Florida lawmakers heard testimony Monday from Texas state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, who sponsored prison reform legislation in his home state.
The overriding message: Save money by keeping people out of prison with programs that address drug addiction, alcoholism and mental illness.
Madden said prisoners can largely be divided into three categories: Those who will never return, those who are guaranteed to return, and those who won't return if they are enrolled in the right programs. It's the third category that gives you the most bang for your buck, he said, so it's worth it to invest in drug and alcohol treatment programs. Read more...
Both Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders have pledged to offset the state's nearly $4 billion budget shortfall with cuts to the prison system.
With that in mind, Florida lawmakers heard testimony Monday from Texas state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, who sponsored prison reform legislation in his home state.
The overriding message: Save money by keeping people out of prison with programs that address drug addiction, alcoholism and mental illness.
Madden said prisoners can largely be divided into three categories: Those who will never return, those who are guaranteed to return, and those who won't return if they are enrolled in the right programs. It's the third category that gives you the most bang for your buck, he said, so it's worth it to invest in drug and alcohol treatment programs. Read more...
Supreme Court says state prisoners have no constitutional right to parole
In reversing the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the third time in a week, the justices say the appeals court was wrong to second-guess the California parole board and the state courts for denying parole to a man convicted of attempted murder.
Reporting from Washington — Unanimously reversing the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the third time in a week, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that state prisoners have no constitutional right to be paroled.
The decision rebuked the San Francisco-based appeals court for ordering the parole of several inmates who had been convicted of murder or attempted murder.
All three of the opinions overturned in the past week were written by veteran liberal Judge Stephen Reinhardt from Los Angeles. Read more...
Reporting from Washington — Unanimously reversing the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the third time in a week, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that state prisoners have no constitutional right to be paroled.
The decision rebuked the San Francisco-based appeals court for ordering the parole of several inmates who had been convicted of murder or attempted murder.
All three of the opinions overturned in the past week were written by veteran liberal Judge Stephen Reinhardt from Los Angeles. Read more...
States Help Ex-Inmates Find Jobs
Faced with yawning budget gaps and high unemployment, California, Michigan, New York and several other states are attacking both problems with a surprising strategy: helping ex-convicts find jobs to keep them from ending up back in prison.
The approach is backed by prisoner advocates as well as liberal and conservative government officials, who say it pays off in cold, hard numbers. Michigan, for example, spends $35,000 a year to keep someone in prison — more than the cost of educating a University of Michigan student. Through vigorous job placement programs and prudent use of parole, state officials say they have cut the prison population by 7,500, or about 15 percent, over the last four years, yielding more than $200 million in annual savings. Michigan spends $56 million a year on various re-entry programs, including substance abuse treatment and job training. Read more...
The approach is backed by prisoner advocates as well as liberal and conservative government officials, who say it pays off in cold, hard numbers. Michigan, for example, spends $35,000 a year to keep someone in prison — more than the cost of educating a University of Michigan student. Through vigorous job placement programs and prudent use of parole, state officials say they have cut the prison population by 7,500, or about 15 percent, over the last four years, yielding more than $200 million in annual savings. Michigan spends $56 million a year on various re-entry programs, including substance abuse treatment and job training. Read more...
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sir David Latham questions life prisoner reoffending
Reoffending rates among life sentence prisoners may be higher than figures suggest, according to the chairman of the Parole Board of England and Wales.
Internal estimates indicate that, each year, between 1% and 2% of lifers freed on parole commit further crimes.
But Sir David Latham told BBC News the current statistics were not "robust" and it was hard to be sure if the right parole decisions were being made.
He also warned of the "danger" of an "over-reaction" to high-profile cases. Read more...
Internal estimates indicate that, each year, between 1% and 2% of lifers freed on parole commit further crimes.
But Sir David Latham told BBC News the current statistics were not "robust" and it was hard to be sure if the right parole decisions were being made.
He also warned of the "danger" of an "over-reaction" to high-profile cases. Read more...
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signs order to abolish state Parole Board
Topeka — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback announced Friday that a veteran warden will run a state corrections system beset by overcrowding and still facing questions about the past management of its women’s prison.
Brownback appointed Ray Roberts as his corrections secretary, saying Roberts emerged as the top candidate even after a nationwide search. Roberts has been the warden at the state’s maximum-security prison for men in El Dorado since 2003, and his career in corrections spans 35 years. Read more...
Brownback appointed Ray Roberts as his corrections secretary, saying Roberts emerged as the top candidate even after a nationwide search. Roberts has been the warden at the state’s maximum-security prison for men in El Dorado since 2003, and his career in corrections spans 35 years. Read more...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Parolees rarely kill again, study says
Until recently, Reginald Powell was free on parole, one of 936 convicted killers in New York state back on the street.
If he did kill Mamaroneck mom Jennifer Katz, as authorities suspect, he would be part of the distinct minority who went on to kill again.
Of 368 convicted murderers granted parole in New York between 1999 and 2003, six, or 1.6 percent,were returned to prisonwithin three years for a new felony conviction — none of them a violent offense, according to a study by the state Parole Board. Read more...
If he did kill Mamaroneck mom Jennifer Katz, as authorities suspect, he would be part of the distinct minority who went on to kill again.
Of 368 convicted murderers granted parole in New York between 1999 and 2003, six, or 1.6 percent,were returned to prisonwithin three years for a new felony conviction — none of them a violent offense, according to a study by the state Parole Board. Read more...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Gov-elect Rick Scott's team bucks GOP ideology, urges easing prison policy to cut costs
TALLAHASSEE — Conservatives have been known to be tough on crime. Now they're saying they have to be tough on criminal justice spending as well.
Rick Scott's "law and order" team is telling Florida's incoming governor, who considers himself a conservative's conservative, to cut costs by diverting nonviolent offenders to drug treatment and requiring inmates to get an education and vocational training.
Those actions, which the transition team said could reduce the number of criminals returning to prison and allow the state to stop building new prisons, sound more like past Democratic suggestions than traditional conservative approaches to criminal justice. Read more...
Rick Scott's "law and order" team is telling Florida's incoming governor, who considers himself a conservative's conservative, to cut costs by diverting nonviolent offenders to drug treatment and requiring inmates to get an education and vocational training.
Those actions, which the transition team said could reduce the number of criminals returning to prison and allow the state to stop building new prisons, sound more like past Democratic suggestions than traditional conservative approaches to criminal justice. Read more...
Report recommends path to ease prison overcrowding
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas can reduce its prison population by 3,200 inmates over the next decade and save $875 million by holding offenders more accountable, reducing the number of low-risk drug offenders in prison and expanding medical parole for terminally ill convicts, according to a report released today.
If nothing is done, the report said, the state’s prison population will rise by as much as 43 percent, about 6,500 inmates by 2021.
Today, the state Department of Correction held 14,215 inmates in prison units built to house 13,114. Another 1,661 state prisoners were backed up in county jails awaiting bed space in the chronically overcrowded prison system. Read more...
If nothing is done, the report said, the state’s prison population will rise by as much as 43 percent, about 6,500 inmates by 2021.
Today, the state Department of Correction held 14,215 inmates in prison units built to house 13,114. Another 1,661 state prisoners were backed up in county jails awaiting bed space in the chronically overcrowded prison system. Read more...
Attorney General Eric Holder Convenes Inaugural Cabinet-Level Reentry Council
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder today convened the inaugural meeting of the Cabinet-level "Reentry Council" in Washington to identify and to advance effective public safety and prisoner reentry strategies.
In addition to the Attorney General, the council includes Departments of Education Secretary Arne Duncan; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; Interior Secretary Ken Salazar; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan; Labor Secretary Hilda Solis; and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Members also include Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue; Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, R. Gil Kerlikowske; Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes; Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Joshua DuBois; and Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Jacqueline Berrien. Read more...
In addition to the Attorney General, the council includes Departments of Education Secretary Arne Duncan; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; Interior Secretary Ken Salazar; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan; Labor Secretary Hilda Solis; and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Members also include Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue; Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, R. Gil Kerlikowske; Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes; Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Joshua DuBois; and Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Jacqueline Berrien. Read more...
Jerry Brown pitches a shift to local governments
Gov. Jerry Brown, beginning the "complex undertaking" of shifting responsibility for many state programs to local agencies, started pitching the plan Tuesday to local leaders.
Brown has said he will propose a realignment of services, possibly far-reaching, as part of a proposal to resolve a state budget deficit estimated to be at least $25 billion over 18 months. Read more...
Brown has said he will propose a realignment of services, possibly far-reaching, as part of a proposal to resolve a state budget deficit estimated to be at least $25 billion over 18 months. Read more...
Special court aids St. Louis veterans with drug trouble
ST. LOUIS • Nick wanted to kill himself with heroin.
He was already dealing with horrible images seared into his brain as an Army infantryman who was in the Pentagon during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Then two years later, he was almost killed in a car crash.
And nearly two years ago, his 2-year-old son was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident. Nick was sitting with him on the vehicle when the boy apparently hit the throttle. Nick fell off the back, and the ATV struck a tree with the toddler still aboard. Read more...
He was already dealing with horrible images seared into his brain as an Army infantryman who was in the Pentagon during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Then two years later, he was almost killed in a car crash.
And nearly two years ago, his 2-year-old son was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident. Nick was sitting with him on the vehicle when the boy apparently hit the throttle. Nick fell off the back, and the ATV struck a tree with the toddler still aboard. Read more...
Clemency of juvenile killer gives Yee hope
The last-minute sentence commutation of a woman serving life without parole for killing her pimp at age 16 has given a Peninsula state senator hope this is the year California abolishes the absolute term for all juvenile offenders.
As one of his final gubernatorial acts, Arnold Schwarzenegger granted clemency to convicted murderer Sara Kruzan by reducing her sentence to 25 years to life in prison. While the change doesn’t guarantee freedom to Kruzan, who fatally shot the man in 1994, it does offer the possibility.
State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, has long argued that all juvenile offenders deserve the chance at rehabilitation and release rather than being incarcerated at a young age with no hope of parole. He initially proposed completely outlawing the sentence but it failed to pass. Last year, Yee successfully pushed a tweaked version known as the Fair Sentencing for Youth Act through the Senate with bipartisan support but it died in the Assembly during the final days of the session. He reintroduced the legislation, now known as Senate Bill 9, last month. Read more...
As one of his final gubernatorial acts, Arnold Schwarzenegger granted clemency to convicted murderer Sara Kruzan by reducing her sentence to 25 years to life in prison. While the change doesn’t guarantee freedom to Kruzan, who fatally shot the man in 1994, it does offer the possibility.
State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, has long argued that all juvenile offenders deserve the chance at rehabilitation and release rather than being incarcerated at a young age with no hope of parole. He initially proposed completely outlawing the sentence but it failed to pass. Last year, Yee successfully pushed a tweaked version known as the Fair Sentencing for Youth Act through the Senate with bipartisan support but it died in the Assembly during the final days of the session. He reintroduced the legislation, now known as Senate Bill 9, last month. Read more...
Prisoners report beatings in retaliation for December protests
Inmate advocates and relatives said guards at one state institution have retaliated with violence against prisoners who staged a protest and refused to report to work details last month.
Marie Williams, whose son is at Smith State Prison in Tattnall County, said another inmate called her on her son’s behalf over the weekend to report what had happened.
“They said they [officers] were hitting inmates with hammers,” Williams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday. “They [guards] said an inmate was trying to escape.” Read more...
Marie Williams, whose son is at Smith State Prison in Tattnall County, said another inmate called her on her son’s behalf over the weekend to report what had happened.
“They said they [officers] were hitting inmates with hammers,” Williams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday. “They [guards] said an inmate was trying to escape.” Read more...
Michael Vick: Symbol of the second chance
President Obama's unofficial pardon of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was a fleeting story highlighting a durable problem.
According to team owner Jeffrey Lurie, Obama phoned to praise the Eagles for giving Vick a "second chance." According to Lurie, Obama said "it's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.'" Read more...
According to team owner Jeffrey Lurie, Obama phoned to praise the Eagles for giving Vick a "second chance." According to Lurie, Obama said "it's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail.'" Read more...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Outrage, restraint on parole inquiry - Governor, speaker differ on response to officer’s slaying
Governor Deval Patrick, facing widespread anger from police chiefs and victims’ advocates, pleaded for patience yesterday as his administration completes a review of the state Parole Board’s decision to free a violent career criminal who shot and killed a Woburn police officer last week.
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, however, expressed outrage at the board’s decision and vowed to make it a “major focus’’ of legislative action in the new session. Read more...
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, however, expressed outrage at the board’s decision and vowed to make it a “major focus’’ of legislative action in the new session. Read more...
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