The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is pledging $125 million to arts and humanities organizations focusing on mass incarceration. Read this article to learn the powerful story of Dean Gillespie, a wrongfully convicted man who found inspiration through art while behind bars.
The Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 is on its way to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. The passage of this act represents a significant victory for the incarcerated, their loved ones, and our society at large. The average cost of a 30-minute prison phone call is $5, placing a severe burden on the incarcerated and their loved ones. Maintaining regular contact behind bars has been shown to reduce recidivism, so reducing the costs of these calls is about far more than dollars and cents.
Read more here.
People do not cease to be human once they are arrested or convicted; they continue to have medical needs while behind bars. It is important to ensure that incarcerated people who are transgender receive the gender-affirming care they need. They should not have to resort to lawsuits to obtain treatment for gender dysphoria.
Unfortunately, the drop in prison population is not due to things like compassionate release or sentencing reform. One of the primary reasons is criminal cases taking longer in the courts and other delays associated with the pandemic.
