As a former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, many states across the country continue to propose policing reform bills. Over the past year, at least 36 states have signed measures that would reform police practices. These proposals include…
As former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April, attention has shifted to focus on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Introduced during last year’s Congress session, the George Floyd Justice in Policing…
Abuse is all too common in U.S. jails and prisons, with both inmates and correctional officers physically, sexually, and psychologically assaulting inmates. Certain populations face a greater risk of prison abuse, including those who are young or appear weak, have a mental illness or physical…
Prison abuse is a widespread problem in the United States. With about 2.3 million people in jails and prisons, the cost of staffing and running these facilities costs billions of dollars each year. Along with America’s mass incarceration, the penal system has been a breeding…
U.S. jails and prisons have been under fire for decades for the conditions in which inmates endure. Lawsuits against staff, facilities, and even states for prison abuse and rights violations emerge year after year. Physical and sexual abuse, demeaning treatment, threats, and unsanitary conditions are…
There are 2.3 million people in U.S. jails and prisons, a number that’s higher than any other country’s incarcerated population. The cost of the justice system is billions of dollars per year, but the impact of a system rampant with abuse could arguably be deemed…
Amid growing debate over the use of the death penalty in the United States, Virginia has decided to abolish its use, joining 22 other states that never have or no longer execute convicted felons. This month, the Democrat-controlled state Senate and state House of Delegates…
Even as crime rates decreased and the numbers of people in jail went down, the costs of jails maintained by local governments increased, going over $25 billion in the latest available data, according to a recent report from The Pew Charitable Trusts. More recently, though,…
Video surveillance of the public on our streets, in our places of work, in stores and even from our front doors is becoming ubiquitous, and in the views of some, dangerous. The perceived threat to Constitutionally protected privacy rights are the focus of a growing…
The massive Russian hack of government systems is having an effect on federal courts, where some are worried that steps taken in response may compromise public access to court proceedings, according to the Associated Press. Security experts have been warning that U.S. courts are vulnerable…