
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense
Find a Local Lawyer
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402
The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog 

News, commentary and analysis on prisons: government proposals with the aim of stemming overcrowding and recidivism; inmate living conditions and changing demographics; sentencing issues.
Post Frequency: 33.9/day Last Entry: March 27, 2011 at 18:14:51 Recent Entries: 1966
By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)
Go to The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog, find other Criminal Law blogs, or browse all law blogs.
Story and Editorial: Trapped in Tamms: In Illinois' only supermax facility, inmates are in cells 23 hours a day
Posted on August 02, 2009Opinion: Why Tamms Matters to All Sunday, Aug. 02, 2009 Many people who read today's front-page story about the Tamms supermax prison probably won't have much empathy for Faygie Fields, Chris Marcum and the other inmates discussed. So what if...
"The Real Murder Mystery? It?s the Low Crime Rate"
Posted on August 02, 2009The Real Murder Mystery? It?s the Low Crime Rate By SHAILA DEWAN Published: August 1, 2009 NY Times Week in Review MAYBE it is time to call in one of those clairvoyants who help detectives solve the case. Because no...
CA: Editorial- No more options in state prisons' future
Posted on August 02, 2009Editorial- No more options in state prisons' future San Francisco Chronicle Sunday, August 2, 2009 When it comes to California's broken prison system, the budget crisis may have finally left us with no option other than to do the right...
Bob Herbert Op-Ed " Anger Has Its Place"
Posted on August 01, 2009Op-Ed Columnist Anger Has Its Place By BOB HERBERT Published: July 31, 2009- New York Times No more than five or six minutes elapsed from the time the police were alerted to the possibility of a break-in at a home...
Washington state may release more seriously ill prisoners to save money.
Posted on August 01, 2009Washington state may release more seriously ill prisoners to save money RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Writer July 30, 2009 OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) ? About two dozen seriously ill prisoners in Washington state could soon be released from prison ?...
IL: County to charge inmates for jail time Sheriff also plans to put prisoners to work on area roads
Posted on August 01, 2009County to charge inmates for jail time Sheriff also plans to put prisoners to work on area roads By ERIC TIMMONS The Register-Mail Posted Jul 30, 2009 GALESBURG,IL Prisoners at the Knox County jail soon will have to pay for...
The Democracy Restoration Act of 2009
Posted on July 31, 2009The Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 was introduced last week, a measure that would restore voting rights to millions of Americans with felony convictions. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution...
New law allows Oklahoma private prisons to import maximum-security inmates from other states
Posted on July 31, 2009New law allows Oklahoma private prisons to import maximum-security inmates from other states By Associated Press July 29, 2009 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? Private prisons in Oklahoma soon could be housing maximum security inmates from other states under a new...
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Study Shows Probation/Parolee Electoral Participation
Posted on July 31, 2009Rhode Island: Rhode Island Study Shows Probation/Parolee Electoral Participation A new analysis released by the Family Life Center of Rhode Island demonstrates a high level of interest in the electoral process by persons on probation or parole. Following a 2006...
CA: Cuts for schools and health care but money for a new death row
Posted on July 30, 2009Governor approves new San Quentin Death Row Bob Egelko, SF Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, July 30, 2009 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has given the go-ahead for construction of a new Death Row at San Quentin State Prison by vetoing legislative restrictions,...
Prisons ban prisoners from having pen pal ads
Posted on July 30, 2009Prisons ban inmates from having pen pal ads By JESSICA GRESKO (AP) July 29, 2009 MIAMI ? In her online profile, Paula Jones says she is 42, "nonjudgmental" and likes fishing, gardening and cuddling. There's a catch, though. Jones' picture...
NY Times Editorial: 12 and in Prison
Posted on July 28, 2009Editorial 12 and in Prison Published: July 27, 2009- NY Times The Supreme Court sent an important message when it ruled in Roper v. Simmons in 2005 that children under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed were...
MA: Lawmakers say it's unlikely mental health cuts a factor in prison suicide of one woman and the attempted suicide of two others
Posted on July 28, 2009Lawmakers say it's unlikely mental health cuts a factor in prison suicide By Michael Morton/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted Jul 28, 2009 FRAMINGHAM ? Area lawmakers who visited MCI-Framingham after an inmate's suicide said yesterday that mental...
Watch Ryan King on CSPAN discuss ?No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America.?
Posted on July 26, 2009Ryan King, The Sentencing Project, Policy Analyst-Saturday, July 25n on CSPAN. Mr. King talked about the Sentencing Project's new study ?No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America.? According to the Sentencing Project, the study shows the...
Prisons Becoming Warehouses for the Old
Posted on July 26, 2009Prisons Becoming Warehouses for the Old By James Ridgeway July 25, 2009 Prisons Becoming Warehouses for the Old July 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment AGING BEHIND BARS SERIES I have written hefore about the aging population in American prisons...
VA: Restoring the Rights of Persons with Felony Conviction. History and Restoration Procedures from RIHD
Posted on July 26, 2009Restoring the Rights of Persons with Felony Conviction In 2008, we Americans headed to the polls in record numbers to vote for our president. Nationally, this included many first-time voters with prior felony convictions. On Nov. 3, 2009, Virginians will...
House of Representatives on Ending the Syringe Exchange Federal Funding Ban
Posted on July 25, 2009Good news and not such good news: ?One concern that we have is today?s vote left intact a provision in the bill that seeks to restrict federal funding to syringe exchange programs (SEPs) that operate at least 1,000 ft. away...
Better Late than Never--Henry Louis Gates Says Scholar Says Arrest Will Lead Him To Explore Race in Criminal Justice
Posted on July 24, 2009Scholar Says Arrest Will Lead Him To Explore Race in Criminal Justice By Krissah Thompson Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, July 22, 2009 Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. has spent much of his life studying the complex history of...
When an ID is not ID
Posted on July 24, 2009When an ID is not ID by Mecke Nagel Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his own home in Cambridge, MA, after producing an ID to the police that asked him to show that he was lawfully at his...
Number of Life Terms Hits Record
Posted on July 23, 2009Number of Life Terms Hits Record California has the largest prison system in the United States, with 170,000 inmates and the most serving life terms, 34,164. By SOLOMON MOORE Published: July 22, 2009 NY Times CORONA, Calif. ? Mary Thompson,...
New Report: --"No Exit: The Expanding Use of Life Sentences in America "
Posted on July 22, 2009A new report released by The Sentencing Project finds a record 140,610 individuals are now serving life sentences in state and federal prisons, 6,807 of whom were juveniles at the time of the crime. In addition, 29% of persons serving...
MA: 22 year old woman commits suicide in Framingham 2 others attempt suicide with her
Posted on July 21, 2009MetroWest Daily News (MA) July 21, 2009 Christina Morando, 22, was pronounced dead on July 19, 2009 at 11:32pm at Metrowest Hospital. She had been an inmate at MCI Framingham. Ms. Morando was found with a ligature around her neck...
Book Review: Beyond Attica: The Untold Story of Women's Resistance Behind Bars
Posted on July 21, 2009Beyond Attica: The Untold Story of Women's Resistance Behind Bars By Hans Bennett, AlterNet. Posted July 21, 2009. As the incarceration rate of U.S. women skyrockets, an important book shines new light on the struggles of women prisoners. "When I...
CA: State budget deal reduces prison inmates by 27,000
Posted on July 21, 2009State budget deal reduces prison inmates by 27,000 The plan accomplishes this with a combination of measures, including having some prisoners complete sentences at home and shortening terms for those who finish rehabilitation programs. By Michael Rothfeld LA Times July...
Editorial NY Times: Childbirth in Chains
Posted on July 21, 2009If you haven't called Governor Paterson's office, please do. He still hasn't signed the Bill! You do not need to live in NY. The number is 518-474-8390. Please forward widely. Editorial- New York Times Childbirth in Chains Published: July 20,...
Old Prisoners Denied Their Social Security by James Ridgeway
Posted on July 21, 2009Old Prisoners Denied Their Social Security by James Ridgeway from his blog Unsilent Generation July 21, 2009 Not long ago I described in the briefest of terms, the plight of the growing numbers of older prisoners now filling up the...
Pentagon Seeks to Overhaul Prisons in Afghanistan
Posted on July 20, 2009Pentagon Seeks to Overhaul Prisons in Afghanistan By ERIC SCHMITT Published: July 19, 2009 NY Times BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan ? A sweeping United States military review calls for overhauling the troubled American-run prison here as well as the entire...
OK: The Board of Juvenile Affairs began initial discussions Friday about a possible private prison for juveniles in the state.
Posted on July 19, 2009By BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau Published: 7/18/2009 OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Board of Juvenile Affairs began initial discussions Friday about a possible private prison for juveniles in the state. The board is expected to vote in September on whether...
IL: Gov. Pat Quinn says 'no final decisions' yet on prisoner releases Plan to lay off 1,000 prison workers is 'reckless,' union spokesman says
Posted on July 19, 2009Gov. Pat Quinn says 'no final decisions' yet on prisoner releases Plan to lay off 1,000 prison workers is 'reckless,' union spokesman says By Monique Garcia and Ray Long | Tribune reporters July 10, 2009 Gov. Pat Quinn tried Thursday...
Many states considering early release of prisoners
Posted on July 19, 2009Many states considering early release of prisoners By BRUCE RUSHTON THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Jul 12, 2009 Experts agree: Freeing inmates early doesn?t necessarily increase crime rates, nor does it affect recidivism. It does save money. As a result, as many...
Previous | Next
Real Estate Agents, Lenders, Appraisers & Home Inspectors: ARE BUYERS WASTING TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME?
PREQUALIFY, PREQUALIFY, PREQUALIFY. It cannot be said enough times...
Texas Real Property Law for Commercial Landlords
I have found that landlords generally face the same set of issues ...
What Should Sellers Look for in Hiring a Real Estate Agent?
MARKETING SKILLS, MARKETING "SUPPORT" AND EXPERIENCE. There are nu...
Should Sellers Hire a Real Estate Agent?
We often say YES! There are simply far too many unscrupulous buyer...
Real Estate Tax Appeals: Who Has the Burden of Proof
Recently, many municipalities have performed revaluations in order...
Real Estate Brokers
Questions home sellers should ask potential brokers
Real Estate Brokers
The role brokersplay
Can a probation officer make a decision that involves a medical decision and prohibit a person from leaving a state to get medical help?
well if you could get him to a mental health facility they could screen him for ...
How to deal with creditor's harassing phone calls?
Once you have sent your cease and desist letter to the company, certified mail, ...
Can the so-called proprety manager enter my duplex without permission?
The manager (sister of owner) has NO right to be in the apartment unless there w...
If I unknowingly cash a fictitious check, am I responsible to repay the bank?
Definitely, please go to court! Those crooks should be behind bars!...
How to get a used car dealer to honor warranty for repairs required two weeks after purchase?
What was the defect? Rust? A hole? Bad converter? Broken hangers? If it was rust...

Can a probation officer make a decision that involves a medical decision and prohibit a person from leaving a state to get medical help?
well if you could get him to a mental health facility they could screen him for ...
How to deal with creditor's harassing phone calls?
Once you have sent your cease and desist letter to the company, certified mail, ...
Can the so-called proprety manager enter my duplex without permission?
The manager (sister of owner) has NO right to be in the apartment unless there w...
If I unknowingly cash a fictitious check, am I responsible to repay the bank?
Definitely, please go to court! Those crooks should be behind bars!...
How to get a used car dealer to honor warranty for repairs required two weeks after purchase?
What was the defect? Rust? A hole? Bad converter? Broken hangers? If it was rust...








