Brown's Tax Plan to Shift CA Juvenile Rehab to Counties Stalls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A decade and a half ago, the California Youth Authority (now the Division of Juvenile Justice) incarcerated 10,000 young offenders, says The California Watch. A lawsuit by the Prison Law Office and other advocates forced dramatic changes in the treatment of teenagers who've run afoul of the law. At the same time, state leaders with scarce funds have become eager to trim their tight budgets. County governments have taken on an increasingly large role in rehabilitating teenage offenders. California's five facilities now house just 1,200 inmates, referred to as wards in the juvenile justice system. This year, Gov. Jerry Brown suggested that California become the first state in the nation to shut its youth correctional system completely and turn over the remaining wards to the custody of counties. Local officials pushed back, and Brown responded with a compromise plan. His goal remains to slash tens of millions of dollars from the state's general fund obligations by turning over juvenile justice to California's 58 counties. Brown aims to find new revenue for counties to handle the state's most difficult young offenders in a package of tax extensions he hopes to put before voters in June. The tax plan is stalled in the legislature, lacking the two-thirds vote needed to put the measure on a special election ballot. |
How Chicago's CeaseFire Intervenes to Curb Youth Violence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amid a decrease in youth violence, violent crimes are still most concentrated in poorer, urban neighborhoods. Experts say kids who grow up in dangerous areas are more likely to become targets, NPR reports. In Chicago, a program called CeaseFire is working to curb violence by helping at-risk youth find employment and patrolling the streets to stop crimes before they happen. University of Chicago researcher Dexter Voisin says teens growing up in dangerous neighborhoods have a range of coping strategies. They seek out non-violent friends, some become resigned, others strive to do well in school, and some cope by fighting. Part of the "code of survival on the streets" is to retaliate. He says youth begin to think, "'if I don't retaliate, it's just a matter of time before I'm dead.'" Voisin thinks "the coping mechanisms for some boys are the same coping mechanisms that are also putting them in harm's way in terms of homicide trends." The U.S. Justice Department calls CeaseFire's strategy effective. It found that the group's interventions in risky neighborhoods and its work with gang members has helped decrease shootings and killings. |
Critics: Proposed OR Juvenile Justice Cuts Would Hurt Rehab ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oregon's youth offenders would get less help and less hope of escaping future trouble under reductions facing state and county operations, The Oregonian reports. The system is intended to keep the 15,600 kids a year referred to juvenile departments from ever seeing the inside of an adult prison. Gov. John Kitzhaber wants to take millions of dollars from youth programs to keep the adult prisons running. That, executives at state and county juvenile agencies say, would hurt kids in the short term and be self-defeating in the long run. Under the cuts, the state juvenile justice system would lose hundreds of beds housing the most at-risk kids. Some youths would be shifted to less secure community programs. Kids in those programs, in turn, would be bumped out the door just when they are most open to the changes that can set them straight for life, juvenile authorities say. "These cuts will cause a major shift in how we handle juvenile justice in Oregon," said Scott Taylor, director of the Multnomah County Community Justice Department. Those who tend young offenders appreciate the terrible budget chore facing the governor. But they say they have worked years to make their systems smarter and more focused, catching kids earlier and turning around even the seemingly most incorrigible. The number of criminal referrals to juvenile authorities has dropped by one-third in 10 years |
Thirteen States Maintain Crack-Powder Sentencing Disparities ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now that Congress has reduced the disparity in mandatory federal sentences for crack and powder cocaine offenses, the Washington, D.C.,-based advocacy group The Sentencing Project reports that 13 states maintain sentencing disparities in their own drug laws. In Missouri, a defendant convicted of selling six grams of crack faces the same prison term -a ten-year mandatory minimum - as someone who sells 450 grams of powder cocaine, or 75 times that amount. In Oklahoma, with a 6-to-1 quantity-based sentencing disparity, a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence is triggered for five grams of crack cocaine and 28 grams of powder cocaine. In Arizona, with a 12-to-1 disparity, nine grams of powder cocaine or less than a gram of crack cocaine trigger five-year prison terms for trafficking offenses. Penalties like these contribute to overcrowding in state prisons, says the organization. It says that fiscal pressure to tighten state corrections budgets, along with evidence that the crack-powder disparity is "unfair and unwarranted," suggests that lawmakers should reexamine the sentencing differentials, the project contends. |
NYC First: Caseworker Charged With Contributing to Child's Death ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the first time, a New York City caseworker has been charged with contributing to the death of a child, says the New York Times. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes announced the indictment of a former caseworker and a supervisor on charges of criminally negligent homicide in the death of a 4-year-old girl. Agency workers, officials, and some child welfare advocates expressed fears that the charges would make a tough job - attracting smart, qualified people - even tougher, and might even make things worse for vulnerable families too. Marchella Brett-Pierce died after being repeatedly beaten and bound. Her mother has been charged with murder and now former caseworker Damon Adams and his former supervisor Chereece Bell have been charged with criminally negligent homicide. Adams also was charged with falsifying records, was accused of lying about visits to Marchella's home that he had not made; Bell was accused of failing to monitor him properly. Both have resigned. Hynes is convening a special grand jury to look at "evidence of alleged systemic failures" at the agency. The agency has attempted an overhaul since another prominent death of a girl named Nixzmary Brown in 2006. |
Texas Judges Send Many First Time Youth Offenders to State Prison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas judges, particularly in Houston's Harris County, are sending hundreds of adolescent, first-time violent offenders to state prison, a punishment lawmakers intended for youths considered the worst of the worst, says a report quoted by the Texas Tribune. "Adult jails and adult prisons are simply the wrong place to hold these kids," says report author Michele Deitch of the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. Texas law allows judges to certify as adults youths between the ages of 14 and 17 who have committed felony offenses. Young, violent offenders can be given determinate sentences of up to 40 years that begin in a youth facility and continue to adult prisons if the judge determines that is necessary. Over a recent 5-year period, Texas courts certified nearly 1,300 youths as adults, and about 860 got determinate sentences. The report said there was little difference in the criminality among youths sentenced to the adult system and those who were sent to youth facilities. In both cases, the majority committed a violent crime like aggravated robbery or sexual assault, and had one or no previous juvenile court cases |
Why The Police Solution Rate to Home Burglaries is Slipping ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John Abraham waited three hours for a police officer to show up after someone broke into his home in 2009. He filled out a report and never heard anything, says the Austin American-Statesman. "It's not cool to feel like police don't even care," he says. Last year, there were more than 8,000 reported burglaries in Austin, and typically only 5 percent of them will end in arrest, with the victim's items being returned. The national average is 10 percent. Critics say there's more that could be done by the department to track down or follow up with burglaries, but police say a lack of staffing is keeping them from solving more. With 14 crime scene technicians on staff, police can only respond to about 45 percent of reported burglaries. Officers are trained to collect some evidence, however it's common for the more experienced crime scene technician to be called out, said Tim O'Brien, a property crime technician for the police department. He said he works on three to four burglaries a day. Because the clearance rate, or percentage of burglaries solved, is slipping, police should allocate more resources toward solving burglaries, said Kim Rossmo, who researches geographical patterns in crime at Texas State University in San Marcos. He said police in other jurisdictions have technology installed in pawn shops so that when a stolen item is sold, they are automatically alerted. Rossmo said burglars move from one neighborhood to another quickly , making them even more difficult to track down. "(Police) are responding mostly to data, and that's already too late," Rossmo said. "If you want to catch a burglar, you have to understand how they work." |
Are DUI Checkpoints a Good Idea? Depends On Who You Ask ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are police DUI checkpoints worthwhile/ USA Today raises that question. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they reduce alcohol-related crashes, and the Supreme Court has ruled that they are constitutional. Still, a dozen states don't allow them. "DUI checkpoints are proven to be effective at deterring drunk drivers," says Barbara Harsha of the Governors Highway Safety Association. "The goal is not to write tickets or make arrests but rather to remind the public that they should drive sober or face serious consequences." Some experts say checkpoints are less cost-effective than rolling patrols, in which officers drive around and look for people driving drunk. "They freeze up a certain amount of resources standing out there on the side of the road. They tend to tie up traffic," says Prof. Dennis Kenney of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "That said, they do catch some drunk drivers, especially if they set them up in places where they're difficult to avoid." Riverside County (Ca.) Sheriff Stanley Sniff, whose office made 491 DUI arrests at 83 checkpoints in 16 cities last year, says: "Random patrols are still the most effective. We make light-years more arrests on random patrols than at checkpoints." |
Child Pornographers Using Social Media to Evade Probers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When federal investigators raided Brian Rubenaker's Seattle home, they found he was trading in child pornography. The Washington Post says that just as disquieting as the photos of sexual abuse was the computer program that Rubenaker, 45, was using. Federal investigators said this was the first time they had come across the Google Hello program, a now-defunct instant messaging system for photos, in a child-pornography case. Links from Rubenaker's computer produced hundreds of leads that spanned continents. The years-long investigation into shadowy groups on Google Hello and the Multiply social network showed that pedophiles are using powerful encryption tools in social media and other programs to share child pornography illegally. Child-porn rings are using a simple - but highly effective - tool to keep prying investigators at bay. Would-be ring members are asked to share photographs and videos of children being sexually abused in order to gain entry. Because sharing child pornography is a crime - it re-victimizes abused children - law enforcement officers are prohibited from offering images and videos in sting operations. As a result it is becoming more difficult to monitor child-porn rings. |
Criminologists Brief Congress Staff on Importance of Police Research ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Criminology associations brought an academic police expert and two police officials to Capitol Hill yesterday to brief congressional staff members on the importance of criminal justice research in developing effective policing strategies. Criminologist Geoff Alpert of the University of South Carolina described studies on the causes of a dramatic increase in driving-related officer fatalities. Deputy Seattle Police Chief Clark Kimerer spoke on police partnering with researchers to develop a better understanding of crime "hot spots." Lt. Michael Spochart of the U.S. Capitol Police said partnerships between researchers and police departments "bring nothing but good to the community." The event was organized by the Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy Coalition of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and the American Society of Criminology (ASC). Panelists, including Dean Todd Clear of the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice and Melissa Barlow, president of ACJS and a professor at Fayetteville State University, stressed what they called the critical role grant-making and data-gathering roles of the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Bureau of Justice Assistance. |
TN Police Motoryclists in 100th Year: a "Full-Contact Sport" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memphis' police motorcycle patrol unit is celebrating its 100th anniversary, says the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Its members "are a special breed," said Memphis police Col. Mary Newsom, who oversees it. "It's a very dangerous job. They do it because they love it." Maj. Greg Quinn, who commands two shifts of motorcycle officers, each with seven patrolmen and one lieutenant, calls the job "a full-contact sport." The motors unit also performs dignitary and other escorts. They provide security at movie sets. The unit is also used for traffic control and enforcement, accident investigations and sometimes to bolster the city's precinct patrols. Perhaps most importantly, they aim radar at speeders in school zones. The officers have to complete a two-week intensive training school, and have to be able to perform a set of difficult maneuvers on the cycle. Only about one quarter of those who want to be motor officers make it through training. |
"Green Rush" Prompts WA Battles Over Medical Pot Dispensaries ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Washington's state legislature appears poised to legalize and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries, cities in the Seattle region are not waiting for state action, says the Seattle Times. At least four have moved to shut down a combined 35 dispensaries since February. Three other cities have passed or debated outright moratoriums on dispensaries. Those actions aim to rein in an uncontrolled boom - a "green rush" - in medical-marijuana dispensaries. Dozens of dispensaries have emerged from the shadows since early 2010 to apply for business licenses and insurance and to form lobbying groups. The crackdown is driven in part by a little-noticed memo from a municipal-insurance risk pool, which emphatically stated that dispensaries are illegal and not entitled to business licenses. It is not a universal opinion. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg in Seattle believes dispensaries are legal and necessary to help patients. He pointed to charges his office filed yesterday against three people for an armed takeover-style robbery at a dispensary last Saturday as evidence that dispensaries need regulation, including security requirements. |
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Friday, March 25, 2011
25 March 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Articles for 23 March 2011
Daniels Threatens IN Sentencing Reform Veto, Blames Prosecutors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' sentencing reform proposal -- an attempt to save money and avoid building more prisons -- has been overhauled by lawmakers to the point that officials say it would require the state to build three new prisons in the next two decades, reports the Indianapolis Star. Daniels says he would veto the bill he once championed if it isn't changed. The original proposal -- endorsed by Daniels and drafted by a commission of the state's top justice officials -- sought to lessen prison time for nonviolent drug offenders and bring Indiana's harsh sentencing laws into line with those of other states. After county prosecutors assailed it as soft on crime, senators gutted the bill and even lengthened sentences for some offenders. "It's a shame, honestly, that what looked to be a consensus is unraveled because of one interest group, the prosecutors, and they do not speak for all prosecutors," Daniels said. "The main point here was to incarcerate people in a smarter way and to save Indiana's taxpayers a lot of money. |
Would "Drunk Tanks" Be Cheaper, More Effective than Jail? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Opening a sobering center - a drunk tank where the 19,000 people picked up for public intoxication in Houston every year could be taken in lieu of jail - could save money and help connect chronic alcoholics with the assistance they need, police, mental health advocates, and a City Council member tell the Houston Chronicle. Proponents envision a center staffed by substance abuse professionals who could counsel alcoholics and connect them with housing, treatment, and other services. "It's a more humane way of dealing with alcoholics," said Houston police Lt. Mike Lee. The city may be able to run a sobering center for a little more than half the $5.8 million currently spent on public intoxication annually, Lee said. "It's not going to be free and it's not going to be cheap," Lee said. The savings could be critical as Houston seeks to close a $130 million budget gap. Of the Houston Police Department's 139,617 arrests last year, 19,587 were for public intoxication. |
Expert: MA Parole Board Firings "Hasty, Heavy-Handed" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has announced nominations to fill the four remaining vacancies on the state parole board. If confirmed, they will join Patrick's choice for parole board chairman: Joshua Wall, a former prosecutor.. Once these members are in place, the board can begin to rebuild from the rubble of the last few months, says former New Jersey parole official William Burrell in The Crime Report.. Patrick fired five board members, suspended several board staffers and imposed a moratorium on all parole releases in response to the December 26, 2010 murder of a police officer by parolee Dominic Cinelli, While the commission of such a serious crime by a parolee certainly demands a quick response and thorough review of the actions of all involved, the public record suggests to me that the Massachusetts response was hasty, heavy handed and misdirected. As former Kansas Secretary of Corrections Roger Werholz has said, it is a statistical certainty that someone released from prison on parole will do something horrible. The parole system should be structured and operated in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of that happening, and should be judged on its overall performance, not a single high-profile incident. The four brave individuals who were selected from among 100 applicants to be nominated to the Massachusetts parole board have a tough job ahead of them. |
Philadelphia Hopes to Close 19th Century Prison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deputy Philadelphia Mayor Everett Gillison said a goal over the next five years is to close one of the city's prisons, a 19th Century structure called the House of Corrections that houses between 1,300 and 1,800 inmates, reports the Philadelphia Daily News. The city's daily prison population is down to about 7,700 - from about 10,000 a few years ago. Gillison credits the prison population decline to guiding inmates more efficiently through the legal system, as well as shifting some prisoners to the state correctional system. The city has also sought to move non-violent offenders serving on minor charges into day reporting facilities. |
Holder Starts Law Enforcement Officer Safety Program ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Acknowledging an increase in law enforcement officer fatalities, Attorney General Eric Holder today began a law enforcement officer safety initiative. He directed every U.S. Attorney to meet with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials in their districts to ensure that federal resources are made available to help reduce officer deaths. Holder convened a meeting of law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., to seek ideas for action to improve officer safety. After a two-year decline in law enforcement fatalities, 2010 was one of the deadliest years in nearly two decades. This year, 27 law enforcement officers have been killed either by firearms or felonious assaults. Holder directed federal prosecutors to identify the "worst of the worst"--offenders with criminal histories who cycle in and out of jail and prison--and ask if any of them are eligible for prosecution, and possibly higher sentences, in federal court. |
Ohio Teens-Behind-Bars Total Down 62 Percent In Decade ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Ohio Department of Youth Services continues to downsize, having closed three facilities and a regional parole office, and reduced its staff by 300 (13.5 percent) in the past two years, says the Columbus Dispatch. In September, another facility will close: the Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility in Scioto County. The total number of youths held by the state is less than half what it was as recently as three years ago. A decade ago, the agency had 10 facilities and 1,949 youth inmates. Today, it has five (soon to be four) facilities housing 736 offenders, a 62 percent drop. The agency, through the RECLAIM Ohio program, is doing what the adult prison system wants to do: shrink by diverting offenders to less-restrictive and lower-cost community treatment facilities |
High Court Takes Up Issue of Juvenile Miranda Warnings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Supreme Court takes up a North Carolina case today that could have sweeping implications for young suspects who are questioned by law enforcement, say the McClatchy Newspapers. The question is whether an interrogator should consider a suspect's age before deciding whether to read the Miranda warning. Now, police must decide whether a "reasonable person" would consider themselves in custody. If the answer is yes, law enforcement must tell suspects they have the right to remain silent, to call an attorney and, if under 18, to have his or her parents notified. The issue "comes down to the type of society we want to live in," said Tamar Birckhead, who teaches law at the University of North Carolina School of Law. She and other juvenile justice advocates argue that children should be given extra consideration by police officers in the early stages of an investigation, including in interrogations. Those who advocate for law enforcement agencies say youths already have extra protections in court, and that police officers should not bear an additional burden of trying to figure out a suspect's age |
Despite Spate of Police Shootings, Miami Chief Defends His Force ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Miami police officers have shot and killed 7 African-American men in eight months. The New York Times says the shootings in the racially polarized city have led to marches on police headquarters and calls for a Justice Department investigation. The city manager has initiated an investigation into the chief's record. Families of the seven shooting victims will speak at a City Commission meeting on Thursday. Some families are demanding that Police Chief Migual Exposito be dismissed. "I don't understand how the powers that be can allow these things to keep happening," said Sheila McNeil, the mother of one victim. Exposito, a 37-year veteran who became chief in 2009, defended his leadership. "We don't have a violent police department," he said in an interview. "You'll find our officers are very compassionate with the people they deal with. They will try to de-escalate situations rather than resorting to deadly force." |
Chicago Fighting Police-Misconduct Lawsuits--and Winning ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Illinois Supreme Court overturned a $4 million jury award to Christopher Ries for neck and back injuries he suffered after he was hit by a stolen Chicago police car in 2002. Chicago is getting more aggressive in fighting lawsuits against police officers - a strategy that's winning approval from the rank-and-file who believe the city settled too easily in the past, says the Chicago Sun-Times. Some plaintiffs and their attorneys complain the city is going too far. "For the average citizen this is a very scary situation," said Ries' attorney, Scott Rudin. "It's a guilty verdict and there's no recourse for this guy. This is something where the city should have stood up and said, 'You know what? We're wrong.' " Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle explained the city started asking outside lawyers to take "defensible" lawsuits to trial for $25,000 each. They get a $15,000 bonus for winning. As a result, the number of new lawsuits alleging police misconduct dropped by 47 percent in 2010 |
What It's Like for Victims Who Wrongly Identify Suspects ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advances in genetic testing have led to the exonerations of 267 people across the U.S. who were convicted of crimes they did not commit. In more than three-quarters of those cases, a victim or witness identified the wrong person, according to the Innocence Project. "There is no support group for rape victims who wrongly identify people," said Jennifer Thompson, who was raped in 1984 in Nroth Carolina and wrongly identified a suspect. "While trying to do the right thing, we got it wrong. I felt that I had become the offender and [the defendant] was the victim. I had failed everybody. |
Critics Demand Probe on How States Got Lethal-Injection Drug ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attorneys in Arizona and Kentucky have joined a lawyer in Georgia calling on the Justice Department to investigate how the states acquired a key lethal injection drug that is in short supply in the U.S., the Associated Press reports. The requests come as many of the 34 death penalty states scramble to find an alternative for lethal injections after the sole U.S. maker of sodium thiopental said earlier this year it would no longer produce it. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said the state was still trying to get sodium thiopental from other states, but officials may have no choice but to switch to another drug, which probably will be pentobarbital. Texas and Oklahoma have announced a switch to pentobarbital, and plan to use it along with two other drugs. Ohio became the first state to use pentobarbital alone when it executed an inmate with the drug March 10. |
Challenges Likely To Rulings by GA Judge With Brain Damage ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before he was sentenced for crimes committed with a stripper, former U.S. District Judge Jack Camp of Atlanta said he long has suffered from a misdiagnosed bipolar disorder and brain damage from an accident more than a decade earlier, says the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Camp has been sentenced to 30 days in prison. The revelations have lawyers wondering whether justice was meted out by an impaired jurist. "Every case he handled from the time he was misdiagnosed, or before, depending on when he was affected by these conditions, should be re-evaluated," said Marcia Shein, a Decatur appellate lawyer. "The question is: Did these conditions affect his ability to be an objective judge making fair decisions?" U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said her office will consider requests from defendants concerning Camp's judgment "to ensure that justice is served." Camp handled more than 3,000 cases, but only a small fraction of those is expected to be challenged. |
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Articles for 22 March 2011
TN to Release 2,200 Inmates 2 Months Early to Save Money ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tennessee plans to release more than 2,000 prison inmates two months earlier than their full sentences to save $5.7 million over the next year, The Tennessean reports. The state will merge prison rehabilitation programs, allowing more inmates who complete those programs to shave 60 days off their sentences. Inmates who committed violent offenses and nonviolent offenses could be eligible for early release. Inmates sentenced to death or life without parole are not eligible. Correction officials expect 2,200 inmates to leave this year and next before their terms otherwise had been expected to end. Their empty beds would then be filled by state inmates who have been housed - at greater cost - at local jails because of prison overcrowding. The news is being met with guarded optimism from sheriffs departments. While some welcome any chance to unload state inmates from local jails, they worry that the benefits will be short-term. "Anytime they can get beds out of here and into Nashville, that's going to help obviously. But at some point in time, the state's going to have to build more beds," Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe said. "We'll hear from the victims of some of them, I'm sure." |
Privatizing Ohio Prisons Would Save Via Lower Employee Benefits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ohio corrections director Gary Mohr's goals include selling five prisons, privatizing two, cutting the population by 2,000 inmates, and saving $10 million in medical costs, says the Columbus Dispatch. In a legislative hearing on a proposed $2.97 billion biennial prison budget, Mohr made it clear that his proposed changes won't be easy. Some 171 state employees would lose their jobs. Mohr said private companies pay less and allow less vacation, sick and personal time. It takes two state employees to staff a position for a week but requires 1.7 private employees to do the same job, he said. He was asked about the influence his former employer, the private-prison operator Corrections Corp. of America, would have on the proposed sales and contracts. He said he has turned over all decision-making in the matter to chief of staff Linda Janes. |
Study Faults Drug Treatment In New York State Prisons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Up to three-fourths of New York State's 57,000 prison inmates need drug counseling or treatment to have a chance at productive, crime-free lives once they are released, says a study reported by the New York Times. The Correctional Association of New York looked at drug treatment at 23 of the state's nearly 68 facilities. It found that the programs varied wildly in effectiveness and that most departed significantly from best practices of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. New York prisons fail to screen candidates based on the severity of their problems, which means they wastefully enroll large numbers of people in intensive programs they don't need. They also routinely enroll poorly motivated inmates, which limits effectiveness. They fail to coordinate prison treatment programs with those offered in the communities to which the inmates will return. Researchers found model treatment programs in at least four state prisons. The study said the state could improve drug treatment without spending any more than the estimated $19 million it devotes to this problem by deploying the existing staff in better designed programs. |
Critics: Drug Courts Widen the Net, Spend Resources Ineffectively ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ America's growing reliance on drug courts is an ineffective allocation of scarce state resources, the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group argued today. The institute contends that "drug courts can needlessly widen the net of criminal justice involvement, and cannot replace the need for improved treatment services in the community." The group said that of nearly 8 million people in the U.S. who say they need treatment for drug use, fewer than one fourth classified with substance abuse or a dependence on drugs and/or alcohol gets treatment. For those who do receive treatment, more than 37 percent are referred by the criminal justice system. Among the institute's recommendations: provide more treatment before people get involved in the justice system, start more "diversion" programs, focus court treatment programs on those who would have gone to prison, and do more evaluations of drug courts |
Baltimore Chief Seeks Tougher Gun Laws After Spate of Shootings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After a weekend in which 18 people were shot in Baltimore, including a police detective who was injured and a 4-year-old boy who died, Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld used the spate of violence to argue for tighter gun laws in Maryland, reports the Baltimore Sun. Bealefeld bemoaned the availability of illegal guns, and said the arrest record of a man accused of opening fire on a city police officer Friday night underscores the point. Gerry Gough, 23, was arrested in 2009 with a loaded semiautomatic handgun, telling police he carried the weapon for protection and knew how to get more - his cellphone wallpaper even displayed an image of him clutching a weapon He got just six months in jail. "After they get arrested, they get guns again. To say it minimally, it's [exasperating] that more people don't understand the enormous ramifications of these guys running around the city with these handguns," Bealefeld said. "[Baltimore residents] expect that when people do bad things, they're going to be held accountable." |
Seattle Police Investigate Charges Of Rubber-Stamping DUI Cases ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seattle police are investigating the alleged mishandling of dozens of drunken-driving cases by members of the department's DUI Squad, prompting city attorneys to put some prosecutions on hold, the Seattle Times reports. The investigation is focused on accusations that arrest reports weren't properly screened and approved by a sergeant in the DUI Squad, as required under department policy. The head of the Seattle police union, Sgt. Rich O'Neill, called the investigation an unfair reaction to a "paperwork snafu." Among the allegations is that Sgt. David Abe, a 32-year veteran, routinely did not report to work and approved DUI arrests by telephone. A rubber stamp then was used by DUI officers to affix the sergeant's name to reports. The Police Department is looking into the possibility that the sergeant's name was put on reports without first contacting him. Dozens of the squad's current and past DUI cases might be compromised. |
Utah To Close Gap When Domestic Violence Suspects Harass Victims ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first 36 hours after an abuser is arrested are often the scariest for a domestic violence victim, says Katy Peterson of the Dove Center, a Utah domestic violence center. "They start doubting themselves and fear the repercussions of what they've done," she says. If there is any delay in getting a protective order in place - which is likely if an arrest happens at night or on a weekend, when courts are closed - those are the hours when an abuser often tries to manipulate a victim through repeated telephone harassment, even from behind bars. The gap is closed once an alleged abuser bails out of jail and is given a no-contact order, designed to give a victim enough time to get a temporary protective order. "Until that no-contact order or no-release order is in place, there is nothing we [can] do about it," said Shauna Jones of the Washington County Sheriff's Office. That bill will change in May when a bill Gov. Gary Herbert signed yesterday will make it a class B misdemeanor for an alleged abuser to contact a victim after being arrested and while detained in jail |
Can Legislators Do Anything About "Facebook Felons"? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A "Facebook felon" bill working its way through the South Carolina legislature would impose a maximum $500 fine and as many as 30 more days in jail for any prisoner caught creating or using a Facebook or Twitter account, says the Christian Science Monitor. Some inmates are managing to get their hands on smart phones and surreptitiously tap out pithy updates, send messages to the outside world, and even post photos after lights-out. For South Carolina state Rep. Wendell Gilliard, a law-and-order Democrat, the use of social media by prisoners is "a slap in the face" to both society and to victims. Criminalizing cell block use of social media could infringe on First Amendment rights, some experts say. A new law could obscure the real problem now being brought to light in prisons: an unchecked flow of contraband, including drugs and cellphones. "This is a meaningless strategy that makes it look like you're doing something about contraband and you're not," says Michele Deitch, a prison policy expert at the University of Texas at Austin. "Adding 30 days to someone's sentence is not going to keep them from doing this. What needs to happen is better controls within the prison." |
Chicago's "Becoming a Man" Tries to Steer Kids from Gangs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In some of Chicago's troubled neighborhoods, boys may join gangs at a young age. For many, it's a road fraught with violence, reports NPR in the second in a series. A group called Becoming a Man (BAM) is working on getting to those youngsters before they're drawn into gang life or drop out of school. Tony DiVittorio, a 42-year-old, muscular and tattooed social worker, created BAM in 2003 to mentor boys. He says young males are often more likely than females to be victims or perpetrators of violent crime. BAM operates in 16 public high schools and elementary schools. The students are often at risk of failing, have behavior problems or have no positive male role models in their lives. BAM counselors conduct clinical assessments, provide individual counseling if needed and consult with teachers. The curriculum is built around core principles like integrity, accountability, and positive ways to express anger. The University of Chicago Crime Lab is evaluating BAM and other programs designed to curb violence. Co-director Harold Pollack says BAM, at a cost of about $1,000 per student, is promising. |
Comey, Wainstein May Have The Edge as Possible FBI Choices ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Of a long list of possible candidates to succeed Robert Mueller as FBI director, the Associated Press is suggesting that James Comey and Kenneth Wainstein, two high Justice Department officials from the George W. Bush administration, have the edge. The AP cited only "people familiar with the search" as sources. Mueller's 10-year, nonrenewable term expires Sept. 4. The explanation of Comey and Wainstein's prominence is that the Obama administration faces an expanded Republican minority in the Senate, which must confirm the choice. Comey became a hero to Democratic opponents of Bush's warrantless wiretapping when Comey, as Deputy Attorney General, refused for a time to reauthorize it. Wainstein was working for Mueller at the FBI when agents at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, objected to abusive interrogation techniques employed by the military and when Mueller decided FBI agents could not participate in interviews involving these techniques. |
Why is Race Now an Issue in Media Coverage of TX Gang Rape? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the disputed news coverage over a rape in Cleveland, Tx., there was hardly any mention of the victim's or suspects' race at first, but many news organizations have now reported that the victim, 11, is Hispanic, many of the 18 suspects charged are black,and racial tensions are stirring, reports the Poynter Institute, a news media think tank. Poynter says the mention of race has raised more questions than it's answered. Among them: "Why wasn't race mentioned in the initial reports, and at what point did it become relevant? Is there a history of racial tension between blacks and Hispanics in Cleveland, or does the tension have more to do with people believing the suspects were wrongly targeted because they're black? Was race a motive in the crime?" |
NH Police Department Curbs Info Release After Official Complains ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Concord, N.H., police have dramatically restricted the amount of information included in arrest reports made available to the public after a complaint from City Councilor Fred Keach and his lawyer, who said the police disclosed too much information after Keach was charged with driving while intoxicated last fall, the Concord Monitor reports. Until recently, the reports often included a narrative account of the circumstances that led to an arrest, explaining why the police were called and what happened when they made the arrest. Now the reports are limited to a list of basic information, including the name of the person arrested, the charges filed by the police, the time and location of the arrest, and the name of the arresting officer. The Monitor's First Amendment lawyer, Bill Chapman, is negotiating with the city in hopes of modifying the new policy and allowing more information to be released. "Clearly it's not complying with the Right-To-Know Law," Chapman said. City officials said the policy change was prompted by a letter from Keach's attorney, Jim Rosenberg, who questioned the police department's practice of disclosing information about arrests to the press and the public. |
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