Pay-to-stay fees put some Wisconsin inmates in sizable debt :: WRAL.com

Pay-to-stay fees put some Wisconsin inmates in sizable debt :: WRAL.com:



"If I could create a perfect system to maintain inequality, create inequality and sustain it over time, this is the system," University of Washington sociology professor Alexes Harris said. "The process perfectly labels, stigmatizes, financially burdens and imposes further legal consequences to poor people."

Are Prison Law Libraries Falling Short On Access Goals? - Law360

Are Prison Law Libraries Falling Short On Access Goals? - Law360:



The U.S. Supreme Court
On Prison Law Libraries

 "We hold, therefore, that the fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts requires prison authorities to assist inmates in the preparation and filing of meaningful legal papers by providing prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law." Bounds v. Smith, 1977.



 "... An inmate cannot establish relevant actual injury simply by establishing that his prison's law library or legal assistance program is sub par in some theoretical sense ... The inmate therefore must go one step further and demonstrate that the alleged shortcomings in the library or legal assistance program hindered his efforts to pursue a legal claim." Lewis v. Casey, 1996.

Incarceration can be rehabilitative | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal

Incarceration can be rehabilitative | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal: Incarceration rates have tripled in the US and almost doubled in Western Europe over the past 50 years. This column uses data on the criminal behaviour and labour market outcomes of every Norwegian to show that in contrast to the US, where incarceration appears to encourage reoffending and damages labour prospects, the Norwegian prison system is successful in increasing participation in job training programmes, encouraging employment, and discouraging crime. It argues that Norway’s high rehabilitation expenditures are more than offset by the corresponding benefits to society.

Jeffrey Epstein was given a pass by NYPD even as they arrested 7,000 others for similar offenses under Sex Offender Registration Act | MEAWW

Jeffrey Epstein was given a pass by NYPD even as they arrested 7,000 others for similar offenses under Sex Offender Registration Act | MEAWW:



According to the data obtained by the outlet, the NYPD, during these eight years, arrested people who committed minor violations, like submitting paperwork days late, or people who struggled to keep up with reporting requirements because they were living in homeless shelters or on the street. The numbers and details of these arrests, when compared to Epstein's evasion of punishment, suggest a stark example of selective enforcement within the criminal justice system.

IN THE NEWS: BJS fuels myths about sex offense recidivism, contradicting its own new data

IN THE NEWS: BJS fuels myths about sex offense recidivism, contradicting its own new data: A new government report reinforces harmful misconceptions about people convicted of sex offenses. Here's our take on how to parse the dat...





Framing aside, the recidivism data presented in the BJS report can offer helpful perspective on the risks posed by people after release. Whether measured as rearrest, reconviction, or return to prison, BJS found that people whose most serious commitment offense was rape or sexual assault were much less likely to reoffend after release than those who served time for other offense types. The BJS report shows that within 9 years after release:

• Fewer than 67% of those who served time for rape or sexual assault were rearrested for any offense, making rearrest 20% less likely for this group than all other offense categories combined (84%). Only those who served time for homicide had a lower rate of rearrest (60%). 
• People who served sentences for sex offenses were much less likely to be rearrested for another sex offense (7.7%) than for a property (24%), drug (18.5%), or public order (59%) offense (a category which includes probation and parole violations).
• Only half of those who served sentences for rape or sexual assault had a new arrest that led to a conviction (for any offense), compared to 69% of everyone released in 2005 (in the 29 states with data).

While the data were more limited on returns to prison,¹ the study found that within 5 years after release, people who had served sentences for rape or sexual assault also had a lower return-to-prison rate (40%) compared to the overall rate for all offense types combined (55%). BJS notes that some of these returns to prison were likely for parole or probation violations, but because of data limitations, it is impossible to say how many were for new offenses, much less how many were for rape or sexual assault.

In sum, the BJS data show that people who served time for sex offenses had markedly lower recidivism rates than almost any other group. Yet the data continue to be framed in misleading ways that make it harder to rethink the various harmful and ineffective punishments imposed on people convicted of sex offenses.