Justice Newzzz
NY announced plans to close 6 state prisons by next March; complaints from Jan 6. riot defendants prompts investigations into the conditions of D.C. prison facilities — your weekly justice news
closures await: This past week, New York officials announced their plans to close six state prisons by March of next year. The closures are expected to save the state $142 million. Spectrum News (Nov. 8, 2021)
advancing forward or backward: LAPD has disbanded predictive policing programs but anti-police-surveillance advocates are raising concerns on the new initiative that will replace its existence. The Guardian (Nov. 8, 2021)
retail theft: Major corporations are professing a surge in theft. However, released FBI data show a drop in the number of reported shoplifting offenses which conflict with the corporations’ claims. The Appeal (Nov. 9, 2021)
duration of time in-cell: The DOC in Connecticut announced a change in their in-cell restraint policy. The new policy shortens review periods and requires mental health assessment of the restrained person to be conducted in more consistent intervals. The Connecticut Mirror (Nov. 9, 2021)
improper raid: Chicago Police Supt. David Brown has called for the firing of the sergeant who led the February 2019 botched raid that left Anjanette Young handcuffed while naked. Chicago Sun-Times (Nov. 10, 2021)
a call to the white house: Civil rights groups are requesting the White House issue clemency to inmates who have been released due to the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. News & World Report (Nov. 10, 2021)
now you want to listen: Complaints from jailed defendants of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol sparked an investigation into the conditions of D.C. facilities, which in turn prompted the transfer of nearly 400 inmates to other prisons. POLITICO (Nov. 10, 2021)
ex-trooper facing charges: Former Iowa State Patrol, Robert James Smith has been indicted on a federal charge for his actions in a 2017 traffic stop which was fully captured on the dash-camera. WHO 13 News (Nov. 11, 2021)
police presence in schools: Students for Educational Justice, a youth-led organization, held an online panel to discuss school policing and the methods to changing the system. The forum highlighted the organization's campaign effort to remove school officers and invest the funds into mental health resources. Yale Daily News (Nov. 12, 2021)
intimidating presence: A defense attorney in the trial for Ahmaud Arbery raised concern over having Rev. Al Sharpton in the courtroom. The attorney questioned the presence of prominent Black pastors in trials where the central theme is race as it might intimidate the jurors. The Georgia Recorder (Nov. 12, 2021)
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