Justice Newzzz
protests erupt in Minneapolis; AL DOC asks for $1.5M to hire PR firm ; FL cops now protected under Marsy's Law, meaning if they kill someone they can remain anonymous & more — your weekly justice news
News
make it pretty: Alabama’s Department of Corrections, subject to a lawsuit by the Department of Justice over the violation of inmates civil rights, is seeking $1.5M to hire a PR firm. NBC 15 News (Mar. 31, 2021)
hardest hit: Murders rose and are still rising, but it was Black and Hispanic neighborhoods that had the most murders in 2020. The Marshall Project (April 8, 2021)
undone: Maine just released legislation that would decriminalize all drugs. While Virginia became the 16th state to legalize recreational Cannabis. Filter (April 8, 2021)
rather not: Inmates are refusing to get vaccinated and advocates say there needs to be a push to get better information inside jails and prisons. AP (April 8, 2021)
‘goon squad’: New documents uncover that a NYPD manual teaches the violation of protester rights. The Intercept (April 7, 2021)
Overall, the SRG materials reflect a heavy-handed approach to the policing of protest and echo the war-on-terror mentality on which the unit was premised, at one point referring to protesters as potential “hostile targets.”
listen: After hail riots in St. Louis, a task force chair demand urgency and new management. St. Louis Public Radio (April 7, 2021)
challenged: Murders rise and left-wing prosecutors elected on the demands of social change and a departure from “tough on crime” are facing fierce resistance. POLITICO (April 8, 2021)
a not good return to normal : Over 23,000 prisoners were released from federal custody after the pandemic started. They’ve been on house release. But if the Biden administration doesn’t act, they could be sent back. The Appeal (April 5, 2021)
more pokes needed: Two-thirds of states lag behind in vaccinating prisoners despite the CDC setting incarcerated people as a priority. The Marshall Project (April 6, 2021)
officially bad: An audit on Seattle’s jail demands changes to cell capacities and more to curb violence and racial disparities. KNKX (April 6, 2021)
hidden: “On Tuesday, a Florida appellate court ruled that police officers who say they are attacked on the job can claim protections under Marsy’s Law and hide their identities, even if they injure or kill civilians.” The Appeal (April 8, 2021)
in-person visits begin to open up in prisons | harm reduction Zines to read in Denver, CO | “SHE LOST HER RIGHT TO VOTE OVER A FELONY. NOW THIS LAWMAKER HAS HELPED ENFRANCHISE THOUSANDS” | stories from inside the CA prisons during the pandemic
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