Justice Newzzz
Five decades after the uprising at Attica, people incarcerated across the U.S. still demand the prison reform they never received: Rikers in 'humanitarian crisis'— your weekly justice news
righting a wrong: Keith Bush spent 33 years in prison before his exoneration. When convicted, Bush was only 17-years-old. Three decades later, Bush reached a $16 million settlement with the county but it does not reclaim the lost time. The Daily Voice (Sept. 7, 2021)
released only to return: Due to COVID-19, there were more than 7,000 releases of low-level federal imprisoned people. Now thousands of men and women are at risk of returning to the same prisons that they walked away from free. KXAN-TV (Sept. 7, 2021)
social media patrol: LAPD documents obtained by Brennan Center for Justice disclose that LAPD has instructed its officers to retrieve the social media information of every person they interview. This raises major concern about civil liberties and heightened surveillance. The Guardian (Sept. 8, 2021)
self-inflicted violence: Cases of self-harm at Rikers Island and other NYC jails are at historic highs as COVID spikes. The issue is only worsening as jails remain short-staffed, facility conditions remain poor and services remain inaccessible. The City (Sept. 7, 2021)
services for juveniles: Four nonprofits on Chicago’s West Side have partnered to form a coalition servicing free legal counsel and comprehensive social services for juveniles and young adults. Justice Rising: Project 77 is an initiative to reclaim Chicago’s young people from the criminal justice system. Chicago Sun-Times (Sept. 7, 2021)
dysfunctional and dangerous: The inability of Riker’s Island to provide detainees with quality conditions and maintain a full team staff is being called a humanitarian crisis by criminal justice advocates. Deaths are at an all-time high and facility safety is deteriorating. Spectrum News NY1 (Sept. 9, 2021)
agreeing to better: In recent years, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department has faced many lawsuits and large-scale criticism for their treatment of people imprisoned in the country's jails. Recently, the department has taken a step toward improvement by partnering with the San Diego Health and Human Services Agency to ensure better physical and mental healthcare services for those incarcerated. The San Diego Union-Tribune (Sept. 8, 2021)
tables turned: The former prosecutor, Jackie Johnson, who oversaw the case of Ahmaud Arbery, the young black man shot and pursued while jogging in Georgia has been charged for misconduct. Her charges include a violation of oath and a misdemeanor count of obstructing police. USA Today (Sept. 8, 2021)
fighting the same fight: In 1971, there was an uprising at Attica Correctional Facility in New York, many of those imprisoned protested against the inhumane conditions. 50 years removed from the Attica uprising, in the midst of a global pandemic, the same outcries ring out in jails and prisons across the country. Time (Sept. 8, 2021)
unlawful arrest reaches settlement: In 2020 Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman with dementia was arrested and injured by Loveland Police Department after allegedly not paying for her Walmart purchase. The city of Loveland has settled the claim for $3 million. While the settlement does do away with the event, it does uphold a standard of accountability. KDVR (Sept. 8, 2021)
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