justice from the frontlines: Feb. 27, 2022

Call for more police

Ward 7 Councilmember Vince Gray introduced a bill to increase the Metropolitan Police Department’s force to 4,200 officers. The bill authorizes the mayor to fund recruitment and retention efforts without additional Council approval and requires MPD to deploy officers to neighborhoods with high levels of violent crime. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson criticized the bill, stating that it won’t get far and that the police department struggles to get applications. Washington City Paper (Feb. 23, 2023)

Sued for civil rights violations

A civil justice organization has filed a lawsuit against the D.C. police for violating demonstrators’ rights to free speech and assembly during the 2020 racial justice protests. The police used excessive force with stinger grenades, foam or rubber bullets, and flash-bang devices against peaceful protestors. The lawsuit claims that Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and then-D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham authorized the police to attack peaceful protesters. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for medical expenses and pain and suffering, and punitive damages against each unnamed D.C. police officer. The Washington Post (Feb. 22, 2023)

To be heard

Terrence Richardson, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1998 for the intent to distribute crack cocaine, was granted an appeal by the Virginia Supreme Court. Prior to the drug case, Richardson was charged with the murder of a police officer but acquitted by a jury. However, federal prosecutors referenced the murder in the drug case against Richardson, resulting in his life sentence. Richardson’s attorney called the court’s decision to hear the appeal “a significant victory” for his client’s efforts to prove his innocence. ABC News (Feb. 24, 2023)

W. VA protest high number of jail deaths

Activists with the Poor People’s Campaign are calling for a federal investigation into West Virginia jails following a rise in the number of reported deaths. There were 13 reported deaths at the Southern Regional Jail in 2022 in comparison to over 100 deaths in the state’s total regional jail system in the past decade. They are planning rallies in Beckley and Charleston. WV Public Broadcasting (Feb. 23, 2023)

Democratic MD Gov. to rebuild state police

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced several initiatives to invest in public safety and rebuild the state police force. The governor ordered all public safety agencies to produce “After Action Reports” to promote transparency and accountability. Additionally, the governor announced $11 million in funding to support the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, which will expand staffing, conduct training, and invest in technology infrastructure. The Southern Maryland Chronicle (Feb. 24, 2023)

MD Juvenile corrections under new leadership

The Maryland Senate has confirmed Vincent Schirald to lead the state’s Department of Juvenile Services. Schiraldi, a former commissioner of New York City’s Department of Correction, was the only governor nominee to be confirmed without unanimous approval. Republicans expressed concern that Schiraldi focuses too much on rehabilitation at the expense of accountability. However, Democratic lawmakers supported Schiraldi, with Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith calling his record “sterling” but also cautioning that Maryland needs accountability for the department and its new secretary. The Baltimore Sun (Feb. 22, 2023)

in other news

Deaths in state and federal prisons across America rose by nearly 50 percent during the first year of the pandemic. The New York Times (Feb. 19, 2023)

A prison in Georgia has a program called GBT that teaches incarcerated people how to transcribe braille. Filter Magazine (Feb. 16, 2023)

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine introduced the EQUAL Act, a bipartisan legislation that aims to eliminate the federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and apply it retroactively. ABC News (Feb. 23, 2023)

in other news

Deaths in state and federal prisons across America rose by nearly 50 percent during the first year of the pandemic. The New York Times (Feb. 19, 2023)

A prison in Georgia has a program called GBT that teaches incarcerated people how to transcribe braille. Filter Magazine (Feb. 16, 2023)

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine introduced the EQUAL Act, a bipartisan legislation that aims to eliminate the federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and apply it retroactively. ABC News (Feb. 23, 2023)

community board

• States Show How Criminal Justice Reform Can Help Millions of American Workers
• event: Decarceration: The Role of Law School Clinics
• Request for Information; Criminal Justice Statistics
• The Books Banned in Your State’s Prisons

justice from the frontlines: Feb. 13, 2023

canceling solitary confinement

The House and Senate in Virginia are considering a bill to limit the use of solitary confinement to 15 days in a 60-day period. However, the bill has divided the two houses and has undergone changes, such as the removal of the 15-day limit, at the request of the Virginia Department of Corrections. The use of solitary confinement has been criticized for being a form of torture and violating prisoners’ rights. A select group of delegates and senators will now meet to compromise on the bill and if unsuccessful, the push for solitary reform will fail for the year. ABC News (Feb. 8, 2023)

Compassion for elder prisoners

Maryland’s Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee heard testimony on Wednesday in support of legislation to improve and enhance medical and geriatric parole for the state’s incarcerated elderly population. Research by the Justice Policy Institute found that the recidivism rates of people 60 and older who are released from corrections in Maryland is about 3% and nearly eight out of 10 individuals serving the longest prison terms are Black. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Shelly Hettleman, seeks to not only improve and streamline the state’s medical and geriatric parole system but also show compassion for older inmates. The legislation is cross-filed in the House of Delegates and is supported by Del. David Moon and Del. Sandy Bartlett. Maryland Matters (Feb. 9, 2023)

MD police on shaky ground

Maryland State Police supervisors have been accused of using a points-based system similar to a ticket and arrest quota, which was banned in the state over 15 years ago. Leaked internal documents revealed a “goals and expectations” memo detailing the number of traffic stops, citations, warnings, arrests and other metrics that would meet the agency’s monthly expectations. Delegate Robin Grammer, an Essex Republican, has introduced legislation to tighten the state’s ban on ticket and arrest quotas for law enforcement. He claims the documents are proof that “politicized law enforcement” still exists. The Baltimore Banner (Feb. 8, 2023)

Congress blocks D.C. autonomy, again

The Republican-controlled US House has voted to block two local bills in D.C. with support from several Democrats. The two bills, one allowing noncitizens to vote in local D.C. elections and another revising the city’s criminal code, have now been sent to the Senate. The broad support from both parties to block the bills dealt a blow to local officials who had asked Congress to stay out of the city’s affairs, but the number of Democratic defections show that D.C. may not find as much support from congressional Democrats. The Washington Post (Feb, 9, 2023)

D.C. metro gets more police

D.C. Metro will pay D.C. police officers overtime to increase patrols at five rail stations during rush hours. The increased police presence is an aim to make the Metro safer and build rider confidence after three recent shootings. The patrols will begin this week and continue through June. Two officers per station will conduct joint patrols. Metro is tapping extra resources because its transit police force is understaffed, but there are similar issues in the city’s normal police force. DCist (Feb. 8, 2023)

W. VA tackles mental health and justice

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill to create a study group focused on the over-representation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the criminal justice system. The group will recommend ways to divert these individuals from prisons and state hospitals and provide plans for care, treatment, and placement in the community. The bill must now be passed by the House of Delegates. The Parkersburg News and Sentinel (Feb. 7, 2023)

in other news

listen: HOW THE FBI INFILTRATED RACIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS IN 2020
A new podcast from reporter Trevor Aaronson details the story of an FBI informant who infiltrated the racial justice movement in Denver.

too old school: ‘Only in Mississippi’: White representatives vote to create white-appointed court system for Blackest city in America

unbelievable ruling: Alabama AG: ‘Pain related to difficulty’ from execution IVs not cruel, unusual punishment

community board

• UVA program for incarcerated
• Connecting through books
• Opinion: In Virginia, people suffering mental health crises too often become felons when police intervene
• Comments called for BOP Inmate Trust Fund Accounts
• Essay: Colie Levar Long: Listen to a former prisoner — longer sentences don’t work
• End the Culture of Police Violence – The Brennan Center
• Essay: Unraveling Carceral Feminism

justice from the frontlines: Nov. 7, 2022

new D.C. criminal code passes first vote

The D.C. Council unanimously voted to rewrite the city’s criminal code, but it must pass a second vote in two weeks time that is signed by the mayor in order to take effect. The bill contains reforms such as the elimination of most mandatory minimum sentences, the allowance of trial by jury in misdemeanor cases and a reduction in maximum penalties for certain offenses such as robberies. This reform would be the first “comprehensive modernization” of the code, according to Public Safety Committee Chair Charles Allen. The Washington Post (Nov. 1, 2022)

PA senators challenge Krasner impeachment

As crime rates in Philadelphia rise, State House Republicans have moved to impeach Philadelphia’s District Attorney, Larry Krasner. Dem. State Senators pushed back against this; Senator Art Haywood said that the concerns surrounding the rise in crime can be attributed to other factors including socioeconomic conditions and the availability of guns. Other state senators such as Democrat Nikil Saval support Krasner’s anti mass incarceration policies. Go Erie (Nov. 2, 2022)

weaponized crime rates

Republicans like New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin blamed rising crime on reform efforts by the Democratic state legislature. Zeldin criticized incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul for neglecting to do something about the “pro-criminal laws.” In reality, these laws consist of increased prisoner rights in the parole process, reduced juvenile incarceration rates and the elimination of cash bail for misdemeanors and non violent felonies. These policies coincided with the upheaval of the pandemic and necessary reforms cannot be blamed as an isolated cause for rising crime. NPR (Nov. 3, 2022)

prisons deny hunger strike 

On Aug. 22, individuals living inside maximum security prisons organized a hunger strike to protest unsafe living conditions. Inmates are experiencing mold exposure, which is causing painful lung problems. One inmate, Leonard Jefferson, who is incarcerated in Rhode Island Maximum Security Prison, described the living conditions as “the closest thing to hell on earth.” Jefferson estimated that over half of the maximum security population took part in the strike, but the Rhode Island Department of Corrections denied this, saying “there have been no actions to indicate a hunger strike.” Incarcerated people said this lack of acknowledgement makes it hard to prompt change. The Brown Daily Herald (Nov. 1, 2022)

justice reform pays off 

In 2017, Louisiana passed a series of criminal justice reforms. Some of these reforms included the lowering of mandatory minimum sentences and the shortening of the time period during which past convictions can be used to trigger the state’s harsh habitual offender legislation. Since 2017, the state’s prison population fell dramatically, with 2021 seeing 10,000 fewer people incarcerated than in 2016. To calculate financial savings, the prison population drop each month was multiplied by a per diem rate. Ultimately, the state saved approximately $150 million from implementing the reforms. The Louisiana Weekly (Oct. 31, 2022)

New Mexico buys private prisons

At a cost of $217 million in rent over the next 20 years, the state of New Mexico has recently acquired three private prisons under the leadership of Gov. Michelle Lijan Grisham. Presently, the population of incarcerated people is trending down while rent costs are trending up. New Mexico has historically relied on private prisons, with a report from the Sentencing Project finding that 45% of inmates were held in private prisons in 2020. Advocates of state control believe that the states can more closely monitor safety conditions inside. Others believe that the prisons should have been closed altogether. Searchlight New Mexico (Nov. 3, 2022)

justice still absent

Fifty years ago, two students at Southern University were killed during a campus protest. Denver Smith, who may have tried to make sure his sister was safe and Leonard Douglas Brown, who wondered what the crowd was gathered for, were killed by a deputy with no involvement during the protest. With the 50th year anniversary approaching after the shooting, a 10-month examination by the Louisiana State University Cold Case Project, provides a much clearer picture of one of the most troubling episodes in race relations in Baton Rouge. Louisiana Illuminator (Oct. 30, 2022)

prevention program failed 

In July 2021, Advance Peace, a gun violence prevention program, was supposed to launch in New York City but after months of poor planning and miscommunication, the program has been quietly scrapped. Devon Boggan, founder of Advance Peace, received calls from reporters to comment on the plans of the launch but this was news to him. Boggan typically gets involved early when a new city wants to use his model but it’s been more than 19 months since New York Officials have made progress. The Trace (Nov. 1, 2022) 

Gun cases dismissed 

Federal prosecutors expect to drop dozens of felony gun and drug cases involving officers on a violent crime squad in the D.C. An ongoing investigation raised questions of officers credibility because officers were seizing guns without making arrests, and possibly lying on reports. Due to this, seven officers in the 7th district in D.C. have been placed on administrative leave or desk duties. Bill Miller, a U.S. attorney’s office spokesman declines to say how many cases have been dismissed. The Washington Post (Nov. 1, 2022)

sentenced to life over $14

For two decades, David Coulson spent time in jail for stealing $14. At the time of the offense, in which he took change from an unlocked garage, he was living on the streets, struggling with drug addiction and mental illness. Despite his health crisis, Coulson had no violent crimes on his record, the judge ordered that he be locked up for life, saying he could be released after 35 years. Coulson was released last month. His release was unusual but his punishment was not. The Guardian (Nov. 2, 2022) 

guilty on sexual assault charges 

Federal prison transport guard, Rogeric Hankins, pleads guilty to violating detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her, in court on Tuesday. Corporation, picking up people who were arrested for out-of-state warrants and transporting them back to the jurisdiction. Hanking picked up a victim from Olympia, Washington to take her to St.Paul, Minnesota and as he was transporting her, he stopped at a gas station in Joplin, Missouri, and took her in to use the bathroom and after that Hankin led her to the men’s bathroom and told her to go to the furthest stall from the door. No sentencing has been set, though Hankins faces up to 10 years in prison. Fox News (Nov. 1, 2022)

In other news, Hae Min Lee’s family again asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals for redo of Adnan Syed hearing;

From the Des

in other news

Hae Min Lee’s family again asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals for redo of Adnan Syed hearing

community board

Negotiating a Criminal Justice Bill Across Party Lines 

Opinion: Plea bargaining and mass incarceration go hand in hand. We need to end both

Editorial: The empire strikes back – against progressive prosecutors 

Archives of Resistance: The movement to end police violence has a rich visual history. In Brooklyn, a collective of volunteers is doing its part to preserve it

Reshaping Our Wanting: There is a place for desire in an abolitionist world — at least when desire is pleasure and love and freedom

download: automatically record your traffic stop

attend Abolish Mandatory Reporting and Family Policing, Nov. 10

We Need a New Paradigm to Halt the Unprecedented Growth of Electronic Monitoring

justice from the frontlines: Oct. 31, 2022

doctor charged for death of inmate 

A San Diego doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of Elisa Serna, a 24-year-old woman who collapsed in prison. A nurse who walked away from Elisa after she collapsed was also charged last November. Both medical professionals face accusations of criminal negligence as they failed to perform their full duty of care. A state auditor recently published a report revealing that San Diego County jails have one of the highest death rates in California. US News (Oct. 26, 2022)

prison chief promises reform

Colette Peters, the new Chief of the federal Bureau of Prisons, has pledged to enact reforms within the agency, including changes to hiring practices, increased transparency and accountability for employees who are guilty of sexually assaulting inmates. In her former role as Oregon’s prison director, Peters oversaw a decrease in Oregon’s prison population. Peters said she looks to hire prison staff who are interested in preparing inmates for reintegration into society. AP (Oct. 24, 2022)

nonviolent offenders stuck in cycle

A new investigation from The Marshall Project reveals that the majority of repeat defendants in Cuyahoga County’s court system are not violent offenders but rather people suffering from addiction and mental illness. Police in the area refer to these defendants as “career criminals,” but the problem is more complex than meets the eye. Data revealed that less than a third of cases involving repeat offenders involved a violent offense. Advocates are calling for alternatives to incarceration, as these individuals have fallen into a cycle of recidivism that is difficult to escape. The Marshall Project (Oct. 26, 2022)

district attorney switch-up

Then-candidate for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took to Twitter to share his support for Tracy McCarter, a victim of domestic abuse who was charged with the murder of her violent ex-husband. After winning his election in November 2021, Bragg is now prosecuting McCarter despite having the power to drop her charges. Bragg cites plea deals he has offered McCarter and attempts to reduce her charges as signs of the understanding he once demonstrated on the campaign trail, but a Color of Change petition reveals that many people are disappointed in Bragg’s lack of legal support for McCarter. Jezebel (Oct. 26, 2022)

Texas DA believes Areli Escobar is innocent

A Texas State judge ruled that the scientific evidence which led to Areli Escobar being placed on death row is not accurate. District Attorney José P. Garza, despite initially wanting to defend Escobar’s conviction, reevaluated his case. When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals took the case, Garza urged the court to give Escobar a new trial. His plea was unsuccessful, but Garza maintains Escobar’s innocence in advance of a potential hearing of the case by the Supreme Court. The allegedly mistaken DNA evidence had been crucial to the jury’s initial decision to convict Escobar. The New York Times (Oct. 24, 2022)

police reform stalled 

More than two years after the murder of George Floyd, violent crimes continue to increase causing police reform to be stalled. In the midst of the pressure, elected officials pledged sweeping changes to how officers operate and how they’re overseen. Elizabeth Glazer, one of New York’s leading experts on criminal justice, looked into why police reform has stalled. Glazer found that there’s a kind of built-in conservatism about the importance of maintaining the police and the movement coincided with rocketing rates of increase in shootings. She also found that “defund the police,” was really a lost opportunity. It was viewed as an existential threat to police departments and could’ve been a chance to reshape their roles in a way that focused on their core strengths and to begin to give back to other professionals the responsibility to deal with the homeless and mental illness. ProPublica (Oct. 24, 2022)

drug reform and diversion on ballot

The demands of a reform group in Hays County have become focal points in the upcoming DA race and a “Reeferendum” in Central Texas. The organization Mano Amiga has helped turn this November’s elections into a referendum on both marijuana decriminalization and pretrial diversion. Activists within the organization have gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot this year that would end citations and arrests for possession of up to four ounces of marijuana in the city of San Marcos. After years of pushing for this to be on the ballot, the time has finally come. Local and state police unions haven’t taken a public position on this year’s referendum to decriminalize marijuana possession but they have endorsed Puryear, the GOP nominee to replace District Attorney Wes Mau. Bolts (Oct. 21, 2022)

missing and murdered

On Oct. 22, New Mexico had a Missing in New Mexico Day event in Albuquerque which was designed to bring law enforcement face-to-face with families searching for their missing loved ones. Two mothers, Rose Yazzie and Vangie Randall-Shorty talked directly with Raul Bujanda, the FBI special agent who leads the Albuquerque field office, and they outlined not only the timeline of the investigation but significant errors they’ve viewed during the process. Yazzie told Bujanda that it took the Navajo Nation Police more than two weeks to complete a missing report for her daughter and Randall-Shorty discussed months long delays in finding out the circumstances around her son’s death. They are both seeking information about their children’s cases but want law enforcement to come up with a strategic plan to find Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. Source NM (Oct. 24, 2022)

kids locked up and abused

An investigation into a juvenile facility that imprisons Louisiana children revealed over 60 suicide attempts in two years and over 90 escape attempts in the last three. One escaped girl hoped to be taken to a “big jail.” The escapes and suicides are a result of repeated physical violence, sexual assault and psychological torment, the investigation found. Despite years of documented failing, the state regulators have never fined or punished the facility or threatened its contracts. Local law enforcement was described as “largely dismissive” of sexual-abuse allegations. The New York Times (Oct. 30, 2022)

extension on localizing parole 

Back in July of 2020, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser asked Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton for legislation wresting control of the District’s parole system from the federal government. But today, D.C. remains in the same position with no agreement on a path forward for a new parole system. Congress had a closed-door meeting saying it would take about two years to get done. The holdup has an impact on Black D.C. residents, who data show are overrepresented in the parole system. The longer the delay, the more prison time can result for those in jail for technical violations, losing their jobs, housing and gains they may have made. The Washington Post (Oct. 25, 2022)

From the Des

in other news

police do not believe a woman once again, and another time

community board

• New York City Is a Lot Safer Than Small-Town America
• Policing doesn’t end homelessness. Supporting housing does. 
• LA County’s failure to invest in alternatives to incarceration fuels inhumane jail conditions
• State prison coding program officially online 
• Chance the Rapper performs for college graduates at Stateville prison
• Legal Reform Advocates: Racial Justice Act Will Reshape California Death Row