#first-step-act

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US Elections
fromwww.theguardian.com
9 hours ago

To win in 2028, Democrats must embrace justice not shy away from it | Steve Philips

Fighting for justice and equality is essential for Democrats to win in the current political climate.
SF parents
fromSlate Magazine
1 day ago

This Month's Twin Tragedies in Louisiana and Virginia Could Have Been Prevented

Domestic violence is a predictable pattern that institutions fail to address, leading to catastrophic consequences for women and children.
US politics
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago

Justice Department makes it easier to deport those with DACA status

The Trump administration is making it easier to deport DACA recipients, weakening protections for many immigrants.
#capital-punishment
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago
US news

Justice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishment

Left-wing politics
fromFortune
1 day ago

Firing squads are back: Trump's DOJ revives rarely used execution method once limited to five states | Fortune

The Justice Department will allow firing squads and reauthorize pentobarbital for federal executions under the Trump administration's renewed push for capital punishment.
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago
US news

Justice Department to allow firing squads for executions in move to ramp up capital punishment

Left-wing politics
fromFortune
1 day ago

Firing squads are back: Trump's DOJ revives rarely used execution method once limited to five states | Fortune

The Justice Department will allow firing squads and reauthorize pentobarbital for federal executions under the Trump administration's renewed push for capital punishment.
California
fromKqed
2 days ago

Lawmakers introduce bills to stop ICE courthouse raids | KQED

California's preschool programs are growing but lack quality measures compared to other states.
#brooklyn
NYC politics
fromHoodline
1 day ago

Ex-GodSquad Leader Gets Three Years' Probation In Brooklyn

Edward Richard Hinds received three years of probation after pleading guilty to endangering a child's welfare, raising concerns about oversight in funded youth programs.
Brooklyn
fromwww.amny.com
6 days ago

Alleged fare evader becomes second Brooklyn Central Booking detainee to die in custody in a week | amNewYork

A detainee at Brooklyn Central Booking died after a medical emergency, marking the second death in custody within a week.
Brooklyn
fromHoodline
1 month ago

Cypress Hills shooting: Men sentenced in Brooklyn

Two men received lengthy prison sentences for a 2020 drive-by shooting in Brooklyn that killed two teenagers and injured another.
NYC politics
fromHoodline
1 day ago

Ex-GodSquad Leader Gets Three Years' Probation In Brooklyn

Edward Richard Hinds received three years of probation after pleading guilty to endangering a child's welfare, raising concerns about oversight in funded youth programs.
Brooklyn
fromwww.amny.com
6 days ago

Alleged fare evader becomes second Brooklyn Central Booking detainee to die in custody in a week | amNewYork

A detainee at Brooklyn Central Booking died after a medical emergency, marking the second death in custody within a week.
Brooklyn
fromHoodline
1 month ago

Cypress Hills shooting: Men sentenced in Brooklyn

Two men received lengthy prison sentences for a 2020 drive-by shooting in Brooklyn that killed two teenagers and injured another.
fromFast Company
3 days ago

The U.S. just changed marijuana law for the first time in decades

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the decision in a post on X, noting that the DOJ would immediately move state-licensed marijuana and FDA-approved marijuana products to Schedule III alongside Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and steroids.
Cannabis
#transgender-rights
NYC LGBT
fromThe Nation
6 days ago

Trump Is Making Federal Prison Even More Dangerous for Transgender Inmates

New directives classify being transgender as a mental health disorder and mandate conversion therapy-like treatment for inmates with gender dysphoria.
LGBT
fromAdvocate.com
5 days ago

Appeals court clears path to move trans women into men's prisons despite sexual assault risk

Transgender women inmates may be relocated to men's prisons following a federal appellate court ruling that reverses a lower court's decision.
NYC LGBT
fromThe Nation
6 days ago

Trump Is Making Federal Prison Even More Dangerous for Transgender Inmates

New directives classify being transgender as a mental health disorder and mandate conversion therapy-like treatment for inmates with gender dysphoria.
LGBT
fromAdvocate.com
5 days ago

Appeals court clears path to move trans women into men's prisons despite sexual assault risk

Transgender women inmates may be relocated to men's prisons following a federal appellate court ruling that reverses a lower court's decision.
#rikers-island
Brooklyn
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

City Council committee visit to Rikers Island focuses on treatment of incarcerated moms at troubled facility | amNewYork

New York City Council members toured Rikers Island to assess conditions and advocate for reforms, emphasizing transparency, dignity, and the eventual closure of the facility.
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
2 weeks ago

Editorial | Rikers Island closure plan becomes an island of uncertainty | amNewYork

New York City struggles to meet the 2027 deadline for closing Rikers Island due to incomplete community-based jail plans and rising inmate population.
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago
Public health

Op-Ed | NYC needs a new understanding of community safety that only starts by closing Rikers amNewYork

Brooklyn
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

City Council committee visit to Rikers Island focuses on treatment of incarcerated moms at troubled facility | amNewYork

New York City Council members toured Rikers Island to assess conditions and advocate for reforms, emphasizing transparency, dignity, and the eventual closure of the facility.
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
2 weeks ago

Editorial | Rikers Island closure plan becomes an island of uncertainty | amNewYork

New York City struggles to meet the 2027 deadline for closing Rikers Island due to incomplete community-based jail plans and rising inmate population.
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago
Public health

Op-Ed | NYC needs a new understanding of community safety that only starts by closing Rikers amNewYork

#san-francisco
fromMission Local
5 days ago
Mission District

'Tired of living like this': One man's journey from jail to addiction treatment

San Francisco's jail system often releases individuals quickly, limiting access to substance abuse treatment and recovery programs.
fromMission Local
5 days ago
California

More and more people are locked up in S.F. jail. Hundreds are booked repeatedly.

San Francisco's crackdown on drug offenses has led to increased arrests, but many individuals continue to cycle in and out of jail without lasting change.
Mission District
fromMission Local
5 days ago

'Tired of living like this': One man's journey from jail to addiction treatment

San Francisco's jail system often releases individuals quickly, limiting access to substance abuse treatment and recovery programs.
California
fromMission Local
5 days ago

More and more people are locked up in S.F. jail. Hundreds are booked repeatedly.

San Francisco's crackdown on drug offenses has led to increased arrests, but many individuals continue to cycle in and out of jail without lasting change.
Social justice
fromwww.theguardian.com
5 days ago

We asked what repairing the harm of enslavement would look like. This is what we found

Living in a constrained environment reflects the ongoing impact of historical injustices and the struggle for dignity and self-worth.
fromStreetsblog New York City
5 days ago

Tuesday's Headlines: Cops Are Doing It Wrong Edition - Streetsblog New York City

A state judge has ruled that every red-light ticket written to a cyclist under the state's vehicle and traffic law since 2019 is bogus. The city legalized the practice of biking through a red light on a pedestrian 'walk' signal, yet NYPD cops have been wrongly writing tickets for cyclists who go through the 'red' on the walk signal.
New York City
Arts
fromTruthout
1 week ago

Visuals Help Expose the Realities of Mass Incarceration to a Wider Audience

The Warehouse exhibition transforms understanding of mass incarceration through visual storytelling, making complex issues accessible to a wider audience.
Law
fromSlate Magazine
6 days ago

This Looming Tennessee Execution Would Be One of the Most Abhorrent in History. There's Still Time to Stop It.

Tennessee plans to execute Tony Carruthers, highlighting severe flaws in the justice system, including forced self-representation and reliance on unreliable informants.
US politics
fromKqed
2 days ago

Ice Quietly Opens Another Detention Center in a Former California Prison | KQED

GEO Group opened the Golden State Annex in 2020, promising economic benefits to McFarland while complying with California's legal requirements for immigration detention facilities.
fromwww.npr.org
3 days ago

Trump administration eases rules on some marijuana categories. Here's what to know

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the rescheduling of marijuana 'allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information.' This marks a significant shift in the federal approach to medical marijuana.
US news
Canada news
fromwww.cbc.ca
1 week ago

Ford promises no more improper inmate releases after over 150 let out of Ontario jails | CBC News

Ontario Premier Doug Ford vows to prevent improper inmate releases from jails after over 150 cases between 2021 and 2025.
fromDefector
1 week ago

A Year After The Corrections Officer Strike, New York Is Still Failing Its Incarcerated Population | Defector

The HALT Act mandates prisoners receive seven hours of congregate time outside our cells each day and limits excessive use of solitary confinement.
NYC parents
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 week ago

Almost 200 prisoners released in error' last year in UK's broken' jail system

Almost 200 prisoners were mistakenly released in England and Wales last year, causing significant strain on police resources.
#immigration
fromTruthout
5 days ago
SF parents

Judge Orders Release of Mother and 5 Children Held in ICE Jail for Nearly a Year

SF parents
fromTruthout
5 days ago

Judge Orders Release of Mother and 5 Children Held in ICE Jail for Nearly a Year

A federal court ruled that ICE's prolonged detention of the El Gamal family violates the Constitution, yet they remain detained without release.
US politics
fromThe Verge
3 days ago

Democrats want to ban ICE from turning warehouses into detention centers

A bill aims to prevent DHS from converting warehouses into immigrant detention centers to combat mass deportations.
fromwww.npr.org
1 week ago

Sitting in a jail cell, alone and hopeless, a man's life is suddenly changed

I chose my friends poorly, and your friends have a tendency to rub off on you. And so I started making poor decisions. The next night I made a plan of how to do it, and I did it. And I didn't get caught doing it, [but] I got caught afterwards.
Arts
Social justice
fromAdvocate.com
1 week ago

LGBTQ+ youth say prisons and policing fail hate crime victims. Now what?

Communities are urged to adopt non-punitive, community-based solutions to address violence, particularly for marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ individuals.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 weeks ago

Reform would deny visas over calls for slavery reparations

Reform UK plans to deny visas to countries seeking slavery reparations from Britain if elected.
SF parents
fromPitchfork
6 days ago

Tory Lanez Sues California Prison System Over Inmate Stabbing

Tory Lanez is suing the California Department of Corrections for $100 million after being stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate.
SF politics
fromTruthout
3 weeks ago

CA Should Send Prisoners Home Instead of Spending Millions on New Facilities

California's prison reform focuses on expensive new facilities rather than effective rehabilitation, with minimal budget allocation for actual rehabilitation programs.
US politics
fromwww.mediaite.com
3 days ago

House Oversight Committee Republicans Split' Over Whether Convicted Child Sex Trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Pardoned

Republicans are divided on pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell for her cooperation in the Epstein investigation, with strong opposition from Democrats.
Washington DC
fromSlate Magazine
3 weeks ago

They Had to Clean Solitary Cells. What They Saw Forced Them to Quit.

Solitary confinement work is demoralizing and involves invasive strip searches, contributing to severe mental health issues among incarcerated individuals.
Social justice
fromTruthout
2 weeks ago

Pennsylvania's Abolitionist Organizers Win Victory Against Mandatory Life Without Parole

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruling overturns mandatory life sentences for felony murder, impacting over a thousand individuals, primarily Black.
NYC parents
fromwww.amny.com
3 weeks ago

Criminal case against man shot by cops during mental health crisis will move forward | amNewYork

A Queens man shot by police during a mental health crisis faces criminal charges despite calls for dismissal from his mother and community members.
US politics
fromBoston.com
1 week ago

House moving ahead on bill to protect Haitian immigrants, in slap back to Trump administration

The House is considering legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants against Trump's efforts to end the program.
#prison-reform
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Plan to scrap most short jail terms comes into effect

Most offenders facing up to a year in jail in England and Wales will now likely receive suspended sentences under new reforms.
US news
fromThe New Yorker
1 month ago

A Criminal-Justice Activist's Baffling Crime

Prison-reform activist Alexander Friedmann was arrested for secretly smuggling weapons and tools into Nashville's new jail during construction, despite his prominent reputation in criminal-justice reform circles.
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Plan to scrap most short jail terms comes into effect

Most offenders facing up to a year in jail in England and Wales will now likely receive suspended sentences under new reforms.
US news
fromThe New Yorker
1 month ago

A Criminal-Justice Activist's Baffling Crime

Prison-reform activist Alexander Friedmann was arrested for secretly smuggling weapons and tools into Nashville's new jail during construction, despite his prominent reputation in criminal-justice reform circles.
Social justice
fromSlate Magazine
3 weeks ago

The Horrifying Secret of the Child Detention Center We Shared as Detainee and Warden

The Cheltenham Youth Detention Center has a troubling history of racial segregation and a lack of memorial for children who died in custody.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

The Guardian view on prisons: sentencing reform has not eased the sense of crisis | Editorial

Prisons in England and Wales face a crisis with high violence, staff shortages, and inadequate reforms, necessitating urgent government action.
US politics
fromLos Angeles Times
3 weeks ago

Trump asks Congress for $152 million to start rebuilding Alcatraz prison

Trump proposed $152 million to rebuild Alcatraz as a federal prison, facing opposition from critics and local representatives.
#criminal-justice-reform
Boston real estate
fromBoston.com
1 month ago

After serving prison time, Andrea James became a leading criminal justice advocate. Now she's running for governor.

Andrea James, an independent candidate with a criminal conviction, is running for Massachusetts governor on a progressive platform emphasizing people-centered policies and criminal justice reform.
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

The Human Cost Of Our Broken Justice System - Above the Law

The criminal legal system punishes instability through policy choices rather than crime, with public defenders facing systemic barriers while seeking justice and reform.
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

This Is Why Criminal Justice Needs Number Nerds - Above the Law

Data-driven evidence, not ideology, should guide criminal justice reform through incentive-based systems and rigorous testing of policies.
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago
New York City

Mamdani appoints formerly incarcerated and jail reform advocate Stanley Richards to head Department of Correction

Social justice
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Judge calls on New York and other legislatures to adopt state equivalent of federal Second Look Act | amNewYork

Judge Frederic Block granted Walter Johnson relief from supervised release, exemplifying how the First Step Act enables sentence reduction for reformed inmates and advocates for similar state-level legislation.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

Newsom changed California prisons. What will the justice system look like after he leaves?

California's criminal justice system has shifted toward rehabilitation under Governor Newsom, with fewer incarcerated people and expanded rehabilitation programs, raising questions about the next governor's direction.
Boston real estate
fromBoston.com
1 month ago

After serving prison time, Andrea James became a leading criminal justice advocate. Now she's running for governor.

Andrea James, an independent candidate with a criminal conviction, is running for Massachusetts governor on a progressive platform emphasizing people-centered policies and criminal justice reform.
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

The Human Cost Of Our Broken Justice System - Above the Law

The criminal legal system punishes instability through policy choices rather than crime, with public defenders facing systemic barriers while seeking justice and reform.
Law
fromAbove the Law
1 month ago

This Is Why Criminal Justice Needs Number Nerds - Above the Law

Data-driven evidence, not ideology, should guide criminal justice reform through incentive-based systems and rigorous testing of policies.
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago
New York City

Mamdani appoints formerly incarcerated and jail reform advocate Stanley Richards to head Department of Correction

Social justice
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Judge calls on New York and other legislatures to adopt state equivalent of federal Second Look Act | amNewYork

Judge Frederic Block granted Walter Johnson relief from supervised release, exemplifying how the First Step Act enables sentence reduction for reformed inmates and advocates for similar state-level legislation.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

Newsom changed California prisons. What will the justice system look like after he leaves?

California's criminal justice system has shifted toward rehabilitation under Governor Newsom, with fewer incarcerated people and expanded rehabilitation programs, raising questions about the next governor's direction.
Law
from48 hills
1 month ago

Lurie wants to be tough on crime-but won't pay for the impacts on defendants - 48 hills

Increased arrests and prosecutions in San Francisco are costly, leading to understaffed public defense and potential legal ethics violations.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

California's new war on drugs': thousands arrested, few get treatment, data shows

Proposition 36, a state ballot measure, enacted harsher penalties for minor theft and drug offenses, with proponents pledging the crackdown would lead to mass treatment to keep people alive, out of jail, and off our streets. Case records, however, suggest the state is largely failing to meet the central goal of getting people help and instead conducting mass arrests and incarcerating more people with addiction.
California
Brooklyn
fromGothamist
1 month ago

Screen the guards: Albany ponders prison bills

New York proposes random full-body scanner screening for corrections officers entering state prisons to reduce contraband, while also allowing visitor re-evaluation instead of immediate rejection when scanners detect suspected contraband.
fromThe Nation
1 month ago

How the SAVE Act Seeks to Undermine the Right to Vote

Republican supporters of the SAVE America Act describe the law as a commonsense measure to prevent voter fraud, yet it represents a blatant defiance of common sense and a fraudulent seizure of ballot access.
US politics
fromThe Washington Post
1 month ago

He died a convicted murderer. Can a DNA test clear his name?

Every state now has a legal avenue where people can request DNA testing of evidence after being convicted. But in many cases, it's not clear if those statutes apply once convicts have died, said Brandon Garrett, a law professor at Duke University.
US news
fromGothamist
1 month ago

NYC is looking to hire a 'jails czar' to help close Rikers

The high-ranking role comes with a $180,000 to $230,000 salary, the listing states, and "will serve as a trusted advisor to the mayor, first deputy mayor, and the administration's senior leadership on all matters related to the closing of Rikers."
New York City
NYC politics
fromNew York Post
1 month ago

NY's top judge sparks outrage with wild suggestion to go easy when sentencing criminals

New York's Chief Judge Rowan Wilson faced ethics complaints after publicly urging judges to impose lenient sentences and encouraging voters to remove judges who impose lengthy prison terms.
fromsfist.com
1 month ago

Oakland Man Paroled Following Plea Deal In 2024 Juneteenth Shootout That Injured 14 People

After an unsanctioned Juneteenth gathering by Oakland's Lake Merritt devolved into chaos and dozens of shots fired in 2024, there were many headlines calling this a mass shooting. 14 people sustained injuries, and many in the community were angry and saddened given that there had been another shooting on Juneeteenth three years earlier, which left one person dead.
East Bay (California)
fromLos Angeles Times
33 years ago

'Doubts' D.A. Heads for Hills

Matlin was the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar and the only hearing-impaired Oscar winner when she was honored at the age of 21 for her first screen role in the 1987 movie "Children of a Lesser God."
LA real estate
#criminal-justice
California
fromCalifornia Post
1 month ago

Gavin Newsom's law grants parole to pedo with 300-year sentence

A California sex offender convicted of molesting multiple children faces early release under a 2020 law allowing parole for inmates 50+ who served 20+ years, sparking criticism of the elderly parole system.
California
fromCalifornia Post
1 month ago

Gavin Newsom's law grants parole to pedo with 300-year sentence

A California sex offender convicted of molesting multiple children faces early release under a 2020 law allowing parole for inmates 50+ who served 20+ years, sparking criticism of the elderly parole system.
fromTruthout
1 month ago

These Women Exposed Prison Sexual Abuse. Now ICE Wants to Deport Them.

At Dublin, she had been sexually harassed and verbally abused by an officer, physically assaulted by another, witnessed other officers sexually abusing women, and been subjected to retaliation. Before her arrest, Cristal had been a long-time permanent resident of the U.S. Her conviction for drugs invalidated her green card, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a final removal order based on her felony conviction.
NYC LGBT
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Capitol rioter pardoned by Trump given life sentence for molesting two children

Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, is among several January 6 defendants who have been charged with new crimes since Trump's sweeping act of clemency for Capitol rioters. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences for or ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged in the attack.
Washington DC
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Justice system in crisis, victims' advocate says

London's victims' commissioner reports the criminal justice system is in crisis, with victims experiencing traumatic delays and losing trust in police and courts.
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 month ago

IPP prisoners trapped under dystopian' UK jail system, major report to UN warns

IPP prisoners serve excessive sentences averaging 516% of their minimum terms, constituting cruel and degrading treatment that violates human rights, requiring immediate abolition or case review.
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 months ago

50,000 prisoners to be freed early in bid to tackle overcrowded jails

An emergency early-release scheme freed 48,931 prisoners in England and Wales by September 2025, allowing release after 40% of fixed-term sentences to ease overcrowding.
#ice
Law
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Record number of offenders being recalled to prison in England and Wales

Record offender recalls have surged; many deliberately breach licence terms to return and traffic drugs while early-release rules and overcrowding reduce support and housing.
fromThe New Yorker
1 month ago

The Man Who Broke Into Jail

Lieutenant Thomas Conrad was standing in a control room in Nashville's new central jail when he noticed something off with one of the key rings hanging on the wall. It was midday on December 30, 2019, and in two weeks the still empty jail would take in about seven hundred inmates. While contractors were finishing their work, Conrad, a senior correctional officer with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, was organizing equipment: handheld radios, handcuffs, and keys.
US news
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

Therapy, remorse: A look at how 'monster' child molester got parole and new efforts to alter law

He abused these children horrifically. He stole their childhoods. Someone that does these type of things, they don't deserve a second chance in life.
California
US politics
fromReadWrite
1 month ago

Bipartisan POINTS Act targets gambling addiction funding

Bipartisan lawmakers introduced the POINTS Act to expand gambling addiction services by redirecting existing sports wagering tax revenue for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
California
fromwww.mercurynews.com
2 months ago

Opinion: California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.

California's jail death review law preserves sheriff control, lacks enforcement authority, permits redactions, and produced no completed reviews within its first year.
fromNew York Post
2 months ago

Exclusive | Minor loophole: NYC Council bill could prevent 'young people' who commit crimes from getting arrested

A far-left Brooklyn pol is hoping the third time's a charm with socialist Zohran Mamdani now NYC mayor as she pushes legislation that could give "young people" carte blanche to commit crimes without fear of being arrested. The legislation, reintroduced for a third time on Jan. 29 by Democratic Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, would require that "young people" be "diverted" to "community-based organizations to receive services in lieu of criminal enforcement."
US politics
fromElectronic Frontier Foundation
2 months ago

Yes to the "ICE Out of My Face Act"

To combat these abuses, EFF is proud to support the "ICE Out of My Face Act." This new federal bill would ban ICE and CBP agents, and some local police working with them, from acquiring or using biometric surveillance systems, including face recognition technology, or information derived from such systems by another entity. This bill would be enforceable, among other ways, by a strong private right of action.
US politics
fromTruthout
2 months ago

"Reforms" Didn't End Police Violence in 2020 and They Won't End ICE Violence Now

Yet while "Abolish ICE" serves as a unifying chant in the streets, Democrats are once again seeking to temper and co-opt people's demands into a narrow version of reform. The demands outlined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer could not be more toothless: requiring ICE agents to unmask, wear body cameras, and to follow a code of conduct modeled on other law enforcement agencies.
US politics
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