Mass Incarceration Not ‘April Fools’ – Weakens Communities, Undermines National Welfare
NORTHAMPTON, MA — Seven truths and elements of mass incarceration that expose the criminal legal system are…
Recent Posts
- California Treatment Providers Warn NIMBY Opposition Can Deepen Homelessness and Violate Civil Rights LawThe California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives (CAADPE) cautioned cities that restricting substance use disorder treatment facilities through zoning or permitting could violate federal civil rights protections, specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- DOJ Report Confirms Systemic Staff Sexual Abuse in California Women’s PrisonsThe U.S. Department of Justice determined that California’s two women’s prisons systematically failed to protect incarcerated individuals from sexual abuse and harassment by staff. The federal investigation into the California Institution for Women and Central California Women’s Facility identified a pattern and practice of constitutional rights violations, specifically citing failures to uphold Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment and Fourteenth Amendment rights to bodily privacy. Investigators further noted a longstanding pattern of staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, and insufficient accountability measures, alongside a failure to effectively implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act. These findings, released August 13, have prompted survivor advocates to demand comprehensive reforms and the release of individuals who have endured abuse within these facilities.
- Op-ed | UN-Habitat Report: Global Housing Crisis Leaves 3.4 Billion in Poor ShelterA report issued by United Nations-Habitat, titled 'The Global Housing Crisis: Pathways to Action,' advocates for a multi-pronged, government-supported approach to address the worldwide housing crisis. The document asserts that market-led development strategies alone have proven insufficient, emphasizing the necessity of integrated, people-centered policies to ensure adequate housing for the 3.4 billion individuals currently lacking it.
- They Didn’t Fix Poverty, They Fixed the Ruler.The United States maintains a federal poverty threshold derived from a 1963 methodology, despite widespread acknowledgment of its failure to accurately reflect contemporary living expenses. This adherence persists even as legislative and administrative proposals advocate for modifying the metric through the implementation of slower inflation indices.
- A Short History and Long Future for Human BeingsA recent commentary posits that humanity's evolutionary trajectory and continued viability are contingent upon the cultivation of innate human insight, rather than exclusive reliance on advancements in artificial intelligence.