#alternatives-to-incarceration

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SF politics
fromTruthout
1 day 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.
Non-profit organizations
fromMission Local
9 hours ago

San Quentin among 8 California prisons that could lose decades-old arts programs

The William James Association faces funding cuts, risking the continuation of arts programs in California prisons, particularly at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
Mission District
fromMission Local
19 hours ago

S.F. probation department's new van hits the streets

The San Francisco probation department's mobile unit aims to assist homeless individuals on probation with essential services and resources.
#community-safety
NYC politics
fromThe Marshall Project
4 hours ago

In New York City, Mamdani's New Appointee Talks About Reimagining Public Safety

New York City establishes the Office of Community Safety to enhance crime prevention and support services under Mayor Mamdani's leadership.
fromCity Limits
2 months ago
New York Islanders

Opinion: A Safer New York Starts With Community, Not Incarceration

New York must prioritize affordable housing, services, and scaled alternatives to incarceration so jail becomes a last resort and safety relies on support, not punishment.
NYC politics
fromThe Marshall Project
4 hours ago

In New York City, Mamdani's New Appointee Talks About Reimagining Public Safety

New York City establishes the Office of Community Safety to enhance crime prevention and support services under Mayor Mamdani's leadership.
Washington DC
fromSlate Magazine
2 days 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.
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 day ago

Young adults facing life or indeterminate sentences almost doubles in a decade

The number of young adults receiving life sentences has nearly doubled in a decade, raising concerns about their mental health and future prospects.
US politics
fromMission Local
1 day ago

Fired judge goes to the border, searching for what he missed on the bench

Jeremiah Johnson, an immigration judge, was fired and chose to explore the U.S.-Mexico border to understand the immigrant experience better.
fromCalifornia Post
1 day ago

Child arrested after horrific bullying attack left schoolgirl, 12, dead

This arrest is an important step toward accountability, but it does not change the bigger truth: this tragedy was entirely preventable, attorney Robert Glassman of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP wrote in a statement obtained by CBS News.
NYC parents
Social justice
fromSan Jose Spotlight
2 days ago

Op-ed: Faith-based resource centers are trailblazers in reentry work - San Jose Spotlight

April is Second Chance Month, focusing on reducing barriers for individuals reentering society after incarceration.
Medicine
fromTruthout
2 days ago

Our Prison-Like Clinic System Is Thwarting Effective Opioid Addiction Treatment

Methadone is essential for opioid addiction treatment, yet its distribution is heavily regulated by law enforcement, complicating access for those in need.
Law
fromAbove the Law
2 days ago

The Price Of Justice And The Promise Of AI - Above the Law

Rising legal service costs and declining access-to-justice funding widen the gap for those needing legal protections, with AI presenting potential solutions.
SF parents
fromMission Local
2 days ago

S.F. nonprofit exec, charged as accomplice in alleged public dollar misappropriation, is out of jail

James Spingola was released from jail on bond after being charged with aiding former Human Rights Commission head Sheryl Davis in felony activities.
#parenting
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
3 days ago

My Daughter Has Been Framed for Something She Didn't Do. My Husband Thinks She Should Just Accept the Punishment.

Middle schoolers should be involved in decisions about their conflicts and how to address misunderstandings with peers and school authorities.
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago
Parenting

Help! My Daughter Almost Went to Jail in High School. Now Her Worst Influence Is Back to Torment Us All.

Parents must set and enforce firm household boundaries to protect a young adult from harmful friends who caused past criminal and financial consequences.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
3 days ago

My Daughter Has Been Framed for Something She Didn't Do. My Husband Thinks She Should Just Accept the Punishment.

Middle schoolers should be involved in decisions about their conflicts and how to address misunderstandings with peers and school authorities.
fromThe Nation
3 days ago

The Hidden Crisis of Addiction Treatment

Doyle's death at Above It All is one of several preventable deaths that Walter investigates in Rehab. The case exemplifies systemic failures in addiction treatment.
SOMA, SF
LGBT
fromTruthout
4 days ago

Trans People Behind Bars Share How They Are Navigating the Dangers of Visibility

Transgender individuals in prison face increased violence and discrimination, exacerbated by negative media portrayals and political rhetoric.
New York City
fromHoodline
4 days ago

Next Mile NYC Expands To Rikers With $2.9M CDL Program

Mayor Zohran Mamdani expands the Next Mile NYC program to Rikers Island, providing training for driving jobs to individuals in custody.
#rikers-island
Brooklyn
fromCity & State NY
5 days ago

Where does each borough-based jail project stand?

Rikers Island is set to be replaced by four borough-based jails, but the project is over budget and behind schedule.
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
fromCity & State NY
5 days ago

Where does each borough-based jail project stand?

Rikers Island is set to be replaced by four borough-based jails, but the project is over budget and behind schedule.
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

Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Why Sobriety Feels Flat (and How to Bring Back the Spark)

Drinking behavior is driven by habit loops, and removing alcohol without replacing rituals can hinder sobriety efforts.
fromwww.bbc.com
2 days ago

Prison guard and gang jailed over contraband plot

Jason Thompson, a guard at HMP Isis, was suspended as the Metropolitan Police investigated his involvement in smuggling drugs and contraband into the prison. He was sentenced to four years and six months for conspiracy and misconduct.
UK news
NYC parents
fromwww.amny.com
3 days 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.
Law
fromPoynter
3 days ago

Like journalists, prosecutors shaped a distorted view of crime. They can help fix it, too. - Poynter

Prosecutors and journalists both contribute to misleading public perceptions of crime, but prosecutors possess crucial data to tell a more accurate story.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week 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.
NYC politics
fromCity Limits
4 days ago

Opinion: New York's Mental Health Crisis Demands We Invest in Programs That Work

Scaling and coordinating effective behavioral health programs is essential for creating a continuum of care in New York City.
US news
fromBoston.com
4 days ago

Worcester man gets 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors

Antonio Merced was sentenced to 30 years for sexually abusing three children and possessing child pornography.
Social justice
fromSlate Magazine
5 days 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.
London politics
fromIndependent
5 days ago

Dublin armed robber reveals secret life and remorse after 20 years on the run

A man who committed 13 hotel robberies received a suspended sentence after nearly 20 years on the run and significant personal rehabilitation.
Brooklyn
fromNew York Daily News
6 days ago

Video shows MDC Brooklyn inmates 'fishing' for contraband through window

Inmates at MDC Brooklyn attempted a contraband smuggling scheme using a rope and cellphone instructions from convicted killer Taxstone.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 weeks 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
UK news
fromBoston.com
4 days ago

Man sentenced for raping 2 women in Framingham store in 1989

Stephen Paul Gale was sentenced to at least 50 years in prison for raping two women in 1989, likely resulting in his death behind bars.
Canada news
fromwww.cbc.ca
2 weeks ago

As Ford government vows to keep more criminals 'behind bars,' data shows violence in jails is rising | CBC News

Ontario jail violence is escalating, with staff assaults rising to 11 per 100 inmates in 2025 from 9 in 2024, and inmate-on-inmate assaults reaching 67 per 100 inmates, driven by overcrowding and chronic staff shortages.
#homelessness
Social justice
fromPUNCH
5 days ago

What Does a Bar Owe Its Neighbors?

Bartenders in urban areas face challenges of homelessness and mental health crises, requiring a balance of compassion, safety, and quick decision-making.
#restorative-justice
#child-exploitation
fromBoston.com
2 weeks ago
NYC parents

Former Boston Public Schools teacher sentenced to 10 years in prison for child exploitation

fromBoston.com
2 weeks ago
NYC parents

Former Boston Public Schools teacher sentenced to 10 years in prison for child exploitation

London politics
fromIndependent
1 week ago

Five members of Dublin gang jailed for total of 34 years for torture of man 'that bypasses any notion of humanity'

Five gang members received 34 years in prison for torturing Barry Moore, including waterboarding and branding him with a hot iron.
NYC politics
fromThe Nation
1 week ago

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Doesn't Work. Mamdani Could Stop It.

Coercive mental health care lacks evidence to support its necessity and effectiveness.
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Embracing the Warrior-Guardian Paradox in Modern Policing

The warrior and guardian are not competing philosophies between which a department must choose. They are complementary capacities every officer needs - and every agency must develop, sustain, and honor equally.
Social justice
Law
from48 hills
2 weeks 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.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Empathy and Juvenile Crime

Mirror neurons are specialized brain cells that fire during both performing and observing actions, forming the neurobiological basis of empathy and influencing human behavior and decision-making.
fromHoodline
2 weeks ago

Cypress Hills shooting: Men sentenced in Brooklyn

Joshua Bonilla was sentenced to 32 years to life, and Bryant Perez, identified by prosecutors as the getaway driver, received 20 years to life after pleading guilty.
Brooklyn
fromGothamist
2 weeks 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
#prison-reform
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week 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 week 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.
SF LGBT
fromQueerty
3 weeks ago

Coming out behind bars: Man reveals how prison helped him embrace his true self - Queerty

A man serving 15 years to life found personal freedom and self-acceptance as a gay man in prison, inspired by the film Moonlight to come out to everyone in his life.
#criminal-justice
California
fromCalifornia Post
3 weeks 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
3 weeks 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.
London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

Killed by the same abuser: Families demand answers

Family of missing woman Fiona Holm faced police inaction despite concerns about her boyfriend's behavior and previous violence.
Brooklyn
fromGothamist
2 weeks 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.
NYC politics
fromNew York Post
3 weeks 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.
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Governors warn of increasing violence of nothing-to-lose' inmates attacking notorious prisoners

As prison sentences have become longer, and as more prisoners are given whole-life tariffs or given minimum sentences of 20, 30 or 40 years, it is harder to persuade them to hold back on their violent instincts. They have nothing to lose. If you are serving a long sentence, you can feel as if you don't have a life ahead of you—your family may well have disowned you, your relationships may have broken down.
UK news
#criminal-justice-reform
California
fromLos Angeles Times
3 weeks 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
fromAbove the Law
4 weeks 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.
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.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
3 weeks 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
fromAbove the Law
4 weeks 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.
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.
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
Venture
fromFortune
1 month ago

Defy Ventures teaches entrepreneurship in prisons. It changed how I think about founders | Fortune

Entrepreneurship training in prisons humanizes incarcerated people by reframing them as entrepreneurs-in-training and teaching business skills applicable to legal enterprises.
fromNew York Post
1 month 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
#prison-education
fromwww.amny.com
2 months ago

Op-Ed | Do rehabilitation programs in prison help, both legally and personally? amNewYork

RDAP is a voluntary program that lasts between nine and 12 months (ordinarily, it requires roughly 38 weeks to complete in five-day workweeks, three-hour-a-day segments). The 500-hour program strives to educate inmates on the dangers of addiction. Most importantly, relapse prevention is stressed with the goal of helping inmates during post-release stay clean and sober to avoid reoffending. Congress appropriates more than $100 million annually for RDAP.
Public health
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
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.
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

For those with addiction, going into and coming out of prison can be a minefield.

The Alaska Department of Corrections does not provide comprehensive access to this life saving medication. "I'm gonna give you a little pinch," Spencer said, sliding the needle into a fold of skin on the patient's belly for the subcutaneous injection. Alaska's not an outlier. Despite the fact that those recently released from incarceration are some of the most vulnerable to dying from drug overdose, addiction experts say that many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment.
Public health
US politics
fromTruthout
2 months ago

We Can Honor Renee Nicole Good's Life by Abolishing Death-Making Institutions

ICE agents have killed civilians, including Renee Nicole Good, revealing systemic violence and prompting grief-driven abolitionist organizing, solidarity, and labor activism.
Social justice
fromwww.mercurynews.com
2 months ago

Opinion: A California diversion program saved her from prison and dying young

Community-based diversion with behavioral health, job training, and supports can break cycles of trauma and incarceration and enable educational and professional recovery.
Social justice
fromCity Limits
2 months ago

Opinion: Real Public Safety Comes from Support, Not Jail Cells

Systematic disinvestment in neighborhoods, not juvenile justice reform, drives youth violence by removing supportive resources and trusted adults.
fromwww.mercurynews.com
2 months ago

I am not beyond redemption': Facing possible prison time, ex-Antioch cop reflects on a life of hardship

He describes turning to steroids after several spine injuries in the line of duty, the nightmares that haunt him from the day a tried to save a 2-year-old girl who drowned in a backyard pool, and the fateful morning where FBI armored cars drove onto his lawn and burst into his home with flashbang grenades while he poured milk into his kids' cereal bowls.
California
US news
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

After multiple shootings, paralysis, fights with jail deputies, Oakland woman is going to prison

Tyja Braswell pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and a probation violation and faces an expected nine-year prison term.
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.
#murder
Law
fromwww.sandiegouniontribune.com
2 months ago

California high school shooter ruling follows evolving approach to juvenile offenders

Changes in California juvenile law and appellate rulings could make Charles Andy Williams eligible for resentencing and likely release after his lengthy youth sentence.
fromABC7 San Francisco
10 years ago

Ex-law student gets 7 year sentence for hitting man with car in Oakland

The charges against Zato stem from an incident in which she plowed into 27-year-old James Roda of Oakland with her 1984 Mercedes-Benz while he was in the middle of 14th Street between Madison and Oak streets shortly before 1 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2013. Zato's lawyer, Megan Burns, said in her closing argument in November that Zato struck Roda under duress because she faced an imminent threat from a group of men who had beaten her and robbed her of her cellphone in front of the Oakland Public Library.
California
Law
fromThe Oaklandside
1 month ago

People awaiting trial in Alameda County now have better access to resources

Alameda County launched an expanded pretrial services program connecting defendants awaiting trial to case managers and community resources to reduce recidivism.
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Wrongly released sex offender admits crimes

Metropolitan Police A convicted sex offender who was accidentally released from prison has pleaded guilty to burglary and carrying a knife. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, became the centre of a manhunt in November after he was mistakenly set free from HMP Wandsworth while on remand awaiting trial for the offences. On Tuesday, Kaddour-Cherif appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court and admitted breaking into a garage in Walthamstow, east London and stealing bikes in January 2024.
UK news
fromwww.dailynews.com
2 months ago

California agency tasked with scrutinizing jail deaths hasn't completed a single review

A state office created in 2024 to scrutinize local investigations into jail deaths has yet to complete a single review of the more than 150 people who have died in custody in California's county jails over the past year-and-a-half. That's because it hasn't received the records needed to fully analyze the deaths, according to the Board of State and Community Corrections, a regulatory body appointed by the governor to oversee the state's jails and juvenile halls.
California
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