Prison
A prisoner in solitary confinement was the only survivor of the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century
Mount Pelée, on the Caribbean island of Martinique, erupted in 1902, killing 30,000 people in the scenic town of Saint-Pierre. But rescuers found one …
20th CenturyJail battle sees prisoner hurl another lag over railings during brutal fight
A prisoner has secretly been filmed picking up a fellow inmate and throwing them over a railing.<p>The footage appears to be have been shot at Lompoc …
Los Angeles ChargersAaron Hernandez reportedly miserable in prison: 'He was an easy target'
Aaron Hernandez's time in prison was not the cake walk he expected.<p>Despite alleged claims that he would "run this place," Hernandez reportedly was …
Aaron HernandezChange and Culture Collide in America's Prison Capital
BATON ROUGE—Louisiana is on the verge of a wide-ranging criminal justice overhaul aimed at curbing the highest incarceration rate in America.<p>Gov. John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, and some top Republican lawmakers are backing legislation that would reduce sentences …
Baton RougeAlabama Inmate Tommy Arthur Faces Eighth Execution Date
After Tommy Arthur was convicted of murdering his lover's husband while on work release from prison, he told the jury to sentence him to execution — not because he wanted to die, but because he thought capital punishment would give him more avenues to appeal the verdict.<p>In the 25 years since then, …
CrimeAlabama prisoner faces eighth execution date amid death penalty debate
WASHINGTON — Thomas Arthur may have nine lives. If not, he will die Thursday night.<p>The Supreme Court was poised Thursday to consider any last-minute appeals from the Alabama prisoner, who is seeking his eighth stay of execution for a 1982 murder he claims he did not commit.<p>The justices have dealt …
JudiciaryMy Husband Is Starving In An Israeli Jail—We’ll Be Reunited When Palestine Is Free
Marwan Barghouti promised his wife a normal life. She's been waiting for 32 years.
Shooting Hogs from Balloons Could Soon Be a Reality in Texas
The state legislature just passed a bill to legalize the practice, because apparently hunting them from helicopters was too noisy.<p>Texans are just one signature away from being able to load up a rifle, hop in a hot air balloon, and rain down a torrential hellfire of bullets on the state's feral hog …
Hot Air BalloonsPrisons: Too many prisons make bad people worse. There is a better way
PrisonsToo many prisons make bad people worse. There is a better way<p>The world can learn from how Norway treats its offenders<p>print-edition iconPrint …
EconomicsFlash - 91 prisoners escape Brazilian jail, flee through tunnel - France 24
SAO PAULO (AFP) -<p>A group of 91 prisoners escaped a jail in northeastern Brazil on Thursday by fleeing through a 30-meter (100-foot) tunnel, Brazilian media said.<p>Nine of the inmates have been found, while police are attempting to catch the remaining 82 who disappeared from the prison in Parnamirim, …
BrazilWith A Retail Partner, Anti-Death Penalty Movement Can Smell Success
The often-ignored issue finds a fragrant angel in Lush as it hopes to add mainstream support to every shopping bag.<p>CHICAGO ― On a recent spring evening along the Magnificent Mile, a cluster of shoppers gathered amid heaps of organic soap and fizzy bath bombs to engage in a decidedly less …
Black Lives MatterDeadly Nebraska prison revolt began with spat over 150 pounds of confiscated homemade alcohol
LINCOLN, Neb. — A Nebraska prison uprising in March that left two inmates dead began because inmates were angry that prison staffers had confiscated …
DenverHow a Democratic Governor Pushed Prison Overhaul in a Law-and-Order State
BATON ROUGE—The attack ad hit four weeks before Election Day in 2015, accusing gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards of plans to release “5,500 dangerous thugs.”<p>Aired by Republican David Vitter, the ad aimed to exploit Mr. Edwards’s promise to reduce Louisiana’s incarceration rate, the highest …
Baton RougeNew tool backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Google aims to make prison data more transparent
You can't change what you can't see.<p>That's the motto of Measures for Justice, a nonprofit that just launched an online data portal to address unanswered questions about the American criminal justice system. Though the prison system is highly critiqued by activists, we know very little about what …
Mark ZuckerbergMerger of prisons, parole agencies hits opposition in House
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's bid to merge the Department of Corrections and the Board of Probation and Parole is hitting another wall of resistance, …
Congressional CommitteesPrison operators each sport 3%-plus gains
GEO Group (GEO +3.2%) is making a nice move on a report of a $350M/1.8K bed contract win from the Bureau of Prisons. But Corecivic (CXW +3.5%) is up …
Corby reportedly came close to death penalty
Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, due to return to Australia in the coming days, was only spared the death penalty due to her young age, …
Death PenaltyHigher parole fees would clash with Louisiana's goal to reduce its prison population: Opinion
Louisiana needs to make up its mind. Do we really want to lose our distinction as the world's foremost incarcerator of human beings, or don't we? …
New OrleansCommentary: Mentally ill kids shouldn’t languish in juvenile halls
California’s mentally ill children need clearer laws when going through the juvenile court system.<p>Most everyone is familiar with a phrase we often …
Mental DisordersJail break: America’s prisons are failing. Here’s how to make them work
Jail breakAmerica’s prisons are failing. Here’s how to make them work<p>A lot is known about how to reform prisoners. Far too little is …
Business (UK)Inmate, 30, dies at Saskatchewan Penitentiary seven months into sentence
A 30-year-old man has died while in custody at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary.<p>Emergency services were called to the Prince Albert facility Wednesday …
Canadian NewsLouisiana criminal justice overhaul threatened because of Democrats, GOP budget fight
The Louisiana House put off voting on bills that are part of a wider criminal justice overhaul Thursday (May 25) because the Democrats and …
U.S. CongressJury rejects ex-Rikers inmate's claims that guards starved him
A Bronx jury didn’t believe a former Rikers Island inmate who said four officers starved him and used excessive force to break his arm.
New York CityEx-Washington corrections boss up for NYC jail commissioner job
The former head of Washington State corrections who resigned after 3,000 inmates were mistakenly released is in the running to take over the …
New York CityThree Brooklyn Federal Prison Guards Arrested On Charges Of Raping, Sexually Abusing Inmates
Federal agents have arrested three guards from Brooklyn's federal jail on charges that they raped and sexually abused several female inmates. [ more …
Crime8 California guards, 7 inmates sent to hospital after brawl
A fight between two California prisoners quickly raged out of control Wednesday and forced correctional officers to open fire to stop a melee that …
Crime'I won't give up': Death row inmate seeks execution reprieve
The man derisively called the "Houdini" of death row by victims' advocates is asking the courts to halt his execution for an eighth time, saying …
Jeff Sessions May Be Tough On Crime, But States Want Fewer Prisoners
Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s tough-on-crime policies are drawing criticism from civil rights groups and lawmakers. But his efforts also face an …
Jeff SessionsLionel Messi's 21-month prison sentence in tax-fraud case is upheld, but he is not expected to serve any prison time
The Supreme Court in Spain has upheld a 21-month prison sentence for Argentine football star Lionel Messi and his father in the appeal of their tax-fraud case. Neither, however, is expected to serve any time behind bars.<p>According to a Reuters report, sentences under two years in length in Spain can …
Lionel MessiBefore Michael Sabbie Died Behind Bars, Private Jail Guards Accused Him Of Faking Sick
The father of four was written up for "creating a disturbance” when he sought medical attention for breathing problems.<p>WASHINGTON ― Guards at the for-profit jail on the border of Texas and Arkansas ― where 35-year-old Michael Sabbie died in July 2015 after begging guards for help ― accused the …
Policing