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Inmate Deaths Raise Questions About Temperatures in Oklahoma Prisons
By Keaton Ross On October 5, 2023 During the early morning count on Saturday, Aug. 26, state corrections officers found Vincent Willis dead in his cell at the Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy. The 59-year-old prisoner died overnight in his sleep, according to an offender death report obtained through the Oklahoma Open Records Act.…
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What’s behind a surge of deaths at one Ohio jail?
Montgomery county jail’s population is only 600 people – and all seven deaths happened within days of entering the facility, during pre-trial detention By Stephen Starr On October 5, 2023 Days after Steven Blackshear was booked into Montgomery county jail in downtown Dayton, Ohio, in January, a nurse found him shaking, in a fetal position and…
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US prisons rife with human rights abuses, especially against Black people, UN says
By Hassan Kanu On October 4, 2023 A U.N.-appointed panel issued a report last week documenting “shocking” violations of basic human rights and pointing to “staggering” racial disparities that place the U.S. criminal justice system in a singular category on the world stage. Practices that are routine in U.S. prisons, like shackling women during childbirth and unpaid forced…
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WA Prisons Clear All Guards to Carry Narcan. Not All Intend to Do So.
By Jonathan Kirkpatrick On October 4, 2023 Washington State Department of Corrections (WDOC) staff are now permitted to carry Narcan while on duty. Though the change is not reflected in WDOC’s emergency medical treatment policy, some corrections officers (COs) have been carrying the opioid overdose antidote since at least September. Narcan is still not available to…
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Pennsylvania Solitary Unit Pushes People to Suicide, Lawsuit Alleges
Within months of entering the Security Threat Group Management Unit at SCI Fayette, one man says he smeared, “Kill me, I’m ready to go,” on the cell in his own blood. By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg On October 3, 2023 When T. Montana Bell arrived at SCI Fayette, a Pennsylvania state prison, he says he stepped off…
Read MoreMontana inmates with mental illnesses languish in jail awaiting treatment before trial
By Aaron Bolton On October 1, 2023 Montana inmates with severe mental illness can languish for months in jail. They are too ill to stand trial, and there’s only one state hospital that can treat them. AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: Some inmates awaiting trial in Montana remain in jail for months because of severe mental illness.…
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Florida law targeting drag shows can’t be enforced for now, appellate court says
By The Associated Press On October 12, 2023 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A ruling prohibiting the enforcement of a new Florida law targeting drag shows will stay in place for the time being, according to a federal appeals court decision. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s granting…
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The NHL bans Pride Tape, setting off a backlash from players and fans
By Bill Chappell On October 12, 2023 Rainbow-colored Pride Tape has been part of pro ice hockey for seven years, symbolizing the sport’s pledge to be welcoming and inclusive. But the NHL has banned the athletic tape, quickly sparking a backlash. Critics say the league’s decision is a step backward. High-profile players say they’re disappointed.…
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Thousands of women march in Latin American cities calling for abortion rights
By Megan Janetsky and Debora Rey On October 4, 2023 The streets of cities across Latin America were bathed in green Thursday as tens of thousands of women marched to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day. Latin American feminists have spent decades fighting to roll back strict prohibitions, although there are still few countries with a total…
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