/r/prisonreform
A subreddit dedicated to issues with US and international penal systems, and discussing attempts to improve conditions and reduce recidivism.
New news: Now under new management.
This is a subreddit dedicated to issues with US and international penal systems, and discussing attempts to improve conditions and reduce recidivism.
Systemic abuse in prisons: rape, neglect, and torture, occur in many countries, both developed and developing. Politics often gets in the way of effective solutions to dealing with issues such as violence, overcrowding, and recidivism in prison.
Change: All users can now post articles into the sub -- just keep the sub's topic/focus above in mind and please stay on-topic.
Sub-reddit rules:
Rule: Do not post insults or ad hominem attacks! No name calling! In Reddit's "Reddiquette" this is called "remember the human." In normal conversation it's called "don't be a dick." You're talking to another human -- be civil.
Rule: Stick to the sub's topic. The focus of this sub is reforming prisons, an admittedly broad topic but not an unlimited one.
Behavior: Try not to downvote. That gives a sub a "negative" flavor. This is a bit different than Reddit's standard advice, but it works. Instead of downvoting, don't vote at all on some post -- "deafen" them with silence. But by all means, do not downvote just because you disagree with someone no matter how much of a twit or fool the person is. Ignore the fool and avoid negativity.
Behavior: Upvote early and often. There can hardly be a thing of too many upvotes -- upvotes are positivity and happiness. And you have an unlimited supply of them on Reddit. So use them!
Expectation: Expect some biased or unconventional article sources. An intelligent, informed person should know the positions and perspectives of multiple points of view. Knowing what "the other side" or other ideologies arguments and perspectives are is important.
Behavior: Avoid editorializing headlines. Try to keep headlines as article titles or objective summaries about what the article's about. Comments are the place for opinions and editorializing.
Related and/or noteworthy subreddits:
/r/prisonreform
In the premiere episode of F'nAround in the Morning, extended from FnAround.com podcast, an anonymous call from inside prison reveals the untold story of Prentiss Banks Ill. Convicted of felony murder at just 18 years old, Now, for the first time, Prentiss shares the shocking details of his case.
My partners and I were disgusted at how other companies were ripping off families just so they could communicate with an incarcerated loved one so we developed a new mail system for both personal and legal mail. No accounts to fund, no extensive registration process. Register and confirm your email and you're up and running. $0.60 for a two-page letter. $1.19 for a real 4x6 photo (cheaper than any other service when you add up hidden costs). And it arrives in the facility the same day, although a lot depends on when the mailroom guys deliver mail. No rush charges ever. For prisons and jails it means zero chance of fentanyl or K2, etc. coming in, and a much more efficient and budget friendly way to handle mail. It's called LIAM Safe and we are quickly gaining ground nationwide. It's in use in Cook County (IL), Westchester and Suffolk Counties (NY) and a bunch others. Great system for all parties. We're hoping to spread the word. Thank you for allowing us to post and if you read this far, double thanks. LIAM Connect LiveIntelligentAutonomous*Mail
This system was developed by a former officer that worked at a facility with over 7 staff stabbings over a 2 year period. This system is unbreakable and un penetrable.
See attached
So im looking for places to donate that are specific to improving quality of life of prisoners. Looking to do something with more immediate impact and for something lesser known than big things like the innocence project. Something for improving overall quality of life and conditions that improve the day to day of what’s going on in prisons right now as opposed to long term projects (obviously these are still very important but from what I can tell these get more attention and I want to find something that’s going to help right now in the system we unfortunately already have) Any ideas?
i am doing an essay in college about the US prison system and UK prison system comparing it to ones in Scandinavia. i will be looking into how to potentially improve the system but i am required to gather information from people who have worked in prison and people who have been to prison. is there anyone would could discuss this with me? all would be anonymous.
UPDATE Firstly, I thank everyone who contributed. I appreciate the kind words and the hard messages (that I'm choosing to take as tough love 😋😋)
I have done something I haven't done in years -- read through the transcripts and evidentiary documents that my father has sent. Here is what I found:
In my state, DNA identity cannot be declared unless statistical analysis is completed. The analyst testified that statistical analysis was not performed on this initial, pre-arrest sample -- it can be assumed that the "inconclusive" results came from a lack of statistical analysis, although that is not clear 4. More samples were collected from my father during his pre-trial and trial which were also not subjected to statistical analysis 5. During sentencing, the judge referred to sample taken surreptitiously as the definitive match and therefore scientific evidence of guilt. 6. The unknown DNA collected from the victim was also never run through statistical analysis because the analyst was only testing for 7 locations rather than the 10 minimum locations suggested in order to enter into CODIS. With less than 10 locations, there is a greater chance of getting hits to multiple people.
So, even if statistical analysis was done the 4th collection from my dad, that same analysis was not done on the unknown DNA and therefore a 1:1 match beyond a reason of doubt could not have been determined......right??
When I was in high school, he was arrested under a warrant that stated his DNA matched that of a person who committed a sexual assault years prior.
Once he was in custody, he was subjected to another DNA swab.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution stated that they had never received any evidence that my father's DNA, which was collected surreptitiously, was a match to the perpetrator who assaulted the victim, and therefore requested another DNA sample.
(This is now a total of 3 DNA samples that were taken from my father, none of which were actually matched to the perpetrator.)
Almost 3 months, and another DNA sample later, was a "match" somehow declared.
The previous inconclusive matches were disregarded, as was the fact that the initial sample was not a match, and should have nullified my father's arrest.
He should be home.
Instead, he's missed the birth of his 3 grandchildren, and his niece and nephew, 6 graduations, and the wedding of his eldest son. My wedding is coming up. With the current speed of the legal system, it seems like he may miss my wedding as well.
My father has reached out to innocence projects, lawyers, civil rights attorneys, and filed motion after motion -- all to no avail.
My question is: Can evidence collected after a defendant's arrest constitute probable cause for his arrest?
Hello all. I wanted to share a project that has been in the works for about two years to hear what you all think of it.
I've been collaborating with an artist and activist, Darrell Fair, on a project about mass incarceration call Bird. Bird is an interactive documentary where players can piece together memories from Darrell's life, told through recorded interviews of him and his family, his own hand-drawn art and animations, and through various interactions such as home-video projects and telephone calls. The goal is to leverage the digital technology of video games to connect to people outside of the black-box of prison, so that people can have meaningful conversations about mass incarceration.
It's a very intimate and vulnerable look at Darrell's life, resulting in what I think is a powerful experience of humanization of the prison population. I'm at the point where I am ready to share this project with players and at festivals and I'm searching for an audience that would have a genuine vested interest in this story.
For those that would like more information about this, you can find out more about it here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2920280/Bird/ or a short video on it here: https://youtu.be/61cSbcWhRfA
I understand this is a divisive topic, and an unorthodox medium for exploration of mass incarceration, but I'd love to hear your honest thoughts. What do you all think? Is this something you would be intrigued by?
FESTIVAL AWARDS LIST: Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival - Audience Award Short Film
Bend Film Festival - Audience Award Best Short
Santa Fe International Film Festival - Oscar Qualifying Best Documentary Short Award
Lake County Film Festival - Jury Award for Best Short Documentary
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/jenifermcshane/review/933308180/5780c85d10
Hi all,
I am Charlotte, a Casting Associate for director Joshua Z Weinstein. We are currently casting real people to play roles in his upcoming feature-length film. As it has to do with a man who is out on parole and trying to navigate life after prison, we want to give people who have been formerly incarcerated the chance to apply. NO ACTING EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED, JUST AN INTEREST IN ACTING!! The film will shoot on Staten Island in the Spring of 2025.
We're looking for BIG PERSONALITIES. Casting both men and women, and people of all ages -- tell your sisters, wives, aunts, and uncles to apply too!
If you are interested, please fill out the submission form, which is the first step of our casting process. It takes less than 10 minutes to do, and is fun to fill out.
Early bird gets the worm! Please apply ASAP!!
The link to the open call is on Google Forms, the link is: https://forms.gle/x9MvxPGRGnD8WxNK7
Questions? Email: tugboatcasting@gmail.com
All the best and I look forward to seeing you!!
The Marshall Legal Clinic is back with two new dates in November and February! Don't miss this chance for FREE record expungement services & legal referrals. Registration required - see link
"The Office of the Attorney General issued a press release, bearing the seal of the State of Texas, doubling down on its grotesque misrepresentations of Robert Roberson’s innocence case endeavoring to discredit Mr. Roberson."
Click link for more information: