Category: In the News

In 1998, a new law quietly multiplied the years many people would spend locked up in Illinois prisons.  “Truth-in-sentencing,” a policy passed by the Illinois General Assembly during a wave of “tough-on-crime” laws, promised to create more transparency around prison sentences.  Instead, the policy rolled back opportunities to earn sentence reductions by eliminating or sharply…

A  new HBO documentary  is bringing national attention to the problems behind Alabama’s prison walls, and it was topic of discussion in the state legislature’s joint prison committee. The Wednesday morning meeting was the first time the committee has held a public meeting since the documentary’s release. Some people who attended the meeting wore t-shirts…

Jan. 28, 2026 When we closed the curtain on Gov. Phil Murphy’s tenure, he left behind some big shoes for Gov. Mikie Sherill to step into as her term began. As part of my work, I often speak with government officials who are wary of using their powers to give incarcerated people second chances due…

February 4, 2026 WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – State prisons in the United States became more violent and nearly 50% deadlier over the past five years as authorities struggled to keep enough guards on the job, according to a government-funded report to be released on Wednesday. The United States locks away more people than any…

Feb 3, 2026 JEFFERSON CITY — Competing criminal justice philosophies were on display in the Missouri House last week as lawmakers debated bills to help inmates get out of prison sooner and one that would expand the use of mandatory minimum sentences that critics say would keep convicts behind bars longer. Read More

February 4, 2026 An incarcerated person diagnosed with a terminal illness could be released to a care facility or home setting under a bill advanced by an Iowa House subcommittee. House Study Bill 314 would require that each case be reviewed by the Iowa Board of Parole. Victims of the offender could submit input, and…

Nov 18, 2025 TOPEKA — A Kansas Senate bill would let inmates seek resentencing after a set period of time based on their age during the offense — an effort to reduce excessive prison time, especially for young offenders. SB 255, the “Second Look Act,” would allow inmates to petition for resentencing 10 years after…

October 7, 2025 It’s hard to find hope in a terminal illness. But for Darnell Price, the spread of a cancerous tumor opened the door for a new life. It was a chance to spend his remaining days outside of prison. Two Wisconsin Department of Corrections doctors in 2023 projected Price would die within a…

October 8, 2025 A few weeks after his 18 th  birthday, Jonathan Baake was charged with illegal possession of a firearm – given a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. He had a hard time adjusting to prison life and was transferred twice to higher security correctional centers. That has his mother on edge. She…

October 7, 2025 Hawaiʻi is the only state in the nation that does not have a compassionate release law, which allows inmates to be considered for release from prison for medical reasons. Instead of having a law in place, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation only has an agency policy that advocates say is…