Driven by the economic crisis, states all across the country are re-thinking their tough-on-crime policies.Last year Oregon’s Governor Kitzhaber formed a Commission on Public Safety to take a strategic look at Oregon’s sentencing laws and to find a more cost effective way to ensure the public’s safety.
The U.S. has more people in jail than any other country. The General Accounting Office says the number of inmates has tripled since 1980. In this program, recorded in Colorado Springs, Angela Davis discusses how race, class and gender issues intersect with the drug war and the fast-growing prison industry.
In this weeks episode host Grace E Reed talks with the former host of Prison Pipeline, Ruth Kovacs. The talk centers around Prison Pipeline and it's positive affect it has had with listeners. Both Ruth and Grace share their experiences with the prison community and social outreach programs. Grace also talks a bit about her latest book, "Negotiating Shadows".
A local man serving time in Multnomah County Jail has reported to KBOO that guards and nurses have been negligent in providing him the correct medication for mental illness.
As KBOO’s Jenka Soderberg reports, the problem is widespread, and stems from a lack of resources for mental health in the county.
This year, marks the 40th anniversary of the African People's Socialist Party - USA. The Party's National Plenary will be held from February 18th-21st in St. Petersburg Florida at the Uhuru House.
On this program, we talk to Nyabinga Dzimbahwe, of the African People's Socialist Party and Wendy Snyder of the African People's Solidarity Committee. We also feature a speech by the Chairman of the African People's Socialist Party, Omali Yeshitela.
Carlos Chavez interviews Alison Parker of Human Rights Watch. They discuss her recent report titled, Against All Odds: Prison Conditions for Youth Offenders Serving Life without Parole Sentences in the United Stated. Drawing on six years of research, and interviews and correspondence with correctional officials and hundreds of youth offenders serving life without parole, Parker sheds light on the overwhelming accounts of abuse suffered by young people facing this kind of incarceration. Young offenders serving time in adult prisons who are smaller in stature are statistically most vulnerable to attack.
Peter Pincetl talks with Trules Neil, District Manager of the Department of Community Justice, about the Re-entry Enhancement Coordination Program (REC) and how it helps to reduce recidivism. Peter also talks with Shawn King, a graduate of the program, about how the program helped him through the transition process.
Perspectives on Prison from the students at Portland Youth Builders
Megan Vosk hosts this evening’s Prison Pipeline. It presents three short pieces produced by students in the media program at Portland Youth Builders. All three pieces provide interesting perspectives on prison life. The first piece talks about how the media portrays the prison lifestyle as glamorous. The students analyze a song, a movie and a news clip, and find that in general the media perceives prison as a macho place. The second piece compares the difference between prison myths and reality. It features two interviews, one with someone who has never been to prison but has ideas of what it may be like, and one with someone who has just gotten out of prison after serving eighteen months, who is able to share what it really is like to be locked down.
