Sunshine Laws and the Black Box of American Prisons

The U.S. claims to uphold democratic transparency through sunshine laws, yet prison systems remain opaque and resistant to scrutiny. Despite public access laws, obtaining vital information about prison conditions is hindered by bureaucratic delays and institutional secrecy. Enhanced transparency and independent oversight are essential for accountability in corrections.

Locked Down: How Prison Lockdowns Undermine Mental Health and Rehabilitation in U.S. Prisons

In many U.S. prisons, “lockdown” no longer describes a rare emergency response to a riot or a narrowly targeted security incident. It has become a recurring operational mode: housing units sealed, movement halted, yard and dayroom time canceled, phones restricted, visits suspended, and education, treatment, and job assignments paused—sometimes for days, weeks, or even months. Reporting in recent years has documented extended lockdowns tied not only to violence but also to chronic understaffing and overcrowding, raising a stark question: When a prison can’t run its basic schedule safely, are we still operating a rehabilitative institution or merely warehousing human beings behind steel doors?

April Is Second Chance Month: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Every April, communities across the United States pause to recognize a powerful truth: no one should be defined forever by their worst mistake. April is Second Chance Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the barriers facing people with criminal records and to promote policies and practices that support successful reentry, restoration, and community safety.

OLD SCHOOL

While in prison I met a lot of men that required assistance in the form of wheelchairs, walkers or canes to get around. Most of the handicapped inmates I knew didn’t arrive in prison that way. In Prison time moves slowly but inmates age faster than on the outside. A substantial body of medical, gerontological, and social science research demonstrates that incarceration is associated with accelerated aging. Each year spent incarcerated is associated with an estimated two‑year reduction in life expectancy. Incarcerated individuals experience earlier onset of chronic disease, functional impairment, cognitive decline, and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. As a result, people in prison are often considered physiologically 10–15 years older than their chronological age. Recent reforms move Michigan away from the most restrictive end of the spectrum, but it remains closer to “medically frail only” systems than to states that treat advanced age and lengthy incarceration itself as grounds for sentence review. Compared with these models, Michigan—like most U.S. states—places greater emphasis on managing aging within prison rather than structurally limiting long-term incarceration of older adults.

Second Chances

There has been much said about whether or not those convicted of committing a crime should be given a second chance.  A wide variety of voices in our culture have made their opinions perfectly clear.  "Tough On Crime" was a political approach that emphasizes strict enforcement of laws and harsher penalties for offenders, often associated … Continue reading Second Chances