Items

• 
  2021-01-15

  Marionettes can't escape the long arm of the law.

  a comic strip about Covid-19
• 
  2021-10-04

  Neglect of Prisoners

  One of the examples of bigger issues coming to light during the pandemic. Not only were people in prisons fighting covid, but they're also continually dealing with a lack of resources such as basic air conditioning/ heat.
• 2021-02-25

  Conditions of Release

  My 80-year old mother got her second vaccine dose on January 25. She is now anxious to get out in the world. She wants to resume doing her own grocery shopping, and she really wants to get her hair done. I half-jokingly told her that the family would have to confer about her "conditions of release" (the kind of term used when people are released from jail or prison). After having just such a conference, we decided that after the second shot had two weeks to become effective, we thought it would be all right for her to start shopping in stores again, under the condition that she of course wore a mask and went out when stores would not be crowded. We advised her not to get her hair done, as that would put her in close proximity to one person indoors for an extended period. Mom was disappointed about that, but accepted the conclusion.
• 
  2021-01-28

  B.C. couple accused of flying to Yukon to get COVID-19 shots face six months in jail

  Vancouver couple faces up to six months of jail or fines due to them traveling to the Yukon territory to get vaccinated, skipping the line. The vaccines were reserved for First Nations which have less access to healthcare.
• 
  2020-10-13

  A Super-Spreader Jail Keeps Sparking COVID Outbreaks Across the U.S.

  When Covid-19 put much of the U.S. on lockdown one of the things that kept everyone entertained and sane was binge watching streaming services like Netflix and Amazon. One of the breakout hits was a show called Tiger King. This news story explains how the "Tiger King's" stay at a local jail while waiting to transfer into the federal prison system, like many others across the country, has resulted in the spread of COVID-19 through out correctional facilities. While is seems obvious how much time, man power, and money it would take to transfer incarcerated people between facilities safely it is outrageous that US Marshalls were giving people fever reducers like Tylenol so that they would pass a temperature check and their transfer would continue.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Why Prisoners Aren’t Reporting Feeling Sick

  Prisons and jails were not planned or constructed with thoughts of weathering a pandemic, not was the system of incarceration. For these reasons, and our cultures current view of incarcerated people as less than human, many are suffering in silence. This article explains why incarcerated people are choosing not to tell anyone if they experience symptoms that might be from COVID-19.
• 
  2020-09-11

  Prisons and Jails Are Rolling Back Free Phone Calls

  When Covid-19 hit the US many things shutdown including the nation's prisons. Of course they kept taking in people for incarceration but they no longer allowed visitors. This made connection to the outside world through phone calls even more important. What many people don't know is that each phone call an incarcerated person makes costs money, a lot of money. In the beginning of the pandemic many jails and prisons offered free phone calls, in the case they were even allowing phone calls (that's another story) but as the pandemic has continued for nearly eight months phone calls are no longer free or reduced cost. This is an undue burden on a population that is facing high unemployment.
• 
  2020-08-21

  Guard Tested Positive: Conditions Inside One of America's Incarceration Facilities

  This Tweet, from an incarcerated person, shows and expresses the conditions and treatment inside of a correctional facility with a Covid positive employee. The replies show what the public thinks of the situation.
• 
  2020-08-23

  Chris Twing Internship Portfolio

  I had planned to take the summer off from classes but when I saw an opportunity to be part of real time archiving in relation to the crisis I was living through I eagerly jumped at the opportunity. While I was initially worried, we, as interns, would get stuck doing the repetitive tasks no one else wanted, I was thrilled to be part of the creation and problem-solving process of a real time archive. While most students in my program focus on American or Global history my focus has been on public history. One of the tenants of public history is involving everyone. The archive became a place to see this in real time. We weren’t collecting only around famous people, important people, or large movements. We wanted to collect the stories of everyday people and also took the time to figure out whose voices were missing and attempt to remedy that problem. To that end I took on an extra project to add Black voices to the archive. I collected a list of all the historically black colleges and universities and also searched for museums and cultural or heritage centers across the country that we could contact in hopes they would want to work with us to add those voices to the archive. In addition to curating and adding items to the archive each week we focused on learning a particular skill set related to the archive. The one I struggled with the most was oral history. Though I am fine speaking in public and am not an introvert, I found conducting my first two oral history interviews exceptionally unnerving. However, I also discovered how important they are and what an incredibly rich source of information oral histories represent. What I learned from oral histories was so impressive that I have plans to conduct an oral history program in conjunction with my local historical preservation commission in the future. I am also no longer nervous about conducting oral histories. By the end of our fifteen-week internship we had become even more than a team, we had become a family. I believe this was partially due to a shared crisis. We were living through the Covid-19 pandemic together. For many of us, our weekly Zoom (online meeting platform) was nearly the only face to face contact, though virtual, we had with anyone. This was the case for me. Another intern joked he was going to rename his journal about the project, “The Summer I Distracted Myself from a Pandemic by Thinking about the Pandemic”. I realized that is exactly what happened. The pandemic really started in mid-March for me. I spent the initial month or so sewing face masks and that was how I kept myself focused and sane. Once the internship began in May I began processing my experience of the pandemic by working on the archive. I believe this summer will have been one of the defining moments of my life.
• 
  2020-08-14

  California Could Cut Its Prison Population by 50,000 People

  A news article discussing the potential release of thousands of prisoners to help relieve overcrowding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Large amounts of prisoners have been released in the past with no detriment to public safety. In a time when people are dying as a result of this overcrowding during a pandemic it would be incredibly beneficial to release these people. According to data, the issue seems to be one of political risk rather than of public safety.
• 
  2020-08-10

  Defacto Death Sentence

  This Tweet shows that 22% of those that have died of Covid in Florida correctional facilities were eligible for parole. Early release for people convicted of nonviolent crimes has been a topic of discussion since the virus first struck the US back in March. The theory is releasing some people early will help make it possible for those still incarcerated to be able to social distance. Others point to the fact that incarceration and covid should not lead to a defacto death sentence.
• 
  2020-08-10

  San Francisco Announces All Phone Calls From County Jails Are Now Free

  San Francisco has stepped out to lead the nation in criminal justice reform by cutting the cost of phone calls and commissary items from its jails. They cite the change as especially necessary during the Covid pandemic.
• 
  2020-08-11

  14 of the Largest Outbreaks are in Prisons and Jails

  Covid-19 is particularly dangerous in populations that are enclosed and unable to social distance such as nursing homes and correctional facilities. This Tweet explains that 14 of the largest outbreaks across the US are in the prisons and jails. The writer of the Tweet, James King, asks why the California Governor, Gavin Newsom, is closing bars and beaches while not doing more in the correctional facilities since 6 of the 14 largest outbreaks are in California.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Shits about to pop off - Aug 14!

  This Tweet from a restorative justice advocate indicates incarcerated persons may be planning a hunger strike, or protest of some type on August 14, 2020.
• 
  2020-08-07

  6 million masks in. 50,000 people out.

  This Tweet from REFORM Alliance explains they have gotten six million masks into correctional facilities across the nation by using the 10 million dollar donation from Twitter's CEO, Jack Dorsey. And 50,000 people have been released. The accompanying video explains that if the nations 2.4 million incarcerated people become ill and go to outside hospitals there will be no hospital space for anyone else. If that isn't enough to make you care they pose the question, do any incarcerated people deserve a defacto death sentence?
• 
  2020-06-16

  Texas prisons will accept county jail inmates again, three months after the coronavirus halted intake

  In an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 inside of the state of Texas correctional facilities all transfers were halted in April but in beginning July 1 Texas will begin transfers. This all happens as the states case count and positivity rate begin to sky rocket. By mid July Texas becomes one of the nations three biggest hot spots.
• 
  2020-08-07

  Unlock the Box Campaign Tweets: Solitary By the Numbers

  Because correctional facilities are not built with social distancing in mind the facilities often rely on solitary confinement as a place to quarantine people. This was happening with other contagious disease before Covid but as this graphic shows the number of people being sent to solitary confinement for Covid quarantine is very high. It should also be noted that a person sent to solitary confinement for quarantine due to illness is treated no different than a person sent there for disciplinary action. Imagine having Covid and being locked in there with no medical attention.
• 
  2020-08-05

  Reporting on the Death of an Incarcerated Person

  This person cautions reporters about stories covering the death of an incarcerated person due to Covid. She expresses he worry that it puts emphasis on the one bad thing they did in their life and doesn't cover any of the things they've done since.
• 
  2020-08-06

  Covid becoming a death sentence

  This is the image of a Tweet from a physician expressing her sorrow over the death of an incarcerated person and her belief that incarcerated persons with Covid deserve the same care as anyone else.
• 
  2020-07-17

  Getting Out Of Prison Sooner

  This NPR Planet Money podcasts discusses extremely long sentences, early release due to change in laws, particularly in Oklahoma, the cost of incarceration, and criminal justice reform from the ideal of physical conservatism. Plus a brief mention of early release due to the pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-23

  Mother Lode coronavirus cases, hospitalizations continue to increase

  This article reports on increasing cases in the Mother Lode and a the first death from the virus in Calaveras County. There had been 104 cases in Tuolumne County at the time this article was published and cases are continuing to rise. The county is now very close to being put on California's monitoring list for areas of the state with high COVID-19 cases. Doctor's interviewed urge people to get tested to help keep other members of the community safe.
• 
  2020-07-16

  Covid shuffle in corrections facilities

  These images show the Tweet of Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated person and activist. Adnan explains that corrections facilities are moving people all over the prison and between facilities. The result is spread of the corona virus when the officials are charged with slowing the spread.
• 
  2020-06-22

  Covid Continues to Take the Lives of People Who Are Incarcerated

  This is a Twitter post and replies discussing the risk of people in U.S. prisons and jails of dying from Covid-19. The main argument is whether incarcerated people should be released early or placed on house arrest so they can effectively prevent themselves from being exposed to covid-19 or does this present a public safety risk.
• 
  2020-06-29

  Pretrial Policies Drive Jail Growth

  This Twitter screenshot of a graph illustrating the number of people in the nations jails waiting for trial far outweighs the number of people who have been convicted of a crime. The covid crisis has exposed the make up of the jail population and has also brought to light the reason so many people are awaiting trial in jail. They are awaiting trial in jail, more often than not, because they cannot afford to pay bail to be released. While the pandemic, like all disasters, effects people of color and low income disproportionately, it has also shed a light on the inequity of the bail system and caused people to wonder if those in the nation's jails and prisons deserve to risk dying from the virus.
• 
  2020-06-27

  Massive COVID-19 outbreak at a southern NM prison hits just one type of inmates — sex offenders. That’s by design.

  While the headline on this article seems extremely alarming it is less so after reading the article but still concerning. This prison offers a sexual predator rehab program and explains why only sex offenders are being housed here. Except that there were still a small number of prisoners that were serving time for other offenses and these people were transferred to other facilities. At this point 80% of the prison inmates have tested positive for Covid-19. While small numbers of inmates have been released early from prison to aid in slowing the spread of covid within the correctional facilities no one from this prison has been released early because sex offenders are specifically exempt from the option for early release due to the public safety risk they pose.
• 
  2020-06-14

  Column: Hawaii’s early inmate release a health success

  Corrections facilities across the nation has considered releasing inmates early to slow the spread of the corona virus. While the public has had mixed feelings about this idea Hawaii has been successful in creating a process to examine and individually decide on early release for its inmates. The mainland US has had numerous outbreaks inside of its prisons and jails and Hawaii was trying to prevent this. As the article explains, early release is not only beneficial to the inmates and employees but also to the larger community. It also touches on the impact systemic racism has had on creating the largest prison population in the world.
• 
  2020-03-26

  The push to release more inmates from L.A. County jails due to coronavirus

  Early release of people incarcerated in the nation's corrections facilities has been considered everywhere to slow the spread of the corona virus. This article goes into detail explaining who is eligible, the public health vs. public safety concerns, how inmates are notified, and more in regards to early release from Los Angeles County Jails System, the largest in the country.
• 
  2020-06-12

  NYPD Brass: We're Arresting Too Many Prisoners on Early COVID Release

  The architecture, system, and overcrowding in America's prisons make the spread of Covid-19 very quick inside the nations corrections facilities. To help slow the spread of the disease inside these facilities some jurisdictions have released inmates early. Most early release candidates are those that do not present a public safety risk, have served the majority of their sentence, are elderly, or immunocompromised. While some people support this plan others oppose. This article illustrates the concerns of the plans opponents. Of the 2500 people released from Rikers Island, a jail in New York, the NYPD says they have rearrested 250 individuals, for total arrests of 450.
• 
  2020-06-20

  Calls For Early Prisoner Release Amplified By San Quentin COVID-19 Outbreak

  Florida, Texas, California, and several other states are experiencing their highest number of new covid-19 cases since the pandemic began spreading through the United States. This has caused prison reformers, activists, and inmates families to protest and call for the early release of those who have nearly served their sentence and inmates who are elderly or immuno compromised. The article covers the protest that was held outside of San Quentin in San Francisco.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Calls for Early Release in Florida Jails as COVID-19 Cases Grow

  Activists and prison reformers have been calling for inmates that do not pose a public safety risk and have either served most of their sentence, are elderly, or who are at high risk for covid complications due to pre-existing conditions to be released early. Advocates believe this not only helps the prisoners from contracting or even dying from covid but it also protects the larger community. While many jurisdictions/states have released inmates early Florida's governor has thus far refused.
• 
  2020-06-16

  Some inmates at California state prisons eligible for early release to stem coronavirus spread

  In an effort to slow the spread of covid-19 in prisons and jails across the country some inmates are being released early. The public has had mixed reactions to this plan. Some support the measure because they don't want inmates sentences to turn into a death sentence from the virus and others are concerned the inmates released early are potentially harmful to public safety. California has already released inmates early and plans to release more on July 1st. This article goes over some of the details.
• 
  2020-04-28

  7 Sex Offenders Released Early Due to COVID-19 in Orange County Despite Parole Violations

  In an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 inside the nation's correctional facilities a small percentage of inmates have been released early or have been released to house arrest. The thought behind this action is to lessen the number of people inside the facilities allowing more space for social distancing and/or to not expose inmates to a possible death sentence if they were to contract covid and not recover. Though officials have promised not to free any inmate that poses a public safety risk stories like this one appear all over the country. This article states that seven sex offenders, who had served their original sentences but had returned to jail for parole violations, were released early from the Orange County Jail in California. The article was edited a day later to include a statement from the sheriff stating these individuals were not release early but were released by court order.
• 
  2020-06-15

  Gov. Brown asks for release of some prison inmates to slow virus spread

  One of the hardest hit populations with regards to covid-19 are corrections facilities. In an effort to slow the spread in the nations overcrowded facilities government officials have released some inmates early. The public has had mixed reactions to this policy. While the government officials are not releasing inmates that pose a danger to the public people are still worried. This article covers the story in Oregon and the comments add to the conversation.
• 
  2020-04-13

  How to Release People from Prison to Achieve Public Health Goals during COVID-19: Recommended Principles and Practices*

  As covid-19 spreads throughout the population of the US several groups have seen it spread rapidly through their population. One such group are inmates at correctional facilities (jails, prison, detention centers). The disease spreads very quickly because social distancing is nearly impossible, facilities are overcrowded, and soap and cleaning supplies are in short supply. Advocates and families argue that it is imperative inmates that are not a threat to the public should be released early or allowed to continue serving their sentences under house arrest. This document was published by Amend. Amend is a University of California San Francisco program that “works to transform correctional culture inside prisons and jails and reduce the debilitating health effects of those environments.”
• 
  2020-06-13

  California’s Racial Justice Crisis is COVID-19 in Prisons

  This article, written by three University of California professors, highlights the racial justice crisis inside US prisons. Due to their architecture and systems corrections facilities find it nearly impossible to keep covid-19 out or slow the spread of the disease. In California the incarcerated populations rate of covid is 650 percent higher than that of the general population of the state. Once introduced into a facility covid spreads rapidly due to overcrowding, lack of ability to social distance, and a shortage of soap and other cleaning supplies. While many people in the general public feel that inmates chose to commit a crime and therefor should do their time others argue that they should not be made to die for their crimes due to covid.
• 
  2020-06-17

  California prisons to release up to 3,500 more inmates to prevent further spread of COVID-19

  California is planning to release more corrections inmates early on July 1st in an effort to slow the spread of the corona virus. While this is a step in the right direction advocates point out that this group of inmates does not include those with disabilities, medically fragile, or preexisting conditions. The article also highlights how the virus is spreading from on facility to another through prisoner transfer. While transferring prisoners to facilities with lower populations sounds good to aid in social distancing the people being transferred are actually spreading the virus into new facilities.
• 
  2020-03-29

  Texas Governor Signs Executive Order to Stop Early Release from Prisons/Jails Due to Covid

  In an effort to slow the spread of covid-19 inside of US prisons and jails some inmates have been release early or sent home, on house arrest. As discussions were happening across the country regarding this idea Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, signed an executive order to stop early release from the states correctional facilities.
• 
  2020-05-01

  I Do Not Want to Die in Here, Letters from the Houston Jail

  The architecture and structure of US prisons and jails make it impossible follow any of the guidelines given to slow the spread of the corona virus. Some argue it is prudent to release nonviolent offenders or those nearing the end of their sentences in an effort to provide more space within the facilities. Others oppose this idea citing fear of public safety. Inmates and their advocates worry that a prison sentence could turn into a death sentence. What about persons who have yet to even stand trial? While many people are not aware in the difference between a prison and a jail the distinction is very important. Jails hold people awaiting trial that could not afford bail while prisons are where people convicted of crimes serve their sentence. To be fair there are a small number of people in jails serving their sentence because it is short. With covid looming the question has become is it fair to keep people in jail where they have no defense against a deadly virus? This article discusses this issue and provides excerpts from letters written by inmates at the Harris County Jail in downtown Houston, TX.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Prison in the Time of Coronavirus

  This video, produced by CBS Sunday Morning, illustrates the unique problems created by coronavirus inside America's jails and prisons. The US currently has 2.3 million people incarcerated. Many of them are in jail awaiting trial and remain there only because they cannot pay their bail. They have not yet been convicted of a crime. As they point out in the video it is easy for the public to ignore the correctional facilities across the country, but the spread of the virus has changed this. An outbreak in prison can lead to an outbreak outside the prison. While prisons have internal medical facilities there are no ICU beds, which are often needed to treat severe cases of coronavirus. Instead severely ill prisoners are taken outside of the prison to the local hospital. In non-severe cases some prisoners are placed in solitary confinement as a way to quarantine them. This video, almost eight minutes long, mentions Rikers Island Jail in New York, San Quinton Prison in San Francisco, Marion Correctional Institute in Ohio, a Tampa man released early who is charged with murdering someone the following day, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, Orange is the New Black (book and TV show), and the podcast Ear Hustle. HST580, ASU
• 
  2020-04-02

  Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations — Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons

  The spread of coronavirus has highlighted people and places who are most at risk for contracting and spreading the virus and the nation's incarcerated people are high risk for both. The people entering the prison system come from already vulnerable populations and half of the incarcerated population already has at least one chronic illness. This puts them at greater odds of contracting and dying from the disease. This article explains what measures the Federal Bureau of Prisons have taken to limit the spread of the disease and the authors, three doctors, suggest a three prong approach but fall back on the real way to slow the spread is to release people who are not likely to be a public threat. HST580, ASU
• 
  2020-05-29

  Harm of peace or harm of fear

  My first reaction to this subject, namely release prisoners amid the pandemic, was complicated. On one hand, like the ordinary, I worried about peace and the order of the society. On the other hand, however, I cared about the humanities side of human life; essentially, this affects all of us around the globe regardless of race, nationals, social groups, etc. Every life matters. So does the one in prison.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Navajo County suspends jail visitations

  " – Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse is working to ensure the department is doing everything they can to mitigate the spread and impact of COVID-19 in Navajo County and particularly in the detention facility in Holbrook."
• 
  2020-05-19

  Six of seven 'high-risk' sex offenders released early in California over coronavirus are back in jail

  Pandemic causes high risk criminals to be released early.
• 2020-05-06

  Initial Findings on Covid-19 in New York: Staying home may be putting people at risk.

  The source includes testimony of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding the present statistics of Covid-19 in New York. The evidence is shocking because as the government tries to determine how the virus is spreading, they uncover most of the hospitalized population to be those who were quarantined at home and non-essential. The homeless. the jailed, the essential workers, and even the users of public transportation were of the lowest percentage of hospitalized people. The early data begs the question: Is staying at home the best way to fight the pandemic? #CSUS #HIST15H
• 
  2020-03-19

  The Hermit Herald vol 1, Issue 1

  Finding myself intellectually challenged during this period of monastic existence (I can only read the great works of the world so many hours a day) I have decided to communicate with several circles of friends to place upon their shoulders the angst of my ennui. Hence the first issue of The Hermit Herald, which may or may never hit the news stands again. Within this erudite publication the dear reader will discover some true and helpful tidbits, some thoughtful musings and a good sprinkling of innocuous drivel. Proceed at your own peril.
• 
  2020-04-11

  Call for economic subsidy for Peru's prison & jail employees

  #COVID_19 Es necesario evaluar un subsidio económico especial para el personal del @INPEgob. Ellas y ellos vienen laborando sin descanso en los penales en medio de crisis sanitaria provocada por #coronavirus. Su esfuerzo merece también reconocimiento nacional. #EstadoDeEmergencia
• 
  N/A

  Open Letter to Cook County Regarding COVID-19 and Cook County Jail: Protect Public Health through Decarceration

  Open letter that calls on the Cook County Jail to decarcerate in order to protect those inside from the spread of coronavirus. #HIST5241