Ohio

12.16.16

Truth in Sentencing

By James Kosmatka

Sentenced to ten years, out in two. Outrageous!

And false.

The myth that prisoners serve small fractions of sentences is one of the most destructive falsehoods driving the tragedy of mass incarceration. In Ohio and elsewhere, the use of parole and probation has shrunk to levels that can only be described as harmful to us all.

10.18.16

Every 25 Seconds: The Human Toll of Criminalizing Drug Use in the United States

By Mike Uth

The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch recently released a startling and heart-breaking report on the drug war called Every 25 Seconds: The Human Toll of Criminalizing Drug Use in the United States. The title’s “25 seconds” refers to the frequency of drug possession arrests in the United States—not selling or making drugs, simply the act of having a drug or, sometimes, merely drug residue.

10.05.15

Speaking of Civil Liberties…

By Kimberly Millhoan

The great purple state of Ohio has long been a political battleground with issues like voting rights, LGBT rights, mass incarceration, and police practices dominating the public discourse.

Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have been visiting the Buckeye State recently, providing their two cents on these issues in hopes for our vote.

09.21.15

Racial Segregation in Schools Still Exists

By Steve David

The monumental events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s gave hope to many African-Americans who desired an end to racial segregation and discrimination. The abolishment of Jim Crow laws ended the implementation of laws that supported racial segregation in Southern states.

07.08.15

The Economic Impact of Immigration: A Look at Ohio

By Adrienne Gavula

In America, 11 million undocumented immigrants are living on the outskirts of society.  Of those 11 million, 95,000 live in Ohio. Many of these immigrant have been in the United States for more than 10 years and they have been waiting for a legal pathway to citizenship.

04.08.15

Families Matter: Prison Phone Calls for Less Profit

By Shakyra Diaz

Imagine that your child is hundreds of miles away and having to ignore their phone calls because you can’t afford to pay the bill. Imagine not being able to wish your father or mother a happy birthday. Imagine not being able to give your condolences following the death of a cousin.

02.04.15

No Executions in 2015! Now’s the Time for Real Reform

By Mike Brickner

The end of 2014 was not a good moment in Ohio’s long and sordid history with the death penalty.

In the final weeks of session, the General Assembly passed House Bill 663 (HB 663), which shrouded executions in unnecessary and dangerous secrecy that could lead to yet another botched execution.

01.23.15

Jailhouse Woes: What’s the Real Solution to Reduce Population?

By Kim Schuette

It doesn’t take too much imagination to see the heads slowly wagging back and forth at the local coffee shop when they learn the news. I can even see the eye rolls, too.

No, not from surprise or disbelief, but from the senselessness of it all.

01.07.15

Corrections Corporation of America’s Loss is Ohio’s Gain

By Mike Brickner

What happens when a prison for profit loses one of its main moneymakers?

We’re about to find out.

The federal Bureau of Prisons announced last week that they would not renew their contract with Corrections Corporation of America to house prisoners in the Northeast Ohio Corrections Center in Youngstown.