Aug 05 Iowa governor signs order restoring felon voting rights By David Pitt, Associated Press Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed an executive order granting convicted felons the right to vote, ending Iowa’s place as the only remaining state to broadly deny voting rights to felons. Continue reading
Jul 23 Watch 5:16 No officers have been charged in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Will they? By John Yang, Courtney Norris Weeks before George Floyd's death fueled national protests over racism and police violence, the killing of Breonna Taylor sparked outrage in Louisville, Kentucky. Her case has now become a national touchpoint for protesters, who often chant, “say her name.” As… Continue watching
Jul 22 Incarcerated people look to U.S. Senate to cap prison phone rates By Associated Press The coronavirus outbreak has cast a harsh spotlight on America's prisons and jails, which house more than 2.2 million people, who are disproportionately people of color. Continue reading
Jul 16 Supreme Court deals setback to Florida felon voting rights By Bobby Caina Calvan, Associated Press A divided U.S Supreme Court has upheld a stay on a lower court ruling that would have given access to the ballot box to hundreds of thousands of Florida felons. Continue reading
Jul 14 For people leaving prison, rebuilding a life is hard even without a pandemic By Cynthia A. Golembeski, The Conversation More than 40,000 restrictions, most imposed by states, leave rights, benefits and opportunities out of reach for Americans with past convictions. Continue reading
Jun 24 U.S. inmates got virus relief checks, and IRS wants them back By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press An IRS spokesman says the agency is relying on the unrelated Social Security Act, which bans incarcerated people from receiving some types of benefit payments. Continue reading
Jun 23 How Black bookstore owners see the flood of requests for ‘anti-racist’ reading By Courtney Vinopal In recent weeks, as national protests have expressed agony and urgency over police killings of Black Americans, Black bookstore proprietors say they have seen titles on race and racism flying off their shelves -- the same books they have been… Continue reading
Jun 19 What happened 101 years ago in the Tulsa Race Massacre By Gretchen Frazee Up to 300 black Tulsans were murdered by white residents, and a thriving neighborhood burned to the ground. Continue reading
Jun 09 ‘When this virus gets behind bars, it runs like wildfire,’ experts warn By Saher Khan Prisons are incubators for the virus. Social distancing, frequent hand-washing and use of masks are preventative measures that are accessible to much of American society, but they’re rare luxuries for the incarcerated. Continue reading
Jun 05 What to read, listen to and watch to learn about institutional racism By Bella Isaacs-Thomas The myriad consequences of institutional racism is a matter of national conversation and reflection. This list is just a starting point. Continue reading