Dec 31 Leaving prison without a government ID can block access to housing, jobs and help By Cat Wise When people are incarcerated, the government ID they had when entering prison may no longer be valid when they are released. Yet this small piece of plastic is needed for many of life's basic necessities like housing, employment, medical care,… Continue reading
Dec 29 Congress lifts long-standing ban on Pell grants to people in prison By Andrea Cantora, The Conversation For the first time since 1994, incarcerated individuals can get federal aid to pay for college. A prison education scholar explains how higher education helps those who have run afoul of the law. Continue reading
Dec 14 Momentum builds for letting people vote while on parole By Associated Press Colorado, Nevada and New Jersey passed measures in 2019, and California voters approved a constitutional amendment, Proposition 17, in November to automatically restore voting rights to people on parole. Continue reading
Dec 14 What a Biden administration could mean for criminal justice reform By Candice Norwood, Daniel Bush President-elect Joe Biden will face pressure when he takes office to make swift changes to the Department of Justice. Continue reading
Dec 11 Watch 3:46 For families, the negative effects of incarceration continue far beyond time served The effects of mass incarceration in this U.S. are felt by many more people than those convicted of crimes. Student Reporting Labs, our journalism training program, explores how the criminal justice system can also create far-reaching obstacles for kids and… Continue watching
Dec 10 Watch 5:35 How drug testing in Alabama holds former prisoners back from creating a new life Across the U.S. random drug testing is required for many people charged with or convicted of crimes dealing with alcohol or drugs. But a joint NewsHour and AL.com investigation found that one state system, Alabama's, can trap people with high… Continue watching
Dec 09 Watch 7:55 Changing the criminal justice system on behalf of children We continue with our week-long reporting on the challenges facing former prisoners with Bryan Stevenson, an American lawyer, social justice activist and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Kelly Corrigan, host of PBS’ "Tell Me More," spoke to Stevenson about… Continue watching
Dec 08 Watch 7:12 The vicious cycle of incarceration and homelessness By Amna Nawaz, Frank Carlson After being released from prison or jail, many people struggle to find housing. That in turn can prevent them from getting treatment for an addiction or from securing a steady job, and ultimately, staying out of jail. It’s a situation… Continue watching
Dec 08 How court-ordered drug testing poses impossible choices By Elizabeth Flock and Ashley Remkus, AL.com On a cold, rainy day in early 2019, Frank Cobb was working at a Google data center in Bridgeport, a small town in northeast Alabama, when his color was called. That meant he had to leave his job to take… Continue reading
Dec 07 Watch 9:37 Free from prison after 23 years, but facing new challenges during the pandemic By William Brangham, Mike Fritz The coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of all Americans but it’s been especially hard on individuals known as returning citizens -- formerly incarcerated men and women who are re-entering society. William Brangham has the story of one man in… Continue watching