By Boston Woodard I wasn’t sentenced to death before coming to prison, but wound up on death row, not literally where I would eventually be executed via California’s state-sanctioned death penalty [...] Continue Reading
mass incarceration
Charlie’s Story Part I
By Grid Margraf The place reeked of cigarettes; everyone smoked. There was no ventilation, not even windows in the concrete walls. This was Nevada County Jail, 1984, and windows like doors were a [...] Continue Reading
The Prison Press: Power Players Visit San Quentin
By Boston Woodard On a quiet night in San Quentin, you can hear the sounds of rehabilitation in progress coming from the small arts room on the upper yard. And, from time to time, you will meet [...] Continue Reading
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week: Restoring the Balance of Justice
By Community Alliance Staff The Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) has designated an annual National Crime Victims’ Week, and it will be observed April 6–12 this year. The theme of this year’s Victims’ [...] Continue Reading
Nelson Mandela: A Giant in History – The Prison Press, Feb. 2014
By Boston Woodard Much has been written and said about Nelson Mandela since his passing on Dec. 5, 2013, at 95. President Barack Obama called Mandela “a giant in history” as he talked about the [...] Continue Reading
Growing Marijuana Banned in Fresno County: The People Fight Back
By Michael Green In a move that could have statewide impact, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted to ban the cultivation of medical cannabis anywhere in the unincorporated county. Cannabis [...] Continue Reading
The Prison Press: “Justice Reinvestment” Gets Billions for Reform
By Boston Woodard A reform movement is taking hold in the country. It’s called “justice reinvestment,” and it aims to harvest the billions spent on incarceration and redirect the money to social [...] Continue Reading
The Justice Factory
By Vic Bedoian This year marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark judicial decision regarding the right of everyone to a fair, speedy and effective day in court regardless of their economic [...] Continue Reading
National Recognition for Local Activist: Nancy Hatcher Wins Prestigious Social Work Award
By Richard Stone Nancy Hatcher is known to many of us for her seemingly innumerable involvements in peace and social justice activities. Sometimes it’s prison work, like gathering and assembling [...] Continue Reading
POPS (The Club): Pain of the Prison System – The Prison Press – December 2013
By Boston Woodard Of those in for nonviolent crimes, America has the largest prison population in the world, with 2.5 million men and women in prison and more than seven million on some sort of [...] Continue Reading
Public Defense in Peril
By Vic Bedoian In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been [...] Continue Reading
Memoirs of a Public Pretender
By Scott Baly With hands chained to their waist and feet shackled, they shuffle into the courtroom six at a time. When I see them I know there are more waiting in a cell not far behind. I wear a suit [...] Continue Reading