With his wiry gray beard, rugged appearance, and familiar name, William “Billy” Kidd looks like someone who has stories to tell.
And he does. The former drug dealer who was once a leader of the Aryan Nation within the Michigan correctional system has spent much of his life in and out of prison, with the many tattoos covering his body chronicling his nefarious past.
As a general rule, when seeking to solve a problem, it helps to get the opinions of those most directly affected by the policy in question. Those who are most familiar with the situation are usually able to bring unique insights and ideas to the table, and are often better equipped to make these suggestions a reality.
Animals. Subhuman. Unrepentant. Undeserving of mercy.
The perceptions that many people have of prisoners are harsh and unforgiving. They are formed by television and movies, augmented by the nightly news, and used by politicians seeking to sway voters that they are “tough on crime.”
Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any other state: 142 per 100,000. About 65 percent of women there were convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. And most of these prisoners are mothers.
Case in point: Samantha Houston-Brown.
An only child whose parents divorced when she was two, Houston-Brown—now 43 with children of her own—grew up feeling very much alone.
Country music has a long and unique relationship with the corrections system. Several of the genre’s biggest stars served prison sentences, and have written some of their most familiar songs about their time behind bars. Legendary albums have been recorded in unique settings such as San Quentin, Folsom Prison, and Angola.
“Do you want the man getting out of prison to be in the pew next to you—or in the alley behind you?”
That was the question posed to me the other day by a prisoner I will call Tom. Tom has served over 30 years behind bars and is currently incarcerated at State Correctional Institution—Mahanoy in Frackville, Pennsylvania.
There is a transformative power in good literature. A book can transport us to faraway places and introduce us to characters from different times and eras. It can rouse the emotions, challenge perceptions, and engage the mind in ways that few things can.
One of the most endearing stories Chuck Colson shared is found in his book Loving God. He wrote of Myrtie Howell—a 91 year-old woman he met in an “old folks’ home” in Georgia.
Myrtie was born poor, had only one year of schooling, and was married at age 17.
Did you know that if you are arrested on suspicion of criminal activity, law enforcement officials can seize cash and property they believe could have been connected to the crime, in some cases without even filing criminal charges against you?
The practice is called civil asset forfeiture, and it is being used across the country to help fund some of the various police units and prosecutors’ offices that are doing the seizing of property.
For the last nine years, Denise Harris has served as Prison Fellowship’s field director for the Detroit metro area. In that role, Denise has been a tireless advocate for men and women behind bars in Michigan, a source of encouragement for families with an incarcerated loved ones, and a valuable resource for former prisoners as they seek to become productive members of their communities.
Ever wonder what life is like for someone with a criminal record?
A new quiz on the Marshall Project website gives readers an opportunity to see how much they know about the hurdles that face men and women who have committed crimes.
A new report by the Federal Bureau of Investigations has revealed an increase of violent crime for the year 2015, marking a three-year high after declines in violence in 2013 and 2014. Much of this has been driven by increases in homicides in several of the nation’s urban centers, including Chicago, Houston, and Washington, DC.
On an October evening in 1992, 18-year-old Misty Wallace called her parents from a pay phone outside of a Burger King in Indianapolis. As she concluded her call, a man approached and asked if she was done. When she said “yes,” the man shot her in the face.
There are few scenes quite as serene and peaceful as an expanse of green grass, shaded by a stately oak tree. The bucolic imagery has the ability to calm and comfort, transporting people from their everyday struggles, if only for a few fleeting moments.