Results show Virginians support policies that improve public safety, reduce costs, and respect the human dignity of all individuals.
Lansdowne, Va and Arlington, Va. – As Virginians consider what is next for criminal justice reform, Prison Fellowship and the Charles Koch Institute today released the results of a public opinion survey on criminal justice.
With the recent release of the report by Prison Fellowship and Kansas Appleseed on juvenile justice in Kansas, the blog asked Kate Trammell, policy associate and caucus coordinator for Prison Fellowship’s advocacy program, to share her thoughts on the report’s proposals, and the impact they might have on Kansas’ juvenile justice system and beyond.
A version of this story originally appeared on the BreakPoint website, and is reproduced here with permission.
In 2014, in an all-too-rare case of bipartisan cooperation, Congress created the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections to tackle what many have called a crisis in the federal prison system.
Having retired following 18 years as a corrections officer at several facilities in Michigan, Billy Stewart is once again returning to prison—this time as a volunteer with Prison Fellowship. Denise Harris, Prison Fellowship’s field director for the Detroit area, asks Billy to share his thoughts about his perspective of prisoners as an officer, and what is taking him back behind bars.
John Jennings stood in the courtroom, looking into the eyes of the man who had murdered his son. This man had been his son’s friend, but one night, this “friend” took John’s son into the woods, demanded his money, and shot him.
Report from Kansas Appleseed and Prison Fellowship as Kansas Lawmakers Debate New Bill to Reduce Youth Incarceration
TOPEKA – A new report issued today by Kansas Appleseed and Prison Fellowship outlines the myriad problems currently plaguing the juvenile justice system in Kansas and the opportunity during the current legislative session for real and lasting changes that invest in families instead of incarceration.
The Albuquerque Business First journal recently asked its readers a probing question—would you hire someone who had just been released from prison?
Responses were predictably varied, with many respondents answering affirmatively. Those that did say they would hire a former prisoner typically cited the importance of second chances and a need to break the cycle of recidivism.
Last week, the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections released a series of recommendations aimed at bringing about significant reforms in the criminal justice system. The suggested reforms are the culmination of a year’s worth of discussion and research by the task force, and provide concrete ways to fix some of the challenges connected to crime, imprisonment, and rehabilitation.
In January 2014, the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections was established to examine the challenges facing the federal corrections system and to propose practical solutions to those challenges. Named after the Prison Fellowship founder, the task force sought answers for some of the biggest problems facing federal prisons, including growing prison populations, high rates of recidivism, and the increasing costs of incarceration.
The nation’s largest prison ministry praises biblical nature of new recommendations from bipartisan federal criminal justice task force and urges continued bipartisan collaboration to achieve meaningful reforms
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2016—Despite the snow-induced cancellation of today’s discussion on criminal justice reform at the White House, Tuesday the bipartisan Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections will announce its recommendations to Congress designed with the hope of making our criminal justice system more aligned with biblical restorative justice values.
"Many of us, and I am one of them, firmly believe that you cannot just lock people up and incarcerate them and expect their substance abuse issues to go away. It's just not working anymore," admitted Massachusetts District Court Justice Mary Heffernan in a recent feature by The Marshall Project on sentencing alternatives for female addicts.
In his final State of the Union address last night, President Obama told the American people that he would not allow his final year in office to be a silly season.
Among his key priorities for the year would be an increased emphasis on criminal justice reform—an effort Obama referenced as a "bipartisan priority" despite the current rancorous bipartisan climate.
What is the image that comes to mind when you think of a prison warden?