Former Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad speaks at a press conference in Burlington in August 2024 The department said the policy is about protecting public safety. Advocates have raised concerns. Read the full article from VTDigger.

York City's official World Cup guide lists no less than 100 free places to take in soccer's biggest tournament on big screens. One place that isn't listed? The city's notorious Rikers Island jail complex, better known for its overcrowding and violence than for hosting social events. But more than 100 inmates were rewarded with a special viewing Read the full article from ABC 7 New York.

On June 23, I had the privilege of participating in No Penobscot County Jail Expansion virtual community classroom, Diversion, Not Incarceration Helps Youth Thrive. The discussion brought together advocates, community leaders, restorative justice practitioners, people with lived experience, and those working every day to improve outcomes for Maine's youth. Before anything else, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who made this event possible. A special thank yo

It’s graduation season in the city, including on Rikers Island, where 57 students graduated from East River Academy Tuesday. Among their commencement speakers: Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Many of you arrived on Rikers in a cloud of uncertainty and despair,” he said. “The future felt very grim, indeed. And yet you did not surrender to that alienation. You were not overcome by the adversity that lay before you. Instead, you chose to continue moving forward. You chose to pursue your

A federal prison doctor first found the mass on Terri McGuire Mollica's uterus in 2016. According to a lawsuit, the fibroid was small, and could be removed with a simple, noninvasive surgery. But officials at FCI Aliceville, a low-security prison for women in west Alabama, never scheduled the procedure, court and medical records show. Read the full article from NPR.

Two recent studies authored by Professor Carmen Gutierrez and her colleagues show that prior incarceration is associated with various geriatric health conditions and reduced life expectancy later in life. Read the article from. Click here to read the full article from the Prison Policy Institute.

Stephen Miller, left, and Will Scharf, right, in the Oval Office earlier this year. Last spring, Will Scharf, an arch-conservative lawyer serving as the White House staff secretary, wrote a secret memo to the chief of staff that reflected growing unease in the West Wing about one of the extreme measures being weighed by Stephen Miller, the powerful adviser driving President Trump’s deportation campaign. Dated April 29, 2025, and stamped “confidential,” the memo was careful an

The greatest crime of all in a civilized society is an unjust conviction. It is truly a scandal that reflects unfavorably on all participants in the criminal justice system. — The New York Appellate Division, First Department, People v. Ramos, 1994. Sketch of a seated man (c. 1901 - 1907) by Franz Kafka There’s a dark story unfolding in the state of Maine. Many Mainers know something about it, but few appreciate its full extent. Lots of people in our state have heard of Denni

Every year more than 7,600 women are released from Maine prisons and jails. Having a criminal record can make it more challenging to find a job and stable housing. Some women struggle to regain custody of their children. Others lack emotional support as they confront feelings of inadequacy and isolation.

On June 28, it will have been 58 years since the police raids and subsequent uprising at the Stonewall Inn gave birth to the modern LGBT rights movement.

A seated soldier writing (c. 1914-1918) by Ernest Blaikley Society Impact recently organized a poetry class inside Maine State Prison, giving a small group of residents the chance to spend time writing, reading, and talking about poetry together. The class came together through Society Impact’s ongoing conversations about the importance of education and meaningful programming inside correctional settings. Gordon, our resident colleague at Maine State Prison, helped coordinate

Credit: Pablo Andrés Carvajal / EyeEm / Getty Images Society tends to view incarceration through the lens of punishment and justice. What's less visible, and often much more complex, are the effects that prison has on mental health. Prison can create and worsen mental health problems, and people had pre-existing mental health problems before their incarceration. Read the full article on Verywell Mind.

On May 6th, Maine lost one of her best when former Gerald Talbot passed away at the age of 94.

Yesterday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders held a rally at the University of Maine's Collins Center for the Arts alongside Troy Jackson, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor, and Graham Platner, who is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. The group will hold another rally today in Portland.

Memorial Day is a time to remember the people who gave their lives in service to this country. It is a solemn holiday, and one that asks more of us than a simple statement of thanks.

A 234-page lawsuit, filed Friday, recounts the experiences of former residents who were held at the youth detention center in the 1990s and allege they were physically and sexually abused by staff.

Telephones inside a Missouri state women’s prison where incarcerated people pay per-minute rates to call loved ones A growing number of incarcerated people across the country now have access to free phone calls and other communication services, a shift some advocates say is strengthening family connections, improving prison conditions and easing reentry after release. Read the full article in the Maine Morning Star.

Saratoga Springs is the wealthiest city in the Capital Region of New York State and, predictably, has a high cost of living. The problem is that the city’s higher-than-average income is not evenly spread across professions and economic classes.

Credit: MDOC Mississippi has repeatedly shown that criminal justice reform can reduce incarceration without undermining public safety — and yet the state keeps reversing course. Read the full article in Mississippi Today.