jails

Dawn Herbert visits with her son Tommy Rogers via video call at Cheshire County Jail in Keene, N.H.

National

Video Calls Replace In-Person Visits In Some Jails

6:59pm December 05, 2016

by Natasha Haverty

Video visitation is growing in popularity at U.S. jails, but there's a catch: Many jails have ended in-person visits between inmates and their families as they adopt the new technology.

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Administration Aims To Fight Crime With Job Training

9:50am September 20, 2016

The Labor Department is handing out $5 million in grants to fund job centers for people coming out of jail. The program is part of a broader effort to reduce recidivism.

"People end up in jail primarily and stay in jail primarily because they don't have the money to pay bail," says Nancy Fishman, a project director at the Vera Institute.

National

Is America Engaged In A 'Vicious Circle' Of Jailing The Poor?

3:40pm May 11, 2016

There are almost 12 million admissions to local jails each year in the United States. Activist Nancy Fishman says that most of those jailed are poor people who are being held for low-level offenses.

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When Time Behind Bars Cuts Addiction Treatment Short

9:16am May 11, 2016

by Emily Corwin

Most inmates lose access to medication-assisted treatment for addiction once they're incarcerated. Among prisons and jails that do offer such treatment, it's often restricted to pregnant women.

Politics & Government

Over Decades, Jail Populations Rise, Disproportionally Affecting Black Residents

11:21am January 18, 2016

by Sean Bueter

The number of people being held in jails nationwide has more than quadrupled over the past few decades, and it's disproportionally affecting African-Americans.

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Even In Prison, Health Care Often Comes With A Copay

11:42am October 01, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Although the government is responsible for providing health services to people in jail and prison, inmates are still often expected to pay for a share of the treatment.

National

The 'Shock Of Confinement': The Grim Reality Of Suicide In Jail

2:01pm July 29, 2015

by Martin Kaste

About 1,000 people die in American jails every year and about a third of those are suicides. Jails often house people who've never been in legal trouble before, and it can have a traumatic effect.

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National

Remote Jailing Cuts Off Inmates From Real-World Support System

11:49am March 26, 2015

by Rowan Moore Gerety

County jails that send inmates far away to serve short-term sentences can be a cost-saver to local governments. But it could have major consequences when prisoners are released.

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