New Jersey Governor Signs Bills Restoring Voting Rights To More Than 80,000 People
"These are residents ... have been needlessly prevented from having a voice in the future direction of their communities," Gov. Phil Murphy said.
Prison
Opioid Addiction In Jails: An Anthropologist's Perspective
In Getting Wrecked: Women, Incarceration, and the American Opioid Crisis, a Rikers Island doctor says drug treatment in U.S. jails and prisons is often shaped by societal prejudice, not science.
'Felon' Author Says, 'Everybody Has To Tell Their Kids Something'
Lawyer-poet Reginald Dwayne Betts for years hid the fact that he had served time in prison. Now, this time in his life is at the center of his new collection of poems.
Brazilian Drug Trafficker Tries To Escape Prison Disguised As His Daughter
Turns out the departing "visitor" wasn't a woman at all – but a drug trafficker sentenced to decades in prison and boldly trying to escape. He was reportedly caught because he was acting nervous.
Pregnant, Locked Up, And Alone
Natalie Lynch spent the last two weeks of her pregnancy in a prison cell, mostly alone. As female incarceration rates rise, some states are banning solitary confinement of pregnant women.
Former Inmates Are Getting Jobs As Employers Ignore Stigma In Bright Economy
People convicted of felonies often have difficulties getting hired. But many employers say they're suffering a labor shortage, and attitudes toward hiring people with criminal records are changing.
Court To Rule On Sex Reassignment Surgery For Idaho Inmate
An Idaho inmate sued the state to receive sex reassignment surgery and won. If she prevails in federal appeals court, she'll become the first inmate to receive the surgery through court order.
Judge Rules 'Systematic Inadequacies' Fueled Alabama Prison Suicides, Orders Monitor
The current prison system fails to protect inmates from killing themselves, a federal court ruled. The decision comes after 15 state inmates died by suicide in 15 months.
Justice Dept. Finds Violence In Alabama Prisons 'Common, Cruel, Pervasive'
A civil rights investigation into the Alabama prison system by the Department of Justice finds conditions unsafe and unconstitutional. Violence, understaffing and crowding are common.
He Was Imprisoned And Losing His Mind. 'Anna Karenina' Saved Him
A man is trapped in prison for a made-up crime. He's overwhelmed by hopelessness and anger. That is until he hears a knock on the wall ... and words from another time and place.