prisons

Nicklas Trujeque in his solitary confinement cell in New Mexico State Penitentiary. Inmates spend 23 hours a day in these cells, with a one-hour period in an open cell outside. According to the New Mexico ACLU, until recent state reforms, the average leng

National

Amid Backlash Against Isolating Inmates, New Mexico Moves Toward Change

8:08pm August 25, 2015

by Natasha Haverty

The heavy reliance on solitary confinement in New Mexico went unquestioned for decades. Now, the state is gradually shifting away from the practice, though it probably won't ever fade from the system.

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Former inmates, civilian staff and corrections officers returned to Eastern State this summer to talk about life in the prison. "This place here really did something to me psychologically," recalled former inmate Anthony Goodman (center).

National

How Solitary Confinement Became Hardwired In U.S. Prisons

5:00pm August 24, 2015

by Brian Mann

Early experiments in isolating inmates took place at a Philadelphia prison in the 1800s. Though discredited as cruel, the practice was later revived nationwide during the drug war.

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The Baltimore City Detention Center, seen here in 2013, was found to be riddled with corruption, according to a federal probe.

National

Md. Governor Orders Closure Of 'Deplorable' Baltimore City Jail

4:14pm July 30, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A 2013 investigation resulted in the indictment of "25 people — including 13 women working as corrections officers" on racketeering and drug charges. Nearly 20 more faced other charges.

Latandra Ellington, 36, was serving time for tax fraud at Lowell Correctional Institution when she died.

National

Record Number Of Inmate Deaths Has Florida Prisons On The Defensive

6:27pm March 18, 2015

by Greg Allen

Many of the inmates died of natural causes, but a series of suspicious deaths — against the backdrop of a shrinking budget and staff shortages — has lawmakers calling for a prison oversight board.

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Daniel Genis, son of Soviet emigre Alexander Genis, served 10 years in prison for armed robbery. He was released last year, and his essays about life in prison have been widely published.

Arts

Released From Prison, 'Apologetic Bandit' Writes About Life Inside

4:48pm March 18, 2015

Daniel Genis, son of Soviet emigre writer Alexander Genis, served 10 years for armed robbery. The crimes fueled his heroin addiction. "It was so obvious I didn't fit in," he says.

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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tours and meets with youth Dec. 17 at Second Chance Housing on Rikers Island in New York City. Second Chance Housing is an alternative for incarcerated adolescents, instead of punitive segregation, also known as solitary conf

National

To End Solitary Confinement, Rikers Steps Out Of The Box

1:09pm February 09, 2015

by NPR Staff

With a single move, Rikers Island prison has taken the lead on prison reform on one issue: It banned the use of solitary confinement for inmates under 21 years old.

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