Officials throughout America are abolishing the cash-bail system. Photo credit: JumboPics The cash-bail system is standard American practice. Simply, it allows a defendant to pay a monetary fee in order to remain out of jail until a judge or jury sentences them. Bail denotes the amount that one pays a bondsman, which is ordinarily 10% of the total bond as determined by the … [Read more...] about Monetary-Based Imprisonment: the Cash-Bail System
Inside Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia with Chemist and Filmmaker, Hamilton Morris
Hamilton Morris holding amanita muscaria mushrooms. Photo Credit: Vice. Hamilton Morris is the host and creator of Vice's Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia. In the series, Hamilton travels the world examining psycho-active substances. He delves into those substances and their effects, user-communities, manufacturers, distributors, and occasionally their inventors. Hamilton’s show … [Read more...] about Inside Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia with Chemist and Filmmaker, Hamilton Morris
Calling While Incarcerated: the Exorbitant Price of Communication in Prisons
The prison phone call industry doesn't just cost prisoners, but also their families. Photo credit: iStock. For inmates, phone calls are a service that can cost hundreds of dollars a month. In many states, five hours of phone calls can cost around $300 dollars — an amount that’s utterly unaffordable for many families. This price is especially inconceivable since most … [Read more...] about Calling While Incarcerated: the Exorbitant Price of Communication in Prisons
Kansas Governor Grants Clemency to 8 Individuals, 3 for Cannabis-Related Crimes
Gov. Laura Kelly Photo Credit: Kansas City Star. On Thursday June, 24th, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, broke from tradition and granted clemency to eight individuals in the middle of her term. Officials incarcerated three of those individuals for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. Clemency and pardons are tremendous judicial powers that governors and presidents … [Read more...] about Kansas Governor Grants Clemency to 8 Individuals, 3 for Cannabis-Related Crimes
Planting Justice: Helping End the Cycle of Incarceration Through Agriculture
Pictured above: Diane Williams, coordinator of Planting Justice's volunteer and Holistic Re-Entry Program. Photo credit: Planting Justice. America comprises 4% of the total world population. Yet the U.S. has more than 20% of the world's total incarcerated population, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. That means that American incarcerates one out of every five … [Read more...] about Planting Justice: Helping End the Cycle of Incarceration Through Agriculture
