Think Justice Blog

Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.

My Old Friends

This post was written by Michael, a mentor in the T.R.U.E. unit at Cheshire Correctional Institution. T.R.U.E unit mentors are people serving life without parole sentences at the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Through a competitive application process,...

Series: Addressing the Overuse of Segregation in U.S. Prisons and Jails

Mental Health Units as Alternatives to Segregation

“For [the already mentally ill], placing them in [segregation] is the mental equivalent of putting an asthmatic in a place with little air to breathe.” —Federal District Court Judge Thelton Henderson, Madrid v Gomez, 1995 Since Madrid v Gomez in 1995, the plac...

Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.

Working Together Toward Community, Connection, and Comradeship in T.R.U.E.

Our vision for the T.R.U.E. program is to revolutionize how rehabilitation in corrections is accomplished in America. Through its success, the T.R.U.E. program will become the benchmark for youth rehabilitation first throughout Connecticut then beyond. The T.R...

With Public Support, States Continue to Embrace Drug Reform—and Save Lives

New reporting from the New York Times yesterday estimates that more than 59,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2016—the largest annual jump ever recorded in U.S. history.  With drug overdoses now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50, the conse...

Dignity, Justice, and the Webbys

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the 21st Annual Webby Awards because Vera’s new online home won “Best Website” in the associations category. The Webbys are perhaps best described as the Oscars of the Internet, and it was an honor to be selected by t...

The Sessions Memo: Back to the Past?

U.S Justice Department tradition over the last 37 years generally includes the new Attorney General issuing his or her own charging and sentencing policy—a fundamental part of the DOJ's criminal justice program. This administration is no exception.  On May 10t...

Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.

Looking Back Toward a Better Future

This post was written by James, a mentor in the T.R.U.E. unit at Cheshire Correctional Institution. T.R.U.E unit mentors are people serving life without parole sentences at the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Through a competitive application process, 1...

Alabama Restores Voting Rights for Thousands with Felony Convictions

UPDATE: Governor Kay Ivey's office reported Thursday, May 25th that the Governor had signed the act into law, extending the right to vote to 'thousands' of people with felony charges. In criminal justice reform, it’s been a good week for the South.  As noted ...

We Already Tried a War on Drugs. It Failed.

We’re in the middle of a public health crisis: overdose deaths have overtaken motor-vehicle accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death in our country.  Research shows that a public health response is in order—something that’s already successfully p...

Shrinking the Financial—and Human—Cost of Jail in New York City

Rikers Island, the infamous 85-year-old jail in New York City, is out of sight and out of mind for many New Yorkers.  Housed on an island accessible only by a single bridge, with its own bakery, high school, and power plant, and a disturbing history of violenc...

Families Will Be Negatively Affected by the FCC’s New Stance on Phone Calls Behind Bars

“Can you hear me now?”  That’s the iconic catch phrase used during Verizon’s promotion campaign from 2002 to 2011. A familiar call-back to youth, it is also becoming a commonly asked question behind the walls of prisons and jails throughout the country. The Fe...

Seniors Facing Cognitive Decline Need Responsible Financial Care from Banks, Families, and Community Providers

Everyone has heard the old adage that as we age, we become “older and wiser.”  However, a recent Economist article suggests that the opposite is true with regard to our ability to manage our finances. While cognitive decline is most severe in those with neurol...