This page consists of reading and viewing material to facilitate exploring the relationship between law and incarceration. This includes looking at key political events that contributed to mass incarceration alongside current policies that affect currently incarcerated individuals.
The APN collection features over 700 newspapers across all 50 U.S. states, and many of the newspaper issues feature special sections dedicated to policy. Thus, they provide readers with the opportunity to see how these policies affect the people most impacted by them.
Before learners can study specific laws and policies, it’s important that they develop and/or enhance their vocabulary and become familiar with terms such as the following: (this list is not exhaustive and instructors are encouraged to modify the list to best fit the needs of their students)
parole
probation
house arrest
prison vs jail
rehabilitation
reintegration
solitary confinement
mandatory minimum
recidivism
sentence/sentencing
mass incarceration
abolition/prison abolition
prison reform
deterrence
corrections
penal
corporal punishment
offense
appeal
prosecution
capital punishment
fine
conviction
victim
offender
Guiding Questions:
How has policy been used to construct ideas of criminality across race, gender, and class lines?
What does the term ‘mass incarceration’ refer to? What specific policies contributed to mass incarceration?
What was the War on Drugs? How did it impact incarceration rates in the United States?
What’s the difference between prison and jail? How does the difference between the two impact incarceration rates?
What rights do prisoners have? What rights don’t they have?
What does the term ‘prison abolition’ refer to?
Thought for Prisoners Who Consider their Sentences Unjust: Can There be Uniformity of Time Allotments - The Prison News (Sept. 1928)
Parole is an Evil, from “The Marquette Inmate” - Agenda (Aug. 1936)
President Roosevelt Urges Broader Parole System - The Eye Opener (Apr. 1939)
Parole - The Eye Opener (Apr. 1939)
Give Convicts Something to Live For - Soonerl-a-nd (Jan. 1943)
The Psychology of a Parole System - Soonerl-a-nd (Jan. 1943)
I.H.I.C(Indiana Hospital for Insane Criminals)Furlough Plan - The Lancer (Jun. 1944)
Law Reform - Lake Shore Outlook (May 1958)
The Lawyer - Raiford Record (Oct. 1962)
This issue also includes pieces on “The Court,”
Make the Inmate a Party to Penal Reform - Raiford Record (Dec. 1962)
Contempt for the Law - Agenda (Jul. 1963)
Prisoner Granted Freedom After 64 Years in Prison - The Pendleton Reflector (Dec. 1963)
Parole and You - The Detour (Jan. 1964)
Indiana Parole Division Initiates Program to Aid Parolees - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
Pre-Release Program is a Valuable Asset to the Parolee - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
Help for the Parolee - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
Professional Criminals or Lazy Prisoners - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
Effective Immediately Corporal Punishment is Prohibited in All State Penal Institutions - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
pair with this reading from the same issue: Corporal Punishment Never
Kentucky Liberalizes Parole Law - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
A Perpetual Criminal - The Pendleton Reflector (Jan. 1966)
January Parole Board Frees 101 Applicants - The Pendleton Reflector (Feb. 1966)
Work Release Programs - Shadows (Oct. 1966)
The First Lady Speaks: Eleanor Roosevelt on Rehabilitation and Parole - Shadows (Oct. 1966)
On Death Row: 6 Hours to Go and Praying - What’s Up (Mar. 1972)
Volunteers in Parole Program - What’s Up (Mar. 1972)
Conviction of Innocent: No Rarity in State - RMC Newsletter (Oct. 1972)
Judge Order Legal Services Program for Florida Inmate - RMC Newsletter (Jan. 1973)
State Study Would Ban Under-17s in Adults Jails - RMC Newsletter (Jan. 1973)
Is Prison Rehabilitation Becoming a Legal Right - RMC Newsletter (Jan. 1973)
Cons and Prose: Take Back Your Convicts - Passin’ Thru (May. 1974)
Kentucky Institutes Furlough - Joint Endeavor (Apr. 1975)
The 13th Amendment - Anarchist Black Dragon (Dec. 1978)
The Law on Strip Searches - The Angolite (May 1981)
Prisons: A Major Problem in the US - Joint Endeavor (Sept./Oct. 1981)
Rhodes vs. Chapman: Two Men, One Cell - Joint Endeavor (Sept./Oct. 1981)
1,900 Felons Lose Federal Disability Aid - Joint Endeavor (Sept./Oct. 1981)
Extra Good Time at What Price? - Joint Endeavor (Winter 1984-85)
Senate Approves Sentence Guidelines - Huron Valley Monitor ( Jun. 1985)
Death Penalty is Not Acceptable - Huron Valley Monitor ( Jun. 1985)
Progressive Trend May Have Come to an End (Michigan Dept. of Corrections) - Huron Valley Monitor (Nov. 1986)
Serial Litigators - Prison Legal News (Feb. 1993)
Legal News: DNA Testing - Chainlink Chronicle (Jul. 2001)
Correctional Officers - Dixon Digest (Feb. 2007)
Pardon Me? - Walk Talk (Jul. 2010)
pt. 2: Unfinished Business (Jan. 2011)
Pew Organization Helps Reduce Prison Population - Chainlink Chronicle (Mar. 2011)
RCC Law Review: What You Need to Know about the Louisiana Board of Pardons - Chainlink Chronicle (Mar. 2011)
Fiscal Report Oct-Dec 2017 - Gold Rush Chronicle (Mar. 2016)
Much Needed Information on Minnesota Statutes - The Prison Mirror (Mar. 2017)
New Court Ruling Threatens Prison Phone Call Rates - The Prison Mirror (Oct. 2017)
A Win for Felon’s First Amendment Rights - The Prison Mirror (Oct. 2017)
Inmate Behind Landmark Ruling Wins Parole - Chainlink Chronicle (Mar. 2019)
Nebraska Shows that Ending Mass Incarceration Isn’t Easy - Chainlink Chronicle (Mar. 2019)
Criminal Justice Reform(in Louisiana) - Chainlink Chronicle (Mar. 2019)
Use of Life Sentences - The Prison Mirror (Mar. 2019)
Reform Progress - The Angolite (Jul. 2019)
More Units: Sentence Review Units - The Angolite (Jul. 2019)
Felonious Jurors - The Angolite (Jul. 2019)
Forensic Non-Science - The Angolite (Jul. 2019)
Truth or Rumor: Laws Regarding Minnesota Prisoners - The Prison Mirror (Oct. 2019)
Intensive Supervised Release: ISR 101 - The Prison Mirror (Jan. 2020)
Former Prisoners Needed to Save California from Wildfires - The Prison Mirror (Aug. 2020)
Board of Pardons Releases Myon Burrell From Prison - The Prison Mirror (Aug. 2020)
Legal-Ease: Incarcerated Patient Rights - Mule Creek Post (Jan. 2021)
DCI Law Library - Straight Low (Feb. 2021)
DCI Legal Spectrum - Straight Low (Feb. 2021)
Revisiting Penal Code 1170 Resentencing - Mule Creek Post (Mar. 2021)
Getting Your Parole Hearing Date Advanced by the BPH - Mule Creek Post (Mar. 2021)
Making the Choice to Appear Before the Parole Board - Mule Creek post (Mar. 2021)
TNN Policy Watch: The Principle of Retroactivity - Nash News (Dec. 2021)
Medical Parole - Mabel Gazette H.E.R.O (Dec. 2022)
How To Read a Bill - The Mabel Gazette H.E.R.O. (Feb. 2023)
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