March 9, 2010

Privatization Update - March 1-7, 2010

March 1 – The Tennessee Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a public records case involving CCA, the nation’s largest for-profit private prison firm. The case was originally filed in May 2008 by Alex Friedmann, associate editor of Prison Legal News, a non-profit monthly publication that reports on criminal justice issues. CCA had denied Freidmann’s request for documents related to lawsuits filed against the company and for reports or audits that found contract violations by CCA, among other records. The Chancery Court of Davidson County ruled in Friedmann’s favor on July 29, 2008 and CCA was ordered to produce the requested documents...

Continue Reading...

• private prisons
• corrections corporation of america
• cca
• public safety
• privatization

March 9, 2010

State’s policy on parole notes being reviewed

Three years of field notes from parole agents supervising John Albert Gardner III after his release from prison on a 2000 molestation conviction were destroyed under a state policy that is being reviewed as he faces charges of raping and murdering Chelsea King.

California prison officials said pertinent information on parolees is transferred to a central file and retained before agents’ notes are burned or shredded.

But Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who represents the Poway area where Chelsea lived and went missing, wrote to state prisons Secretary Matthew Cate Monday, expressing alarm that the department destroys any records after one year...

LINK - SignonSanDiego.com (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• cdcr
• inmates
• california
• parole
• reform

March 8, 2010

Inmates begin hunger strike at CTF opposing three-strikes law

Hundreds of inmates at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad are fasting in protest to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the signing of the California Three Strikes law.

The fast began Sunday and involves more than 480 prisoners, said Barbara Brooks, founder of Sentencing and Justice Reform Advocacy, which sends the monthly newsletter "Advocate" to inmates and their families.

Brooks said she learned of the hunger fast from CTF inmates who came up with the idea. She joined another dozen people who gathered about 2:45 p.m. outside of CTF in support of the hunger strike, she said...

LINK - TheCalifornian.com

• cdcr
• inmates
• california
• protest
• ctf