Wednesday morning, Cyntoia Brown was released from jail after being sentenced to life in prison for killing a man responsible for sex trafficking her when she was only 16. She was granted clemency in January by then Tennessee Governor Haslam. Her clemency came after high-profile advocates and popular celebrities highlighted the injustice she had faced. […]
Alabama Seeks to Outlaw Abortions and Criminalize Doctors
This week, the Alabama state house passed the most restrictive anti-abortion bill in the nation that bans abortion, even in cases of rape and/or incest, unless the woman’s life is in danger, and makes performing an abortion a felony. Doctors that do perform abortions can be sentenced to up to 99 years in prison. It […]
Temporary Release Granted to Saudi Arabian Women’s Rights Activists
Three of eleven women’s rights activists arrested for human rights work in Saudi Arabia have been temporarily released from prison following a bail hearing on Thursday. More are expected to be released this Sunday but the Saudi Arabian media says that these releases are on a temporary basis. Eleven women were on trial in Saudi Arabia […]
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Study Finds About 4 Percent of Women Are Pregnant When Jailed
A study published in The American Journal of Public Health on Thursday found that about 4 percent of women who were currently incarcerated in state prisons in the United States were pregnant when they were first admitted. While overall prison rates have declined, the number of incarcerated women has been increasing at about a rate […]
Child Sex-Trafficking Survivor Cyntoia Brown To Be Released From Prison
On Monday morning Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted executive clemency to 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown—a survivor of child sex trafficking who was convicted in 2004 of first degree murder after killing a 43-year-old man who had purchased her for sex. Brown, who at 16-years-old was sentenced to life in prison, is now scheduled to be released on August 7, 2019.
Lawsuit Filed after NYPD forces Woman to Deliver Baby While Handcuffed
A lawsuit was filed on Thursday against the New York Police Department after officers forced a Bronx woman to give birth while shackled and handcuffed in February.
Free Feminine Hygiene Products for Federal Inmates Now Required
The August 1st memorandum states that the BOP “ensures that female inmates have access to a range of feminine hygiene products related to menstruation.” This mandate will not apply to state prisons and jails.
Organizations Raise Money to Bail Out Women for Mother’s Day
Black Lives Matter, Color of Change and dozens of groups affiliated with the racial and criminal justice movement were able to raise over $500,000 to bail black mothers out of jail in time to celebrate Mother’s Day with their families this past weekend.
California Voters Pass Controversial Criminal Justice Reform Proposition
California voters passed Proposition 57 this past Tuesday. Presented as a means for criminal justice reform, Proposition 57 allows non-violent convicts parole consideration once they have completed their base sentence.
California Legislature Votes to Restrict Sterilization of Prison Inmates
The bill now awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature. If he does not sign it within 12 days, it will go into effect by default.
Stop The Madness: On Treating Women Prisoners With Dignity
Women in prison are still people – and they shouldn’t have to endure shackling during childbirth and forced sterilization just because they committed a crime.
Massachusetts Governor Issues Emergency Regulations Banning Shackling of Pregnant Inmates
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed emergency regulations last week banning the shackling of incarcerated pregnant women.
Report Shows Increase in Officer-on-Inmate Sexual Assault in US Prisons
A new report issued by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that allegations of rape and sexual assault by prison inmates are increasing, and that 49 percent of the alleged crimes involve correctional officers.
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Trans* Activist CeCe McDonald Released Early From Men’s Prison
CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 41 months in a men’s prison in July 2012 for defending herself from a hate crime. On Monday, she was released early.
The Invisible 6 Million
Nearly 6 million people in the United States will not be allowed to vote in the upcoming presidential election for one reason. As the November election nears, voting rights have become an important topic of conversation. From photo ID requirements to early voting restrictions, the negative effects of barriers to voting are being foreseen, not […]
Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Receives 11 Year Sentence
Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian Human Rights lawyer, received an 11 year prison sentence. Sotoudeh was arrested in September and went to trial on November 15 for allegedly acting against state security, assembling, and collusion with intent to disrupt national security. She was also charged for working with the Center for Human Rights Defenders, which was […]
