The Marshall Project-10/31/17

In August, when the solar eclipse passed over South Boise Women’s Correctional Center in Idaho, the officers held lunch early, handed out protective sunglasses, and invited the women outside to watch the sky. At the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Connecticut, a few prisoners and officers recently played cards together; the warden seemed a little stunned when describing the scene. John Wetzel, who runs the prison system in Pennsylvania, has noticed a shift in tone at annual gatherings of his peers. “We talk more now about the humanity of inmates, and the impact of harsh environments on both staff and inmates,” he said.  The influence: Europe

Arizona 12 News Reports – Four inmate suicides in three weeks within the state prison system is leaving many unanswered questions. Is there a suicide epidemic?

May 10, 2017 – This fall, Alaska officials will travel to Norway to learn how the country’s corrections system has been successful in keeping offenders from committing new crimes.

The trip is sponsored by the Berkeley-based Prison Law Office, a nonprofit, public-interest law firm focused on improving prison conditions in the United States.

 May 11, 2017 – During a Tuesday (May 9) press conference outside Fairbanks Correctional Center, Prison Law office Executive Director Donald Specter described Norway’s approach.

”In Norway, people who are incarcerated are seen as members of the community, so they’re not forgotten about when they come into a facility,” Specter said. “They’re immediate goal is to try to get them out in a productive way. Norwegian prison systems have a saying, that they want to produce a better neighbor.”