In the News
Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah) wrote in a social media post Wednesday that an employee at a federal prison hung up on him when he called to check on the health of an incarcerated man. Lee’s experience is a particularly pointed example of an issue that families and criminal justice advocacy groups have complained about for years: It’s…
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that mandatory life sentences for second-degree murder are unconstitutional — a significant decision that is likely to reshape a portion of state law that many criminal justice advocates and some public officials have long targeted for reform. In an opinion released Thursday morning, Chief Justice Debra Todd said the law mandating…
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that sentencing people convicted of second degree murder to life without parole is unconstitutional. The court ruled that the sentence conflicts with the Pennsylvania Constitution’s ban on cruel punishment. The court’s ruling came in the case of Derek Lee from Allegheny County. Lee was involved in…
OPINION – COMMENTARY By KATRINA BAUGHKATRINA BAUGH | Special to the Tribune Historically, prison systems in the U.S. are defined by their lack of transparency. This is often defended in the name of security. However, 1 in 2 U.S. adults have experienced incarceration in their family and, as a result, have dealt firsthand with hearing…
A new Louisiana bill would allow terminally ill inmates to temporarily be released from custody in their final days. House Bill 399, proposed by Rep. Jerome Zeringue, would amend a pre-existing law to allow inmates more time out of prison before their death. While the original bill only allows release 60 days before the inmate’s…
In Louisiana, sick inmates with less than 60 days to live are eligible for a special release program, but they sometimes die before their requests make it through the administrative process. A proposal in the state Legislature aims to alleviate that problem and give more inmates the chance to spend their final days outside prison…
February 26, 2026 The buzz is already underway ahead of this year’s Academy Awards. One nominee for Best Documentary Feature Film may be getting some extra attention here in Alabama. The film “The Alabama Solution” is shining a light on conditions in the state’s prison system. The documentary uses footage shot by inmates and smuggled…
What does it mean to grow up in prison—and come home determined to change the system that confined you? On this episode of Prison to Promise, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Bryan Widenhouse, a formerly incarcerated advocate who spent over 30 years serving a life-without-parole sentence for a crime committed as a teenager.…
Teenagers as young as 12 years old in New York juvenile detention centers are held for prolonged periods in solitary confinement cells without plumbing, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month. A federal class action lawsuit filed by the Legal Aid Society and the law firm Jenner and Block alleges that the New York State Office…
January 20, 2026 Lawmakers in Illinois passed legislation requiring prisons to submit annual hospice and palliative care data reports. The new law is designed to improve end-of-life support among incarcerated populations.