Prison Studies Project

Teaching, Research and Engagement

kaia

April 17: Wrongfully Convicted, Proved Innocent: The Fernando Bermudez Story

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Please join us for an event this Thursday, April 17, 2014 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm at Harvard Law School, Pound Hall, Room 200.

Fernando Bermudez spent 18 years wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. On November 12, 2009 Justice John Cataldo of the New York State Supreme Court overturned his conviction and dismissed the charges, declaring Mr. Bermudez innocent. This case represents one of the rare instances in New York where a judge has ruled that a defendant was innocent without the presence of DNA evidence.

On Thursday, April 17, Mr. Bermudez will be sharing his experiences of 18 years of wrongful conviction, incarceration, and eventual exoneration with Professor Kaia Stern’s “From Plantations to Prisons” sociology class. This event is open to the public, visitors welcome.

April 26: Jobs Not Jails Rally on the Boston Common

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Mark your calendars! Jobs Not Jails is hosting a Rally to End Mass Incarceration and Fund Job Creation on Saturday, April 26th at 1:00 pm on the Boston Common.   From the Jobs Not Jails website: The Patrick Administration has estimated that, if current criminal justice policies are not changed dramatically, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts […]

Chicago-Based Jail Education Solutions Seeks to Change What’s on TV

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The mission of new Chicago-based social venture Jail Education Solutions (JES) is to replace daytime television in jails and correctional facilities with educational and edifying programming. In addition to broadcasting educational content such as GED courses, documentaries, TED talks, and motivational profiles of people formerly in prison, JES’s closed-circuit programming includes information on legal issues, health and wellness (such as Medicaid enrollment), job seeking and career development, and community resources available to people as they leave correctional facilities. JES was developed in partnership with Chicago’s Cook County.

April 4-5 Conference at Princeton University: “Building a New Criminal Justice: Mobilizing Students for Reform”

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From the conference website: Princeton’s Students for Prison Education And Reform (SPEAR) aims to start an action-based dialogue on how to build and transition to a new system of criminal justice that prioritizes effectiveness, fairness, and humanity. During the conference, panel discussions will provide academic insight on the contemporary state of the United States criminal […]

Attorney General Holder to Require Halfway Houses Boost Treatment Services for Returning Citizens

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According to a March 24 Department of Justice press release, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will impose new requirements on federal halfway houses that help people transition back into society after incarceration. Under the proposed new requirements, these halfway houses will have to provide a specialized form of treatment to individuals, including those with mental health and substance abuse issues. For the first time, halfway houses will also have to provide greater assistance to those pursuing job opportunities, such as permitting cell phones to be used by individuals and providing funds for transportation. The new requirements also expand access to electronic monitoring equipment to allow more individuals to utilize home confinement as a reentry method.

The new policies have the potential to be far-reaching, as last year alone, more than 30,000 people from federal prisons passed through a halfway house.