Nebraska Prisons Report Calls for Multiple Reforms

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s seven-member Department of Correctional Services Special Investigation Committee released a 62-page report on Dec. 15 calling for sweeping reforms and the firing of several correctional officials.

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Alabama Inmates Protest Prison Labor

SPRINGVILLE, Ala. — Though inmates at St. Clair County Correctional Facility had announced plans for their second labor strike this year, hoping to draw attention to what they consider an unjust free labor system, facility administrators have yet to see evidence of the protest. The work stoppage, which was to have taken place beginning April 19, was also intended to highlight overcrowding and various health violations at Alabama correctional facilities.

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Prison Reform Bill Introduced in Colorado

DENVER — A new prison reform bill has been introduced to the Colorado House of Representatives that would potentially improve reentry reintegration and initiatives for adult offenders. The bill was co-sponsored by Republic Representative Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs and Daniel Kagan, a Democrat from Denver.

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Alabama Poised to Establish Prison Reform Task Force

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama state senators hope their recent approval of a new task force will help determine the cause of the state’s growing prison overcrowding problem, and offer potential solutions. The resolution to develop the task force was sponsored by Sen. Cam Ward R-Alabaster, and, if also passed by the House, will create a 26-member group referred to as the Prison Reform Task Force.

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South Dakota Examines Prison Reform

PIERRE, S.D. — Prison reform has been a background theme in our country for years, existing primarily as a philosophical debate about how our country should address crime and human failings. Our nation’s current financial woes are changing that dynamic, making prison reform seem less like a theoretical concept and more like a reality that is bearing down upon the entire industry.

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