What's new at the Prison Policy Initiative

Supply-side murder control?

leah — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:51:32 +0000

Peter Wagner has a new guest post on the Prison Law Blog, Supply-side murder control?, about the gun lobby’s support for laws like “Stand Your Ground” and the connection between handgun production and handgun homicides.

Vote for PPI in GOOD Maker social change contest!

leah — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:00:19 +0000

Please vote for the Prison Policy Initiative in a social change contest to win $2500 from GOOD Maker! We want to launch a fact sheet series to give criminal justice reform advocates the tools they need to create change. The proposal is inspired by our 2003 project The Prison Index.

Trayvon Martin, Fear of Crime and Mass Incarceration

peter — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:19:02 +0000

I have a new article, Trayvon Martin, Fear of Crime and Mass Incarceration, showing that the vigilante ethos behind “Stand Your Ground” has very little to do with legitimate fears of crime.

Paul Rucker awarded grant to make more art about the parallels between slavery and mass incarceration.

peter — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:46:46 +0000

Friend of Prison Policy Initiative artist Paul Rucker has been awarded a prestigious grant from Creative Capital to make more art about mass incarceration. His 2009 project, Proliferation, was inspired by the map of U.S. Prison Proliferation, 1900-2000 by PPI’s Rose Heyer. Don’t miss the review of Proliferation on CityArts. Congratulations Paul!

FOX news GOP debate question mentions PPI data

leah — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:58:54 +0000

At the 1/16 GOP primary debate Juan Williams cited PPI’s data in a question he asked about the issue of racial disparities in drug-related arrests and convictions.

PPI submits testimony in support of smart change to Mass. school zone law

leah — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:03:06 +0000

PPI supports a common-sense revision to the short-sighted Massachusetts school zone drug penalty law. This change would allow the law to more effectively protect children without disproportionately punishing urban communities.

Rethinking Drug-Free School Zones

peter — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:23:42 +0000

We added Maureen Turner’s Valley Advocate article Rethinking Drug-Free School Zones: Gov. Patrick proposes changing a policy critics say is unfair and ineffective to our PPI in the News page and to the page about our sentencing enhancement zone work.

PPI course at Smith College featured

peter — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:44:02 +0000

Eric Weld has an article about Peter Wagner’s course at Smith College: Interterm Course Focuses on U.S. Prison System in the Gate.

Quoted in Patriot Ledger, Quincy Mass on state’s counter-productive plan to charge prisoners for their incarceration.

peter — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:18:53 +0000

Peter Wagner is quoted in the Patriot Ledger regarding Mass.’s plan to bill prison inmates for room and board. Because most people in prison are poor, this counter-productive policy “is like spending money to squeeze blood from a stone.”

Paul Rucker piece profiled

peter — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:46:00 +0000

Artist Paul Rucker’s new installation, Proliferation, inspired by the map of U.S. Prison Proliferation, 1900-2000 by PPI’s Rose Heyer was just reviewed in CityArts.