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For a long time, Rikers Island has symbolized some of the failures of NYC's criminal justice system. For decades, the jail complex has been the subject of investigations, lawsuits, and public scrutiny. While city leaders have promised reforms, the issues such as violence, medical neglect, mental health crises, and structural decay continue to resurface. Today, Rikers stands at the center of a call for not just reform, but for abolition altogether. The problems  at Rikers aren

Mass incarceration didn’t emerge overnight. It’s been the product of policy choices, political shifts, and long standing racial dynamics that accelerated after the 1970s and reshaped American life. Origins: Nixon, and a new criminal justice posture in the early 1970s Although incarceration existed before the 1970s, two related things changed those years. A political reorientation towards crime and order rhetoric, and the formal launch of the war on drugs. In June 1971, presid

By Brandon Park The average age of a US judge has been on the incline, starting 1789-2020. As for the former, the average age of a judge was ~50 yrs old, in 2020: pushing 70 years. Obviously, we’re not to conflate older age with mental degradation, but it remains a valid concern. Older judges, as do most people, are not as spry and youthful as they used to be. What’d seem to follow: a lack of faculties and a, though speculative, return to racially motivated verdicts. This is

By Tristan Choi The US incarceration and prison system has been known to be  fair and strict, but people have also noticed racist bias within the system. Black men cover around 35% of the incarcerated population, which is drastically higher than the incarcerated people of other races. Another example of bias are American/Alaskan Native people, who are killed much more often while arrested than white men. This is just a few examples of the current issues arising in the US just

By Grace Park Incarceration is often seen as an individual crime or flaw- a term to describe punishments  resulting from one’s actions. Yet the incarceration system is far from impartial. Economic disparities have been a topic of concern for decades in the U.S. justice system. The system has shown time and time again the very inequalities it seeks to correct: low-income individuals being subject to mistreatment and deprived of the necessary tools of defense, while the rich us

By Glynnis Gravador The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 1 in every 100 adults imprisoned. The economic burden of mass incarceration in the US alone accumulates up to over 1 trillion dollars, highlighting the significance of this issue. Incarceration rates have only been increasing, further contributing to financial loss and decreased productivity across the nation. Many incarcerated people experience assault and harassment in jail, some even committin

By Joanne Hwang In the midst of the devastating California wildfires, hundreds of incarcerated firefighters wield hoses and dig fire lines in the place of paid professionals. In general, incarcerated people comprise 30 percent of all firefighting crews in California. They use chainsaws, axes, and rakes to defend against the fuel of fire. These incarcerated firefighters are part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Conservation Camp Program, and the