Author Archives: Bruce Reilly

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About Bruce Reilly

Bruce Reilly is the Deputy Director of Voice of the Ex-Offender in New Orleans, LA. He is a graduate of Tulane Law School and author of NewJack's Guide to the Big House. Much of his writing can be found on www.Unprison.org.

New Report Shows Current Slave Labor in GA County Keeps 170 People Out of Work

When Gwinnett County, Georgia ran the numbers on shutting down their prison facility (incarcerating 450 people), they factored in the 356,322 hours of slave labor provided by the prisoners in 2008.  Offsetting this, the county could be putting 170 people … Continue reading

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A Report on Torture and Racism in Pennsylvania Prison

The Human Rights Coalition of Pennsylvania is poised to release a scathing report regarding the use of torture in a state penitentiary.  They are calling upon activists and citizens to speak out against likely retaliation directed upon the prisoners who … Continue reading

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From Brooklyn to Oakland: April 23rd Events Stoke the Movement

Across the nation, activists and organizations are coordinating The Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People’s Movement.  This Saturday, April 23rd, there will be evenings of testimony, artistry, solidarity and movement building. Women on the Rise Telling HerStory (WORTH) is collaborating with … Continue reading

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Sir Isaac Newton: A Revolutionary Mind

When engaging in dialogue around violence caused by police, soldiers, and private security firms, the supporters of unchecked violence always come across as entirely ignorant.  Perhaps they are not ignorant of the bloodied skulls, cracked orbital sockets, and broken rib … Continue reading

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A National Campaign to End Price Gouging on Prison Phone Rates

Nationwide Research Finds Excessive Prison Phone Rates Exploit Prisoners’ Families Brattleboro, VT – Prison Legal News (PLN), a monthly publication that covers criminal justice-related issues, released a report this past weekend at the National Conference for Media Reform in Boston … Continue reading

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NAACP Returns to Relevance: Prisons Represent “Misplaced Priorities”

On April 7th, the NAACP released a new report, Misplaced Priorities, that examines America’s escalating levels of prison spending and its impact on state budgets and our nation’s children.  NAACP President Ben Jealous speaks eloquently on the topic of a misguided … Continue reading

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Former Prisoner Wins George Polk Award for Journalism

Wilbert Rideau was imprisoned for 44 years at the Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary before he won his release in 2005. While he was in prison he was editor of The Angolite, a newspaper produced by inmates, and became an award-winning … Continue reading

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65 Million “Need Not Apply” – Is it Time for Boycotts?

A report released yesterday by National Employment Law Project (NELP) confirms that many companies are instituting blanket bans on hiring people with criminal records, including those with misdemeanors.  Creating what is an public safety issue and, if reforms are not … Continue reading

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Politicians Unify Prisoners’ Power! (for themselves)

For those of you in my home state, Prison-Based Gerrymandering might be well known, along with my comrades in New York, Delaware, or Maryland.  For the rest, please take this small state example and reach out for us to help … Continue reading

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Georgia D.O.C. Wages Retaliation Campaign In Wake of 2010 Strike

  Correspondence between Atlanta Attorney Mario Williams of Williams Oinonen LLC, (representing several brutalized inmates) and the Georgia Department of Corrections, along with documents from Open Records Requests, reveal disturbing patterns and unanswered questions as to the DOC’s actions and … Continue reading

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