Tag Archives: Rhode Island

Sen. Whitehouse will need more than bipartisanship for prison reform in America

Posted on March 17, 2014 by

Today a group of people sat down in Providence to talk with Senator Whitehouse about his bill to create a federal parole system. The bill is hailed as a “prison reform bill,” and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee; a clear indication of … Continue reading →

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Formerly Incarcerated Dog Part of World Series Honor (Seriously)

Posted on October 28, 2013 by

Today I got a call from a friend in prison, asking if I saw his old cellmate in Fenway Park during the 7th Inning Stretch.  You might have missed it, during the World Series tribute to the Boston Marathon bombing … Continue reading →

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Written and Set in Prison: “House of Death”

Posted on July 22, 2013 by

By the time I got to Minimum Security I had over a decade in prison and written screenplays, a novel, self-help guide, poetry, raps, short stories…  I was only missing a play.  Eventually all the ingredients came together and I … Continue reading →

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Rhode Island: 10th State to “Ban the Box” on Employment Applications

Posted on July 16, 2013 by

Your state can be next.  This is one man’s description of how we got the campaign off the ground. I met Linda Evans in 2007, in Oakland, and heard her presentation on an interesting issue that hit close to home: … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Legislation, Movement Building, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , , ,

Dear Gov. Chafee: Sign Ban the Box!

Posted on July 1, 2013 by

Dear Governor Chafee, Yesterday, mere hours before the House passed “Ban the Box” (5507A) by a 62-3 vote, I spoke with a friend who had been told by a temp agency he is “toxic,” and they could never hire him. … Continue reading →

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New Scholarship Program to Reverse School-to-Prison Pipeline

Posted on January 29, 2013 by

Originally appearing on TTEF’s blog. “As founders of a new and unique endeavor, we welcome you to the Transcending Through Education Foundation (TTEF). We have come together to create TTEF to help reverse the school-to-prison pipeline and establish the prison-to-school pipeline, We will provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Prison Conditions, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Testify: US Commission on Civil Rights Tackles Employment Discrimination

Posted on January 19, 2013 by

The federal government is not done developing the law around discrimination against people with criminal records, particularly as the Disparate Impact on people of Color has been rampant.  They are accepting testimony until January 21st.  Our friends at National Employment … Continue reading →

Posted in Actions, Commentary, Employment, Legislation, prison economics, Race, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Winning, Then Losing, My Right to Vote

Posted on August 2, 2012 by

This article originally appeared in The Guardian. With another presidential election approaching, there is growing discussion about the fact that up to 6 million American citizens have been disenfranchised (pdf) – many for life – due to a felony conviction. … Continue reading →

Posted in Voting Rights | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Feds vs. The States: Supreme Court must decide Death Penalty Fight

Posted on June 6, 2012 by

Can the Feds order a state to execute a man?  This is the question that the Supreme Court may ultimately answer regarding Jason Pleau, arrested last year for killing a man during a robbery.  What appeared to be a routine … Continue reading →

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America’s Top Lobbyists On Criminal Justice Reform- Legal? Proper?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

As the legislative process picks up in many states, one common lobbyist will again take their leadership position at the statehouses.  The state Attorney General and local police chiefs will again move to the front of the line of “The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legislation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments