Clik here to view.
Media Watch: Criminal Justice Issues
Interested in the latest ideas about criminal justice? Here is a brief round-up of blog postings or articles that address the topic: “Guns, Race and Children: Facing Up to the ‘Ugly Truth‘,” by Katti...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don’t let the worry kill you
First posted in February 2013. Having a son in prison is not easy. As mothers, we know the personal histories, problems, and weaknesses, which, in part, contributed to our sons’ poor choices. Society,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
F.O.P. (Fear of Police)
First, a disclaimer. I am not a police hater; I understand the dangers of policing as well as the split-second decisions that officers have to make when patrolling the streets of our cities. My father...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book Watch: three very different books on criminal justice
Here is some not-so-new, yet important, news: three books related to criminal justice were on The New York Times‘ bestseller list last month: The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore chronicles the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Living with a Father in Prison
We all know how important it is to have both parents in one’s life. Not to say that a single parent–male or female–cannot raise a child alone, but each parent models life from a uniquely masculine or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We need a mass movement.
Some thoughts: We need a mass movement. Just as the civil rights and women’s movements brought about major social and legal changes, a criminal justice reform movement can do the same. Protests, such...
View ArticleClik here to view.
College scholarships for CIPS (Children of Incarcerated Parents) limited, but...
According to the New York City’s Osborne Association “…2.7 million children in the U.S. have an incarcerated parent…10 million children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Attorney General Eric Holder Announces New Policy on Appeal Waivers
The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“I lived in a state of perpetual numbness.”
NOTE: I apologize to those who have visited the blog over the past week. A minor eye problem kept me from posting. The mission of this blog is to educate, support, and motivate mothers with sons in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Sentencing Project–great resource for criminal justice issues
In an effort to find issues and stories related to criminal justice, I always check out The Sentencing Project website, which posts articles on what’s happening in the courts, prisons, and state and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Parole: Reality Bites
In April and May 2014, I wrote a series of three blogs “Coming Home: The First Thirty Days” about my 27-year old grandson’s first weeks on parole after a two-year stretch in upstate New York for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pay-to-Stay Fees: Punitive Penalties?
“Apparently what we expect people to do is to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in fees, fines, court costs, accumulated child support, which continues to accrue while you’re in prison. And in a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Paula Cooper: What price freedom?
The Root recently reported that 45-year old Paula Cooper, sentenced to death at age 15 for the robbery and murder of 78-year old Ruth Pelke, committed suicide in Indianapolis on May 26, with a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Personal Story: Behind Jailhouse Walls
On Monday, my daughter, Denise, who lives in Las Vegas, received a Facebook message at 5:07 AM (PST) from her daughter, Erica, who lives NYC. Erica had received a disturbing call from her father about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
John Legend and Hill Harper: the latest celebs to join the ranks of black...
John Legend, Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter, and Hill Harper, Harvard-educated actor and author, have joined the elite ranks of black celebrities who advocated for social justice. Each of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Presidential Visit to Federal Prison
I cannot wait until President Obama is out office. I predict that he will lend his formidable presence to the movement to reform America’s criminal justice system, which chews up the lives of too many...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another untimely death: Sandra Bland dies in a Texas jail
It was eerie and sad to watch Sandra Bland advocate in a Facebook video (posted on The Root, an online news site) that “black lives matter” just a few short months before her own untimely death....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Update: Waller County DA treating Sandra Bland’s death in Texas jail as a...
The Root reports today that Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis is treating Sandra Bland’s death in a Texas jail (after her arrest for failure to use a turn signal and reportedly assaulting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Remembering Sandra Bland
Today the New York Times, reported the results of Sandra Bland’s autopsy: suicide by hanging. While there remains skepticism among family,friends, and some of the public over the results, the reality...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Attorney General Lynch call for “de-escalation” training for police departments
Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke today about the need for training police officers nationwide in “de-escalating tactics” when confronted with potentially volatile interactions. Lynch says, “As part...
View Article
