Report Points to Prison Security Failures
from USA Today
A government inquiry into the most recent fatal assault of a federal correctional officer details multiple security breakdowns and underscores a fear among federal officials who say inmates have grown increasingly violent in their dealings with prison staff. Bryan Lowry, president of the federal prison employees association, says overcrowding is endangering prison officers and staffers. According to BOP records, the system is 36 percent over capacity and 48 percent over capacity in high security units. More

Putting Bars Behind Them
from NorthJersey.com
In America, jails tend to be run primarily as places of punishment, and not as places that prepare inmates to reenter society. So it's not surprising that released inmates often end up back behind bars. That's why Bergen County, N.J., Sheriff Leo McGuire deserves credit for launching a "reentry" project that involves dozens of social service providers, community and religious leaders. They are working together to find ways to give inmates a chance to stay out of jail once they are released and get their lives together. More

States Releasing Prisoners Early May Pay for It Later
from USA Today
In any context, cost cutting in times of economic stress tends to produce shortsighted solutions. But several states struggling to cope with the recession have settled on one approach that is a certain recipe for long-term trouble. They are releasing large numbers of "non-violent" offenders from prison. According to this USA Today opinion piece, high recidivism means short-term cuts won’t equal long-term savings. More

Sheriff Volunteers Praised for Dedicated Service in Times of Budget Cuts
from Contra Costa Times
As the largest search and rescue team north of San Bernardino County, the Contra Costa, Calif., Sheriff's Office searchers often assist other agencies throughout the state and beyond in sometimes high-risk search-and-rescue efforts. But search and rescue is just one of 11 programs within the Volunteer Services Unit. The 622 volunteers contributed the same amount of service as 50 full-time, paid positions -- or 108,000 volunteer hours -- last year, and it would cost the county about $5 million for salaries and benefits if they were paid. More

Colorado Jail Draws National Attention
from the Boulder Daily Camera
At the Broomfield, Colo., jail, the combination of technology, innovative design and new thinking on how to treat inmates makes the facility a model other communities use when they build new jails. Elected officials and law enforcement officers from outside Colorado are frequent visitors. Many come to the jail as part of their training with the National Institute of Corrections, a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons. More

NYPD Looking at Futuristic Weapons Technology
from The Associated Press via the Seattle Times
The New York Police Department is looking into adapting futuristic technology that would allow officers' guns to recognize one another in an effort to avoid the type of friendly fire incident that left a cop dead last week. One idea involves the use of radio frequency tags that would allow officers to pinpoint where other cops are in the city. Another involves tags that would work gun-to-gun and use an infrared sensor. More

Prison Seminary Program Gives Inmates Second Chance
from The Associated Press via Yahoo! News
The graduates patted each other's backs, and nervously chatted with their families. Some sat quietly, meditating about their future while others wept. It could have been a scene from any of the thousands of commencement ceremonies this year. But these graduates were convicted killers, rapists and drug dealers at Mississippi's only maximum security prison. The Parchman, Miss., inmates recently received bachelor's degrees in Christian ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. More

Florida Gets Option to Export Prisoners to Other States
from The Tampa Tribune
Florida will soon have the option of exporting prisoners to other states, though the state's top corrections official is not wild about the idea. The new law, which state Sen. Victor Crist sponsored this spring, authorizes the state Department of Corrections to house prisoners in correctional facilities outside Florida. The plan is intended to stave off the need to build more prison beds, which cost about $80,000 a piece. More

Garden is Producing More than Plants at Center
from the Ashley News Observer
The garden behind the Ashley County, Ark., Detention Center is producing more than just vegetables, according to Sheriff David Johnson. Johnson said the garden was initiated three years ago as a means of saving costs on food for detainees by providing fresh vegetables, although the benefits have exceeded beyond just cost savings. More