human rights

States Force Ex-Offenders to Pay “User Fees” For Their Own Incarceration

by Cara January 10, 2011

Last week, Adam Sewer published a great article at the American Prospect about the trend of making former prisoners literally pay for their own incarceration, with “user fees” being imposed as a condition of parole. It was a practice that I was unaware of, and one that I imagine many readers who do not have [...]

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California Inmates Receive Mental Health Care While Locked in Cages

by Cara December 28, 2010

Today, the LA Times reports on the state of mental health care in California state prisons. Namely, they report on an aspect of how that care is delivered, now that the courts have mandated that treatment be provided even to inmates in maximum-security prisons: with the patients locked inside individual cages. Yes, really. Before group [...]

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Off-Duty Cis Cop Allegedly Assaults Trans Woman, But She’s The One Who Is Charged

by Cara December 21, 2010

Trigger Warning for transphobic violence and police violence At the beginning of December, an altercation between a trans woman and an off-duty police officer resulted in the woman being charged with assault (h/t). The problem is that this charge is in spite of the fact that she alleges the officer assaulted her — and that [...]

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International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

by Cara December 17, 2010

Trigger Warning for violence against sex workers, including but not limited to sexual violence and police violence Today, December 17, is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is a day to remember sex workers who have been murdered, and to acknowledge and spread [...]

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Idaho Law Says Only Married Women Can Be Raped By Fraud

by Cara December 3, 2010

Trigger Warning for sexual violence and rape apologism A couple weeks ago in Idaho, a judge dismissed a rape case in which a woman was allegedly raped by a man who she believed at the time to be her boyfriend. The article itself contains a graphic description of the charges themselves (Trigger Warning), but what [...]

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California Fights Order to Reduce Prison Overcrowding at Supreme Court

by Cara November 30, 2010

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the issue of prison overcrowding in California — or, specifically, the judicial order that California must release 46,000 inmates from its overcrowded prisons within two years. For those not familiar with this order issued last year, a little bit of background: At issue is whether the special three-judge [...]

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Tuesday March in Pittsburgh in Response to the Death of Amy Lynn Gillespie

by Cara November 22, 2010

Last week, a post I wrote about the death of Amy Lynn Gillespie generated a lot of attention. Ms. Gillespie, who was being detained Allegheny County Jail for violating the conditions of her work release by becoming pregnant, died after being denied timely medical care for her treatable condition. As I argued in the post, [...]

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On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, Remembering Why They’re Not Here

by Cara November 20, 2010

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day set aside to remember all of the lives that have been lost to anti-trans violence, most specifically in the past 365 days, but also further into the past. I never know quite what to say on days like today, days set aside to mark [...]

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South African Teen Charged With “Underage Sex” After Recanting Rape Allegation

by Cara November 19, 2010

Trigger Warning for descriptions of sexual violence, victim-blaming, and rape apologism There were recently reports of a particularly horrific rape case out of South Africa, in which a 15-year-old Johannesburg girl alleged rape by two 16-year-old and 14-year-old classmates at Jules High School. The alleged rape was filmed by the two alleged perpetrators and a [...]

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Woman Jailed for Becoming Pregnant, Then Died From Lack of Medical Treatment

by Cara November 18, 2010

Trigger Warning for prison abuse, specifically denial of medical treatment, and reproductive rights violations. At the beginning of this year, a 27-year-old woman named Amy Lynn Gillespie died (h/t @DCdebbie). She was 18 weeks pregnant, and died in a hospital after being transferred there by Allegheny County Jail, which was currently detaining her. The problem [...]

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