law enforcement

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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District Attorney With Transphobic Record Appointed to Tennessee Safety Commission

by Cara December 13, 2010

Last week, Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam named Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons (left), a fellow Republican, as his safety commissioner. The state safety commissioner oversees state law enforcement, homeland security, and the highway patrol. While Gibbons’ record as a strong death penalty advocate who believes that inmates should have fewer opportunities to file appeals for their [...]

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Nashville Police Officers Charged With Domestic Violence Get to Keep Their Jobs

by Cara December 10, 2010

This week, the Tennessean reports that the Nashville Metro Police Department has quite the record of letting police officers charged with domestic violence off with few consequences, with the vast majority getting to keep their jobs on the force. At least 10 Metro Police officers have been arrested on domestic violence charges in the last [...]

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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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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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U.S. Sex Worker Advocates Expose Human Rights Violations Before United Nations

by Cara November 4, 2010

Trigger Warning for discussions of human rights violations against sex workers, as well as sex trafficking and sexual violence. Tomorrow November 5, the United Nations will, for the first time under its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) system, review the human rights record of the United States. That’s a pretty big deal period, especially since the [...]

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Woman Faces Likely Deportation Because She Filed a Domestic Violence Report

by Cara November 2, 2010

Last year, a woman named Maria Bolanos called the police during a domestic dispute with her partner, hoping that they would protect her. Now, as a result of that phone call and the subsequent interaction with police, because she is an immigrant who is undocumented, it is probable that she will be deported soon. Last [...]

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