Correctional Forum

Headlines: National

Angela Davis Presents Paradox of Prison and Democracy [Cornell Daily Sun]

Deadly medical lapses in prison [Los Angeles Times]

Man charged with holding up bank day of prison release for bank robbery [Chicago Tribune]

Thousands Rally in La. to Support Jena 6 [ABC News]

Killer of witness in Phila. murder case sentenced to die [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Is this really necessary?

William Barnes, a tour guide at Eastern State Penitentiary, has been arrested for a crime he committed in 1966 and already served time for. The story is quite complicated and the Prison Society is working on a response, which will likely be broadcast on local news in Philadelphia later today or this evening.

When you see the video of Barnes, you realize the futility of this effort. It's sad that we espouse rehabilitation and restoration, but insist upon retribution instead.

Philadelphia City Paper story about Billy Barnes new life
CBS.com video interview with Billy Barnes about Eastern State riot

UK asks for release of 5 Gitmo prisoners

World affairs correspondent for the BBC News website, Paul Reynolds writes:

The request by the British government for the release of five UK residents from Guantanamo Bay is a switch in policy and another sign that the new government of Gordon Brown is quietly distancing itself from that of Tony Blair.

It perhaps signals a greater readiness to be more flexible in the conduct of what President Bush called the "war on terror" after the attacks of 9/11.

And the United States itself seems keen to resolve as many cases at Guantanamo as it can.

The Blair government did call for the closure of Guantanamo Bay and acted on behalf of British citizens held in the camp, and they have been freed, but it always rejected demands that it support these five.

The government argued right up to the Appeal Court that it was under no obligation to do so because they were not UK nationals and that anyway its efforts would be "futile", as the Americans would not negotiate with third-country governments.

To read the full article, visit BBC News.

Prison Board members spar over Staten birth

The Lackawanna County Prison Board met privately Monday to determine whether prison officials handled Shakira Staten's situation appropriately. After the meeting, County Judge Vito P. Gerulo, a board member, told Staff Writer for the Scranton Times-Tribune Borys Krawczeniuk that "The facts and circumstances really don't make a lot of sense right now, without us being able to see all of the medical information that we feel we should see in order for it to be a complete and thorough review." The board needs Ms. Staten's authorization to see her medical records, which her lawyer, Nicholas E. Fick, said that she would grant: "We have no problem signing whatever authorization they think they need. I'm a little puzzled why they would need her medical records."

Before the meeting even began however, there was a bit of a verbal tussle between Commissioners Robert C. Cordaro (Rep.) and Mike Washo (Dem.). Mr. Cordaro accused Mr. Washo of turning the birth into a political issue by calling for an investigation by an independent outside agency last week.

For the full story:
Inmate's medical records sought [Scranton Times-Tribune]

We Wish We Could Ignore This, But We Can't

In 2003, Brian Wells robbed a bank. This was no ordinary bank robbery though. Wells had an explosive strapped to a collar around his neck. Before it went off, Wells claimed that he'd been forced to go through with the robbery.

The investigation led back to Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong (pictured), a 58-year-old woman who is currently imprisoned for the murder of an ex-boyfriend, James Roden. Prosecutors allege Armstrong planned to force Welles to rob the bank in order to pay someone to kill her father. They also claim that Roden's murder was to keep him from telling anyone about the bank robbery plot. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

In 2005, Diehl-Armstrong pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murdering Roden on or around Aug. 13, 2003, about two weeks before Wells' death. Roden's body was found in a freezer at the home of another former boyfriend, William Rothstein, after he tipped off police in September 2003.

Though Armstrong says she's not mentally ill, evidence in her trial for the murder of Roden alleged past psychiatric problems such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Her lawyer claims that her obsessive personality means she was too focused on that murder to have been involved in the robbery.

Armstrong is currently being held at SCI-Muncy. For statistics about women in prison, go to the jump, or check out the Prison Society's Working Group to Enhance Services for Incarcerated Women.

Lawyer floats alibi in death of pizza man - another death

Sharpton weighs in on Wilson incarceration

Supporters of Genarlow Wilson held a rally yesterday in Douglasville, Georgia, to protest his imprisonment. Wilson was convicted of aggravated child molestation for participating in consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party in 2003. He was 17 at the time. The case drew the attention of civil rights activist Al Sharpton, who came to speak at the rally. From MSNBC.com:

“This boy is not only her son, he’s your son, he’s my son,” Sharpton told the cheering crowd from the steps of the Douglas County Courthouse. “We’re here today because what affects you affects all of us.”

Sharpton also held a prayer vigil for Wilson with the members of his family and community.

The case took a turn last week, when a Douglas County judge ruled that Wilson was not eligible for bond, which means he'll stay behind bars until an appeal is completed. Judge David Emerson cancelled the July 5 bond hearing on the arguably draconian ruling that a person convicted of aggravated child molestation is not eligible for a release bond. The crime, one of Georgia’s so-called “seven deadly sins,” carries with it a 10-year prison sentence. Last year, Georgia's legislature reduced Wilson’s conviction to a misdemeanor, which is punishable only by a year in prison, allowing for an appeal on the case.

Dr. Francys Johnson, the Southeast Regional Director of the NAACP, called the decision “the latest series of rulings that strains common sense and leaves the overwhelming impression that the system is working overtime to keep Genarlow Wilson behind bars.”

State Attorney General Thurbert Baker filed a request for expedited review of the case, which was rejected. The earliest date the case could be heard by a court is now October, and it may be as late as April of next year until it happens. Wilson, now 21, has been in prison for more than two years.