Tag: inmates

I'd like to give some props to the Denver County Sheriffs. A few weeks ago, I asked them if the eligible inmates (those in pre-trial detention or not convicted of a felony) would be allowed to vote and was told yes.

Earlier today, I was at Denver's Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center and asked my client, a federal detainee, if he in fact got to vote. He said yes. [More...]

Here's the flooding of the Battery Tunnel earlier today. Lower New York is flooded. There are three feet of water on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. [Added: Reports now say that is false.] There was an explosion at a Con Ed plant in lower Manhattan.

What's happening at MCC New York, on Foley Square, and MDC Brooklyn, New York's federal detention centers? [More...]

Some welcome news from the Bureau of Prisons: Pregnant inmates will no longer be shackled during transport. The policy change is here (pdf.)

This new policy represents a sea change in the United States, where the shackling of pregnant women during transport, labor, and even delivery has long been routine in jails and prisons. Currently, only California, Illinois, and Vermont have enacted state laws restricting the practice of shackling pregnant women. By contrast, international human rights bodies have repeatedly expressed concern about policies that permit shackling of pregnant women.

In other good news, an Arizona judge has declared the conditions of the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix -- Sheriff Joe Arpaio's domain -- unconsitutional. [More...]

It's a jail day for me -- all day -- I'll be back for the debate tonight.

This particular jail is built underground and there's no working wireless connection. It has the feel of being in star trek, between the identical uniforms of the jail guards and the high tech stations. There are underground tunnels with colored arrows on the concrete floors directing you to the next set of gated doors.The jail staff is very polite. The place is so efficient that processing takes about 3 minutes, then we're on our way into the bowels of the building. By the time we follow the yellow brick road to the right area, our clients are already seated, happy to see us.(Anything to get out of those cells for a few hours.).

For the rest of you, there's lots to talk about, from tonight's debate to Bernie and Rudy and Judy, from drivers' licenses to FISA and whatever else might be on your mind.

Enjoy. I'll look forward to reading the thread when I get home.