The release of 19,000 low-risk inmates is a bold and necessary step to save lives Earlier this month Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola made the long-overdue announcement that 19,000 low-risk inmates would be released from prison. It is a bold and necessary step to save lives as Covid-19 threatens to wreak havoc
Following vigorous lobbying and petitioning of the state by activists, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a process to release over 19 000 low-risk inmates to curb the spread of the virus in prisons. At the time of publication there were 213 confirmed cases in South African prisons, 124 of them prison officials. Two inmates and one
Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., May 15, 2020 — At a time when partisan wrangling is the norm, a Democrat and a Republican in the Senate have united behind a landmark piece of legislation to help people in detention whose lives have been shattered by sexual abuse. This week Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Brian
The Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act would establish the country’s first-ever rape crisis hotline for prisoners Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., May 13, 2020 —The U.S. Senate took a major step toward bringing safety and dignity to incarcerated people this afternoon by introducing the Sexual Abuse Services in Detention Act (SASIDA). Sponsored by Senators
The coronavirus pandemic is ravaging American communities — and few places are being hit harder than prisons and jails. Massive outbreaks of the disease have struck scores of facilities — and with so few tests being administered behind bars, the problem is undoubtedly far worse than is known. As the virus continues to spread in