Recidivism is a Big Word: Remembering Sheriff Anderson

Posted by on Sep 6, 2020 in In the News

Recidivism is a Big Word: Remembering Sheriff Anderson

We arrived at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s office one morning in 2012 loaded for bear—lights, cameras, and mics—and several interview questions including, “What does the word recidivism mean?” Within a short time, we were buzzed in and rode the elevator to the second floor, where Wayne Anderson, county sheriff for more than 20 years, welcomed us to his office.  I liked Anderson the moment I met him. A picture perfect sheriff, blue eyes, silver hair, and an authentic...

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California Bans Private Prisons And Immigrant Detention Centers

Posted by on Oct 12, 2019 in The Film

ADELANTO, CA – NOVEMBER 15: A guard escorts an immigrant detainee from his ‘segregation cell’ back into the general population at the Adelanto Detention Facility on November 15, 2013 in Adelanto, California. Most detainees in segregation cells are sent there for fighting with other immigrants, according to guards. The facility, the largest and newest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detention center in California, houses an average of 1,100...

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How Private Equity Is Turning Public Prisons Into Big Profits

Posted by on May 28, 2019 in The Film

A man imprisoned in Texas talks to his son via video screen during a family visit in 2015. (AP / David J. Phillip) In recent years, corporations have privatized almost every part of the public prison system. Now, PE firms are swooping in, seeking lavish returns for investors. By Tim Requarth for The NationAn in-depth article about the current state of prison profiteering five years after “Outcasts” premiered. To read the entire article, go here. When the Bellamy...

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The Future of Community Corrections

Posted by on May 1, 2019 in The Film

The future of community corrections is in jeopardy unless changes are made. This article was prepared in 2017 and supported by the signatories listed below the article Over the past 25 years, community corrections (probation and parole) caseloads have grown exponentially, exceeding 5 million people at their peak, double the number of people in prison and jail in America. Designed originally as an alternative to incarceration, community corrections has become a significant...

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Beleaguered Community Corrections Program To Close

Posted by on Apr 21, 2019 in The Film

After months of financial uncertainly and anonymous allegations that began in 2018, the John R. Hay House, one of only 20 Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) community corrections programs in the state, has opted not to renew its contract, which ends June 30, 2019. The non-profit, faith-based facility opened in 1984 to provide residential treatment for misdemeanor male offenders. Since then, its United Way funded programs have expanded to include the Brown Annex for...

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