Month: April 2021

Feature

MPD Chief Arradondo: Chauvin didn’t respect George Floyd’s sanctity of life

     The second week of the Derek Chauvin murder trial kicked off with the much-anticipated testimony of Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo who outright condemned former police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. He said Chauvin’s use of force was in violation of Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) policy.

Feature

Son of Jesse Jackson to Help Deal With High Costs of Prison Phone Calls

     Aventiv is the parent company of Securus Technologies, which is best known for providing telecommunication services to prisons and jails around the U.S., including phones and digital tablets. The company, along with others in the industry, has come under fire in recent years for the high prices charged to family members of the incarcerated for use of their services in some jurisdictions.

Feature

As States Expand Vaccine Eligibility, Many People in Prison Still Wait for Shots

     This week, Florida expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to all residents 16 and older. But across the state, more than 70,000 people still don’t have access to the vaccine. Those men to all residents 16 and older. But across the state, more than 70,000 people still don’t have access to the vaccine. Those men and women are Florida state prisoners.

Opinions

Ban the Death Penalty for Those with Serious Mental Illness

      The death penalty is an antiquated and barbaric form of punishment. This is why most nations have ended it. The top six executing nations in 2019 were China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and the U.S.  The U.S is especially cruel in that there is no categorical exemption for the seriously mentally ill from receiving death sentences. It is time that death penalty retaining states correct this injustice and enact legislation banning death sentences for those who were seriously mentally ill at the time of their crime.