Tag Archives: Jails

This week, we share a conversation with Brian Dolinar. He has been on the show before, speaking about Parole Illinois. In this episode, he talks about Guardian RFID, a company that produces handheld devices that allow jail guards to do headcounts for inmates electronically via scanning. As he explains, various technologies are being used to expand the carceral net. He …

The three largest providers of mental health care in America aren’t in hospitals, they’re in jails. According to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Justice, about 37 percent of people in prison have a history of mental health problems. More than 24 percent have been previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 17 percent with bipolar disorder, 13 percent …

A new report, by the Monroe County chapter of the NAACP and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington’s Racial Justice Task Force, found African-Americans in Monroe County are disproportionately affected by the Criminal Justice system. Less than four percent of Monroe County residents are Black, but last year African-Americans made up over a quarter of those imprisoned from Monroe County. …

Jails across Indiana are overcrowded. That’s due, in part, to a 2016 state law, requiring non-violent felons to serve their sentences in county jails, rather than in state prisons. This influx of non-violent felons swelled the number of prisoners housed at county jails, which also hold those awaiting trial. Monroe County Jail Commander Sam Crowe says overcrowding strains local resources. …