Deciding to take away a final creature comfort from death row inmates on the verge of execution, Texas has eliminated the traditional last meal ritual, in which the condemned got to choose a favorite dish before he departed. [More]
criminal justice
Michigan Inmate Sues Because He's Denied Porn
By 7.5.11
A 21-year-old Michigan inmate has filed a lawsuit that contends he’s been stripped of civil rights because he isn’t allowed to look at porn, claiming his lack of access to the material gives him a “poor standard of living” and “sexual and sensory deprivation.” [More]
Study: California Spends $308 Million Per Execution
By 6.21.11
A study by a California judge and his law clerk, a law professor suggests that the state should do away with the death penalty in order to save money. The state has spent $4 billion on capital punishment since 1978, but has only executed 13 convicts in that span. And costs are projected to increase to $9 billion by 2030. [More]
Private Prisons Fail To Deliver Big Savings To States
By 5.19.11
Most states have turned to privately-owned prisons in order to cut savings, but a report says that the prisons offer little savings to state governments, and in some cases end up costing taxpayers more than traditional systems. [More]
