criminal justice

Texas Kills Off Ritual Of Special Last Meal For Those About To Be Executed

Texas Kills Off Ritual Of Special Last Meal For Those About To Be Executed

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]

Michigan Inmate Sues Because He's Denied Porn

Michigan Inmate Sues Because He's Denied Porn

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

Study: California Spends $308 Million Per Execution

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

Private Prisons Fail To Deliver Big Savings To States

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]

Texas Refuses To Pay Wrongfully Convicted Man, Garnishes His Wages Instead

Texas Refuses To Pay Wrongfully Convicted Man, Garnishes His Wages Instead

Under Texas law, wrongfully convicted criminals are entitled to $80,000 for each year of mistaken incarceration. But a man who was locked away for 18 years after he was convicted of capital murder, and was released when a state court dropped the charges, is being stiffed. [More]