Journalist – Historian – Speaker
The New Yorker has a piece on formerly incarcerated people going to UC Berkeley. It’s long and interesting, with many good tidbits about life in prison, life in college, structural obstacles, but also genuine opportunities. But I want to quote a few bits on how awesome books are. This is Murillo. At first, he read the …
Michael Marshall is the latest victim of the Cult Of Compliance. Last November Marshall, who had schizophrenia, was placed into prone restraint and died, choking on his own vomit. This piece discusses the technique and links it to the death of Ethan Saylor and Eric Garner. Notice how the DA places blame for Marshall’s death …
Prisons are the asylums of our age. We just don’t call them that. Then, when people with mental disabilities end up incarcerated, they are horrifically vulnerable to abuse from both prison employees and other prisoners. Moreover, prison staff even when not intentionally abusive, are not well-trained in responding to the needs of people with disabilities, …
In Fresno County Jail, in California, a for-profit prison doctor is accused of taking away an inmate’s wheelchair as retaliation for complaints. The details are not proven, but here’s the story (via TPM): Daniel Trebas hasn’t had an easy time in the Fresno County jail. The convicted sex offender has served his punishment, plus about …
WARNING – VERY DISTURBING DEPICTIONS OF ABUSE This is what happens when the prison becomes the default first-line of care for people with serious mental health issues. This is what happens with prison guards grow up in a culture demeaning people with disabilities. This is what happens when you feed the cult of compliance. This …