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Sentencing Project Report Examines Increasing Number of Life Sentences
by Derek Gilna
The non-profit Washington, D.C.-based Sentencing Project released a report in May 2017, titled “Still Life: America’s Increasing Use of Life and Long-Term Sentences,” that explores the high number of prisoners serving life sentences despite declining prison populations across the nation. According to the report, “The number of …
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More from this issue:
- They Thought They Were Going to Rehab. They Ended up in Chicken Plants, by Amy Julia Harris, Shoshana Walter
- News in Brief
- Florida Guard Gets 21 Months for Attacking Prisoner, Planting Weapon, by Monte McCoin
- OIG Report Slams CoreCivic’s Management of Leavenworth Prison, by Derek Gilna
- $160,000 Settles New Jersey Jail Class Action Suit, by Derek Gilna
- Private Prison CEO Heads Search for United Way Leader
- North Carolina Reforms Solitary Confinement Policies Following Vera Report, by Derek Gilna
- Assaultive Behavior by Michigan Prisoners Subject to Aggressive Prosecution
- Sentencing Project Report Examines Increasing Number of Life Sentences, by Derek Gilna
- New York: Inhumanity in the Guise of Education at Rikers Island Jail, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fifth Circuit Upholds Sanctions Against GEO Group Attorneys for Discovery Abuse, by Matthew Clarke
- $15,000 Settlement in New Mexico Jail Rape Case Based on Polygraph Results, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit: Injured Federal Detainee Meets Negligence Standard in Fall from Stool
- West Virginia Prisoner Injured on Work Crew Denied Workers’ Compensation
- Majority of Federal Prisoner’s Settlement Seized for Restitution; Tenth Circuit Affirms
- $950,000 Settles Mistreatment of Mentally Ill Prisoner, by Derek Gilna
- Lawsuit Claims CoreCivic Allowed Corruption and Gangs to Flourish at Oklahoma Prison, by Matthew Clarke
- $10,000 Settles Kansas Suit Over Fall From Upper Bunk
- Florida: Private Prison Company Allowed to Overcharge State, Mistreat Prisoners, by David Reutter
- Michigan’s Macomb County Jail Under Fire for Lack of Medical Care, Deaths, by David Reutter
- Michigan’s New Prison Food Service Provider Failing to Meet Contract Terms, by David Reutter
- $500,000 Settles Illinois Jail Suicide Suit, by Matthew Clarke
- Cook County Strip-search Class-action Claimants to Receive Additional Payments, by Derek Gilna
- Drug Addicts Suffer Preventable Deaths in U.S. Jails, by Christopher Zoukis
- Controversy Surrounds Angola Prison Warden’s Retirement, Indictment of Family Members, by David Reutter
- $840,000 to Wrongfully Terminated Pennsylvania Jail Official
- Montana DOC Agrees to Modification of ADA Class-action Settlement, by Derek Gilna
- California Agency Addresses In-person Visits at Jails after Governor Vetoes Bill, by Lonnie Burton
- New York Times Reveals Racial Bias Rampant in Upstate New York Prisons, by Lonnie Burton
- Eighth Circuit Vacates Summary Judgment Order in Detainee’s Wrongful Death Suit
- $150,000 Settles Colorado Jail Prisoner’s Sexual Assault Suit, by Matthew Clarke
- “Start by Believing” Initiative Creates Controversy, by Matthew Clarke
- Department of Justice Releases Reports on Prison and Jail Deaths, by Matthew Clarke
- Attica Medical Experiments Exposed, by Greg Dober
- $3.6 Million: California Prisoner Killed by Guards, by Matthew Clarke
- $1.23 Million Settles Indiana Jail Conditions Suit, by Derek Gilna
- Report Slams Takeover of Washington DOC Food Services by Correctional Industries, by Lonnie Burton
- Pennsylvania Class-action Targets Company Providing Inaccurate Background Checks, by Derek Gilna
- Arkansas Supreme Court: Religious Freedom Preliminary Injunction Requires Hearing
- Seventh Circuit: Court Erred in Dismissing Prisoner’s Suit for Failure to Include Trust Account Ledger, by Matthew Clarke
- Solitary to the Streets: Studies Find Such Releases Result in Higher Recidivism Rates, Violent Behavior, by Lonnie Burton
- Palestinian Prisoners Stage Hunger Strike, by Christopher Zoukis
- National Registry of Exonerations Report: Blacks Suffer More False Convictions, by Derek Gilna
- $8.4 Million Judgment in Defamation Suit, by Christopher Zoukis
- Utah Settles Federal Suit Alleging Delays in Competency Treatment for Pre-trial Detainees, by Derek Gilna
- New York State Prisoner’s Administrative Charges Dismissed, by Derek Gilna
- Federal Correctional Complex at the Center of City’s Water Debacle, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Multiple Lawsuits Allege “Slave Labor” Under Guise of Drug Treatment, by Derek Gilna
More from Derek Gilna:
- Federal Judge in Louisiana Issues Sweeping Opinion Finding Numerous Eighth Amendment, ADA and RA Violations at Angola, April 1, 2022
- Human Rights Defense Center Prevails in Censorship Lawsuit Against Napa County Jail, California, Sept. 1, 2021
- California State Auditor’s Report Faults Counties for Waste and Poor Oversight of State Funds Used in “Public Safety Realignment”, Sept. 1, 2021
- The Fight Over Cellphones in Prisons Rages On, Sept. 1, 2021
- District Court Extends Armstrong Order to Five Additional California Prisons, Sept. 1, 2021
- HRDC Settles Censorship Lawsuit with Johnson County, Kansas Jail for $50,000 and Policy Changes, Aug. 1, 2021
- Virginia Prosecutors to Dismiss 400 Drug Convictions Tied to Disgraced Cop, July 15, 2021
- Discredited New York Police Detective’s False Testimony Causes the Dismissal of Close to 100 Drug Convictions, June 15, 2021
- D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences Firearms Examination Unit Under Fire, April 15, 2021
- Mississippi Joins Illinois and Few Other States Prioritizing Vaccination of State Prisoners to Slow Spread of COVID-19, April 1, 2021
More from these topics:
- DOJ Finds Unconstitutional Conditions in Texas Juvenile Detention, Aug. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Sentencing, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Failure to Protect (Juveniles), Juvenile Prisons.
- $1.6 Million Class-Action Settlement for Virginia Prisoners Subjected to Delayed Release, July 15, 2025. Release and Reentry, Overdetention.
- Georgia Moves to Shield Intellectually Disabled Prisoners from Execution, June 1, 2025. Sentencing, Death Penalty.
- Fourth Circuit: District Court Failed to Provide Sufficient Explanation for Sentence Imposed and Did Not Address Defendant’s Arguments for Downward Variant Sentence, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Drug Laws/Offenses.
- Fourth Circuit: Procedurally Unreasonable Sentence Where District Court Failed to Address Defendant’s Non-Frivolous Downward Variance Argument Based on Sentencing Disparity Due to Which State’s Statute Prior Conviction Based Upon, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Failure To Consider Disparity, Federal-State Differences/Disparity/Conflicts, Disparity in Charging/Sentencing Practices.
- SCOTUS Announces Only ‘False’ Statements Made to FDIC Are Criminalized Under 18 U.S.C. § 1014, Not Statements That Are ‘Misleading’ but True, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, False Statements/Perjury.
- Legal Gaffe Prolongs Case of Former St. Louis Detainee Held Eight Months After Dismissal of Charges, Feb. 15, 2025. Overdetention, Search and Seizure, Pending Appeal/Sentencing, Dismissal.
- Fifth Circuit Leaves Louisiana Prisoner Waiting for Reinstated Parole, Jan. 15, 2025. Parole, Overdetention, Victim's Rights to Enforce Collection.
- Kentucky’s Failure to Timely Release Prisoners Costs Taxpayers $30 Million (So Far), Dec. 15, 2024. Cost of Prison Systems, Overdetention, Post-release, ex-offender, re-entry.
- New York Court of Appeals (Lightly) Slaps State Prison Officials for Holding Sex Offenders Past Release, Dec. 15, 2024. Jail Misconduct, Overdetention, Post-release, ex-offender, re-entry.

