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Most of the more than 1 million Americans in prison — disproportionately low-income people of color — will return to their communities after serving long sentences with few resources and little support. Recidivism rates remain stubbornly high. The criminal justice system, then, fails to produce public safety even as core values such as equality, fairness, and proportionality have fallen by the wayside. The new book Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration, edited by the Brennan Center's Lauren-Brooke Eisen, features essays from scholars, practitioners, activists, writers who experienced incarceration, and others. The contributors explore the social costs of excessive punishment and how to ensure public safety without perpetuating the harms of mass incarceration. Listen to the recording of our virtual panel from earlier this month with contributors to the book: Jeremy Travis, Senior Fellow at Columbia Justice Lab Nkechi Taifa, President of the Taifa Group Khalil Cumberbatch, Senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and co-CEO of Edovo If you enjoy this program, please give us a boost by liking, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, please give it a 5-star rating. Find out more about the book here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/excessive-punishment-how-the-justice-system-creates-mass-incarceration-lauren-brooke-eisen/20877826?ean=9780231212168 Keep up with the Brennan Center's work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing: https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing
If it's an election year, expect crime to be an issue. Candidates and parties draw conclusions with every headline, and exchange rhetoric that sheds more heat than light. But the history and reality of America's criminal justice system is more complicated than a “tough on crime” slogan would indicate. The just published “Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration” offers essays by scholars, advocates, those who have experienced incarceration and former law enforcement who make the case that public safety, justice, and fairness are not only compatible as goals, but they can and must be achieved together. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, the book's editor, is the senior director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program, where she leads the organization's work to reduce America's reliance on incarceration, is the author of Inside Private Prisons (Columbia, 2017) and a former prosecutor. She joins Equal Time to talk about why the book is especially timely in the present political climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If it's an election year, expect crime to be an issue. Candidates and parties draw conclusions with every headline, and exchange rhetoric that sheds more heat than light. But the history and reality of America's criminal justice system is more complicated than a “tough on crime” slogan would indicate. The just published “Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration” offers essays by scholars, advocates, those who have experienced incarceration and former law enforcement who make the case that public safety, justice, and fairness are not only compatible as goals, but they can and must be achieved together. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, the book's editor, is the senior director of the Brennan Center's Justice Program, where she leads the organization's work to reduce America's reliance on incarceration, is the author of Inside Private Prisons (Columbia, 2017) and a former prosecutor. She joins Equal Time to talk about why the book is especially timely in the present political climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
George Soros has contended that “there is no connection between the election of reform-minded prosecutors and local crime rates.” When considering some of the largest metropolitan cities on the west coast, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, do the violent crime and homicide statistics support this claim? Progressive prosecutors have introduced a range of policies, such as eliminating cash bail, decriminalizing misdemeanor drug possessions, refraining from trying minors as adults, and shifting emphasis on police misdeeds rather than criminal offenses. Do the efforts to reverse tough-on-crime policies have a direct correlation to the rising crime rates in big cities? What is the proper role of a prosecutor? Should prosecutors be practicing more restraint? Does bail reform affect recidivism rates? The panelists will discuss these questions and share their insights on these questions.Featuring:Mr. Cully Stimson, Deputy Director, Edwin Meese III Center, Manager, National Security Law Program, and Senior Legal Fellow, Senior Advisor to the President The Heritage Foundation Mr. McGregor W. Scott, Partner, King & Spalding LLP, Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California ConfirmedMs. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Senior Director, Brennan Center for JusticeModerator: Hon. Danielle J. Forrest, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
In December of 2018, the bi-partisan bill, First Step Act, was passed and called for reducing prison sentences and improving conditions within federal prisons. After months of debate regarding the details of the bill, the Bureau of Prisons has now been mandated to implement this act. Some states such as California and New Jersey have already taken steps to reduce the prison population, largely as a result of the spread of Covid-19. While the headlines may have us believe that we are finally entering an age of prison reform, the prison population has once again started to climb. We invited Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, to talk about early release programs initiated during the pandemic and whether or not we can expect to see expansions of these seemingly successful programs.
In December of 2018, the bi-partisan bill, First Step Act, was passed and called for reducing prison sentences and improving conditions within federal prisons. After months of debate regarding the details of the bill, the Bureau of Prisons has now been mandated to implement this act. Some states such as California and New Jersey have already taken steps to reduce the prison population, largely as a result of the spread of Covid-19. While the headlines may have us believe that we are finally entering an age of prison reform, the prison population has once again started to climb. We invited Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, to talk about early release programs initiated during the pandemic and whether or not we can expect to see expansions of these seemingly successful programs.
Private prisons receive a lot of flak from politicians, reform advocates, and the public. And yet data shows they make up a relatively small fraction of the billions of dollars that go into the criminal justice system. In Episode 4, Monitor reporters Henry Gass and Jessica Mendoza visit Evanston, Wyoming, to understand how money flows in and out of the system – and to explore the moral dilemma that flow creates. Join host Samatha Laine Perfas and guests: prison policy experts Bernadette Rabuy and Lauren-Brooke Eisen, private corrections representative Alexandra Wilkes, and residents of Evanston.
District attorneys wield tremendous power and have for decades been a driving force in mass incarceration. In her new book Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, journalist Emily Bazelon follows a new crop of district attorneys who are using their offices to pursue criminal justice reform. She discusses these efforts with district attorneys Kimberly M. Foxx and Eric Gonzalez, Fair and Just Prosecution's Miriam Krinsky, and the Brennan Center's Lauren-Brooke Eisen. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. For more, visit brennancenter.org/podcast
District attorneys wield tremendous power and have for decades been a driving force in mass incarceration. In her new book Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, journalist Emily Bazelon follows a new crop of district attorneys who are using their offices to pursue criminal justice reform. She discusses these efforts with district attorneys Kimberly M. Foxx and Eric Gonzalez, Fair and Just Prosecution’s Miriam Krinsky, and the Brennan Center’s Lauren-Brooke Eisen. Brennan Center Live is a podcast created from Brennan Center events, featuring fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. For more, visit brennancenter.org/podcast
Show Credit: WERA-FM, 96.7|Show Title: Give us, Us Free https://enlightenmeonwera.com/2017/01/04/1-04-17-give-us-us-free/ What would you say if I told you that almost 40 percent of people currently in the American prison system are incarcerated unnecessarily? That’s the latest report from the Brennan Center, which gave recommendations on how to reduce the prison population as well as steps to change how we deliver justice to people who commit lower level crimes. On the program, Lauren-Brooke Eisen, the Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center’s Justice Program who will talk about their latest report. Enlighten Me Wednesday 4-5p ET WERA-FM 96.7|@EnlightenMeWERA Enlighten Me is a news talk program that aims to educate and inform. From historical perspectives to modern day stories, we will focus our attention on the issues that everyone deals with — be it policy, health, education, the economy, current events and race. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/enlighten-me/support
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People's History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People's History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who benefits from mass incarceration in the U.S.? In her new book Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Columbia University Press, 2017), Lauren-Brooke Eisen explain how, when and why the for-profit prison system emerged, the ways in which it functions throughout the criminal justice system today, and what we might do to improve it. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics and Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Josh discusses the First Step Act with Ames Grawert, Jessica-Jackson Sloan, and Jason Pye The First Step Act will be voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives on 5/22/2018. Ames Grawert is a Senior Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. Jessica Jackson-Sloan is the co-founder of the Cut 50 initiative. Jason Pye is the Vice-President for Legislative Affairs at Freedom Works. Jess Sessions is well-known for his antipathy towards criminal justice reform and for his undying commitment to mandatory minimum sentencing. Jared Kushner's father did 14 months in a Federal facility in Montgomery. Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced the complementary (or rival) Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, which is currently in the US Senate. I misspoke, a President cannot "table" passed legislation but he can refuse to sign it for up to ten days. If the President does not sign a passed bill after ten days it becomes law. The First Step has exposed splits in the left-leaning criminal justice reform community and between the right-leaning criminal justice reform community and the more conservative members of Congress. Not surprisingly, it has also created a fuss among the Grassley contingent in favor of sentencing reform. Alex Gudich is the Deputy Director of the Cut 50 Initiative and another in my long line of criminal justice reform Twitter friends. Robert Caro's book about Lyndon Baines Johnson, "Master of the Senate" is part of an incredible series on the late President. Lauren-Brooke Eisen was my guest on Episode 5 of the Decarceration Nation podcast, we discussed her excellent book "Inside Private Prisons." Ames was one of the co-authors of the report, "Criminal Justice One Year Into the Trump Administration." Ames was talking about Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and her book, "Periods Gone Public." More about my #Bars2Ballots initiative can be learned on episode 17 of Decarceration Nation or from this article I wrote on Medium. Cut 50 and many other organizations, including two I volunteer with, are fighting for full passage of the Dignity For Incarcerated Women Act. Jessica was not only invited to the FIRC event earlier this year but just two days after our interview she was on stage at the White House supporting the First Step Act. Topeka K. Sam spoke at the White House event yesterday and is one of Cut 50's brightest lights. Cut 50's has built a First Step Act Site where you can read the stories of people the bill would help. Here is the article Jason wrote that first inspired me to contact Jason and the other article he mentioned that he posted the next day. Jason also wrote an article yesterday after President Trump publically endorsed the First Step Act. Pat Nolan is a conservative advocate for Criminal Justice Reform. Kevin Ring was both formerly incarcerated and formeLegislativelative Aide on Capitol Hill. Now he is also a supporter of Criminal Justice Reform. The letter I respond to at the end of Episode 18 was written by Richard Durbin, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Sheila Jackson-Lee, and John Lewis. I greatly respect all of these legislators but respectfully disagree with them on the importance of passing the First Step Act. Oddly enough, the day after I name dropped Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Mark S. Inch, he resigned. My reference to Tom Cotton and Fentanyl refers to his attempts to increase penalties, and mandatory minimums, for the distribution of the drug fentanyl.
Josh discusses Private Prisons with Lauren-Brooke Eisen of the Brennan Center, the author of "Inside Private Prisons" The Trump Administration's is investing in the privatization of the Bureau of Prisons (and the Private Prison Industry invested in his campaign). You can find Lauren-Brook Eisen's book "INside Private Prisons" here.
What incentives govern private prisons? Are they fundamentally different from state-run facilities? Do private prison operators or the unions that represent prison workers hold undue sway over policymakers? Lauren-Brooke Eisen is author of Inside Private Prisons. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
More than a 100,000 of the 1.5 million incarcerated Americans are held in private prisons in twenty-nine states and federal corrections. Private prisons are criticized for making money off mass incarceration―to the tune of $5 billion in annual revenue. From divestment campaigns to boardrooms to private immigration-detention centers across the Southwest, Lauren-Brooke Eisen examines private…
Fact: More than 100,000 individuals in the US are held in private prisons and private immigration detention centers. These institutions are criticized for making money off mass incarceration―$5 billion every year―and have become a focus of the anti-mass incarceration movement. The Department of Justice under President Obama attempted to cut off private prisons, while DOJ under Trump has embraced these institutions. Few journalists or scholars have seen these prisons firsthand―until now. Join Lauren-Brooke Eisen―senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice―for the launch of her new book, Inside Private Prisons, as she reflects on her unprecedented access to our nation’s private penal system and what she’s uncovered about these corporate prisons. She will be joined by Glenn Martin of JustLeadershipUSA and CNN's Laura Jarrett will moderate the discussion.
Fact: More than 100,000 individuals in the US are held in private prisons and private immigration detention centers. These institutions are criticized for making money off mass incarceration―$5 billion every year―and have become a focus of the anti-mass incarceration movement. The Department of Justice under President Obama attempted to cut off private prisons, while DOJ under Trump has embraced these institutions. Few journalists or scholars have seen these prisons firsthand―until now. Join Lauren-Brooke Eisen―senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice―for the launch of her new book, Inside Private Prisons, as she reflects on her unprecedented access to our nation’s private penal system and what she’s uncovered about these corporate prisons. She will be joined by criminal justice journalist Eli Hager from The Marshall Project, investigate journalist Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Khalil Cumberbatch from The Fortune Society, and NPR correspondent Ailsa Chang.
As America’s prison population surged in the ’80s and ’90s, private prisons were billed as the solution. They were supposed to bring innovations to incarceration and save tax dollars. But as criminal justice expert Lauren-Brooke Eisen tells us, private prisons are no more cost-effective, and the corporations behind them operate in secrecy. Eisen’s book is Inside Private Prisons. In the Spiel, Mike skewers the Republican tax plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As America’s prison population surged in the ’80s and ’90s, private prisons were billed as the solution. They were supposed to bring innovations to incarceration and save tax dollars. But as criminal justice expert Lauren-Brooke Eisen tells us, private prisons are no more cost-effective, and the corporations behind them operate in secrecy. Eisen’s book is Inside Private Prisons. In the Spiel, Mike skewers the Republican tax plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lauren-Brooke Eisen, at the Brennan Center's Justice Program, indicates that the phrase "mass incarceration" is being heard today more than ever before, becoming a bi-partisan issue, bringing together Democrats, Republicans and "even some Libertarians."