Tag Archives: Prison

Is America Still Racially Divided?

Today is the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.  King was known as the leader of the Civil Rights movement in the ‘60s and you could say, he gave his life for his convictions.  At the young age of 39, he was gunned down on April 4, 1968 in my hometown of Memphis by James Earl Ray.  He had come here to support the African American city sanitation workers who were on strike for higher wages. It’s also the day that our first African American President is being inaugurated for his second term in office. But, have things … Continue reading →

O.J. Simpson’s Headed to the Big House

And, by “Big House,” I don’t mean some luxury mansion is Los Angeles or Miami. After years of questionable behavior, O.J. Simpson has finally been brought down by the law and he has landed really hard. (This image is a work of a U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, taken or made during the course of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.) In case you haven’t heard about his latest fiasco, O.J. was on trial for confronting memorabilia sellers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley in Las … Continue reading →

Getting Married Behind Bars

Ever wondered how people who are incarcerated get married? Do they have a ceremony? How do they get things like the marriage license? And what about guests or the reception. Do they have a reception? How many guests can attend a wedding behind bars? I have to admit the logistics of getting wed from jail had never crossed my mind. But then that muse of mine, Jade Walker, sent me the link to a wild story about just such things. It was called “Marrying at Rikers Island: Few Frills, Many Rules” by Christine Hauser which was published by the New … Continue reading →

Prison Bans Jennifer Aniston… Poster

You have to wonder if Jennifer Aniston realizes that a mere picture of her flawless figure is at the center of a case that has cost taxpayers in Wisconsin (that’s me) thousands of dollars. On second thought, I’m sure she tells her publicist to keep these types of stories far, far away from her. So here’s the scoop on Jennifer Aniston (the poster) vs. the world (or at least this part of the world). An inmate imprisoned about 30 minutes from my home wanted to hang a picture of Brad Pitt’s ex-wife on the wall of his cell. However, the … Continue reading →

Hallelujah – Saggy Pants are Out!

Okay, the kids may still think saggy pants are cool, but many cities are starting to crack down on them. This is a part of our pop culture fashion I have never understood. I hate to be somewhere and see a boy with the waistline of his pants down under his hips. First of all, I have never quite figured out how they could walk like that and still manage to halfway hold their pants up. Second of all, it really is not very attractive. And most of all – it is a fashion statement that was born in prison. … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: A New and Improved Alcatraz and A Wandering Wallaby

A New and Improved Alcatraz If your family’s summer vacation takes you to San Francisco you should seriously consider making a pit stop at the city’s notorious Alcatraz penitentiary. If you play your cards right you will be one of the first to tour the newly refurbished facility. Alcatraz has just undergone a $3.5 million dollar makeover that has made the Big House more visitor-friendly. Don’t get the wrong idea—the place is still as dank and depressing as ever, but it now has enhanced audio tours, restored cell furnishings, and new archival displays. The prison also has a new exhibit, … Continue reading →

How Is Hatch Surviving Life In The Hatch?

He’s a winner turned loser—-at least that’s how I classify Richard Hatch. In 2000 Hatch became a household name when he won CBS’s first installment of “Survivor.” He walked away with movie star status and earned $1 million dollars. But seven years later, the “survivor” who achieved near-iconic status now says he hates his life. What a difference a few years can make. Last month the 45-year-old granted reporters a rare look into his jailhouse lifestyle. “Jailhouse?” Yup. Hatch now calls a cell at a minimum-security prison in Morgantown, West Virginia—home. In 2006, Hatch was convicted on three counts of … Continue reading →

A New Kind Of Family Cell Plan

There’s a new family cell plan and it’s not being offered by Verizon, Cingular or any of the other major providers. No, this cell plan places toddlers behind bars so that they can bond with their inmate parents. Family cells are being used in Spain and they are the only ones being used in the world. The units have cribs, Disney characters adorning the walls and access to a playground. The idea is to allow kids and parents to bond before the children truly understand the “reality of prison”. The Spanish prison currently has 32 kids, basically, incarcerated. The units … Continue reading →

Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Behind Bars

You don’t have to live in the Midwest, or have a husband who is a rabid fan of college football to know that this weekend’s big match up between Big 10 rivals Ohio State and Michigan is a HUGE deal. In fact, you don’t even have to be a free man (or woman) to be making plans for the big game. Just ask prisoners at northeastern Ohio’s Columbiana County jail. According to news reports, the sheriff there is fuming about plans for an inmate pizza party during the Ohio State-Michigan football game. “A jail is a jail,” Sheriff David Smith … Continue reading →

Children of Prisoners

A growing segment of the single parent population are families with one or more parent who is imprisoned. In addition, more women are going to prison than in the past. According to the Federal Resource Center for Children of Prisoners, a national child-welfare advocacy group: • There are more than 2 million people in US jails and prisons, more than in any other western country. • The number of women entering prison has risen sharply — by 400 percent since 1980. • Nearly half of women imprisoned for drug related, non-violent crimes leave behind children younger than 10 years old. … Continue reading →