Thursday, January 15, 2009

All Sunday Sites - Archive

Letters from Prison: Doing Life in Angola - this is a blog by a woman who's brother is serving a life sentence for murder in Louisiana's Angola prison. The blog posts come from her letters to and from him and her visits to him. From the blog:
I am writing this blog in the hopes that it will spark a public outcry for change. We need prisons, people need to pay for their crimes. We also need prison reform... prisons should reform criminals, not torture them. I hope this blog helps at least one inmate, changes policy and treatment in at least one prison.
AdvoCare, Inc - From their web site:
AdvoCare is a non-profit, membership organization that is part of a national effort to reduce crime through criminal justice reform.

AdvoCare’s goals are: (a) to provide assistance to prisoners and ex-offenders in the form of education and employment referrals; (b) to provide prisoners, family members of prisoners and all others concerned with updates on legal issues regarding prison conditions and criminal legislation; (c) to provide a periodic newsletter to those concerned with prison related legal issues; and (d) to provide a link with other nonprofit organizations.
Prisonofficer.org - an online community of Corrections Officers from all over the world. Anyone can sign up for a free account and post to the "Ask a CO" forum. While I am a very vocal advocate of prisoner's rights, I firmly believe that if we don't support corrections officers properly (meaning proper training focussing on nonviolent methods, as well as proper pay), both prisoners and officers alike will continue to suffer abuses in the system. Understanding is the first step to peace in any situation.

Prison Photography - just as it sounds, a blog that posts photos of prisons, worldwide.

Angola 3: The Case

36 years ago, deep in rural Louisiana, three young black men were silenced for trying to expose continued segregation, systematic corruption, and horrific abuse in the biggest prison in the US, an 18,000-acre former slave plantation called Angola.

Peaceful, non-violent protest in the form of hunger and work strikes organized by inmates, caught the attention of Louisiana's first black elected legislators and local media in the early 1970s.[2] State legislative leaders, along with the administration of a newly-elected, reform-minded governor, called for investigations into a host of unconstitutional practices and the extraordinarily cruel and unusual treatment commonplace in the prison. In 1972 and 1973 prison officials, determined to put an end to outside scrutiny, charged Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, and Robert King with murders they did not commit and threw them into 6x9 foot cells in solitary confinement, for nearly 36 years. Robert was freed in 2001, but Herman and Albert remain behind bars.
More on the Angola 3

Prison Legal News - Dedicated to protecting Human Rights

lifespark - writing against the death penalty - lifespark is a Swiss organization founded in 1993. One of its main goals is to arrange penpalships to inmates on death row in the USA.

Advocate 4 Justice - Giving non-violent offenders a second chance at life and freedom

Bill Newmiller's Blog, Bearing False Witness

Todd Newmiller's Column at Newspeak: I am Ahab

Free Todd Newmiller Group on Facebook

Freedom March - Marching for Awareness of Wrongful Convictions

Where’s Woolley - A blog by a man named Dave who blogged from prison and recently got out.

Texas Prison Bid'ness | - A blog about the prison for profit industry in Texas.

The Mind of Maurice Clarett - A former Buckeye tailback who is locked up on robbery, resisting arrest and concealed weapon charges blogs from prison. See his offender page here.

Prison News Blog which is a blog about prison written by a man named Michael Santos who is locked up in a federal prison for distribution of cocaine. He writes his posts and sends them to his wife who posts them.

Prison Talk - Prison talk is a forum site for friends and family of inmates. It covers all topics, including organizing car pools for visits, legal help and what can or cannot be sent to an inmate. I am vlu77 on Prison Talk.

The Prison Dharma Network - Prison Dharma Network (PDN) is an international, nonsectarian, contemplative support network for prisoners, prison volunteers, and corrections professionals. PDN's mission is to provide prisoners, and those who work with them, with the most effective contemplative tools for self-transformation and rehabilitation. Network with it's supporters and staff. Me on PDN

Prison Place - Similar to Prison Talk, except it is more than just forums. There's groups, blogging, wikis, etc. Me on Prison Place.

Wrongful Convictions - A new and growing network devoted to wrongful convictions. Me on Wrongful Convictions.

fACTbOOK - a social network against state killing and torture. Me on fACTbOOK.

Prisoners Left Behind 2.1 - Lives stolen by the system, a network run by a prison ministry.

Prison Abuse Social Network - Fighting abuse in the prison system. Me on PASN.

Loving a Convict - for those of us who do. Membership requires Admin approval.

Prison Calls Online - I was with this company for some time. They have excellent customer service and any time your line gets blocked they immediately get you a new one. All you have to do is get that number to your loved one via letter or visit. They get you a virtual number in the area code where your loved one is locked up so that you don't have to pay long distance charges, and it forwards to the phone of your choice, including cell phones which otherwise cannot accept collect calls. You prepay to fill your account so you are never spending more than you have. It's very easy to do this with your online account and a credit card, and the system can tell you approx. how many calls you can afford with the amount in your account. Everyone can save money with this company, even if you're in the same area code. There are a lot of other companies that do the same thing as these guys but I've heard a lot of things about people being screwed by some of these companies. I know this one is trustworthy and they do save you a lot of money.

The Campaign to Promote Equitable Telephone Charges - This website is designed to help you advocate for changes in the prison phone system.

New York Campaign for Telephone Justice - The objectives of the New York Campaign for Telephone Justice are to achieve more equitable rates for phone calls to and from prison, a high level of consumer choice within the prison telephone system, and fair service without unilateral preemptive cut-offs.

Illinois Campaign for Telephone Justice - The Illinois Campaign for Telephone Justice is seeking relief from the high cost of prison telephone calls from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Prison Talk Prison Calls Discussion

And of course, the petition to lower the cost of calls from prison. Sign Here.

Federal - Online inmate locator here: http://www.bop.gov/

Alabama - Online offender search here: http://www.doc.state.al.us/

Alaska - Uses the VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system as well as a toll free number to call for inmate information. More info here: http://www.correct.state.ak.us/

Arizona - Online offender search here: http://www.azcorrections.gov/

Arkansas - Online inmate search here: http://www.adc.arkansas.gov/

California - CDCR has a number you can call for information on the location of an inmate and nothing further. More info here: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/

Colorado - Online inmate locator here: https://exdoc.state.co.us/

Connecticut - Online offender search here: http://www.ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us/

Delaware - Delaware also uses the VINElink web site :https://www.vinelink.com/

Florida - Online offender search here: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/

Georgia - Online inmate locator here : http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/

Hawaii - The Hawaii Department of Public Safety is skeletal at best. Very little information is available, however there are several phone numbers that could be of use to finding an inmate, listed under Corrections on this page: http://hawaii.gov/

Idaho - Online offender search here: https://www.accessidaho.org/

Illinois - Online inmate search here: http://www.idoc.state.il.us/

Indiana - Online offender search here: http://www.in.gov/

Iowa - Online offender search here: http://www.doc.state.ia.us/

Kansas - Online offender search here: http://doc.ks.gov/

Kentucky - Online offender lookup system here : http://apps.corrections.ky.gov/

Louisiana - Also uses VINElink and has a phone number to call as well. More info here: http://www.doc.louisiana.gov/

Maine - There is an email address available to ask for details regarding an inmate. More info here: http://www.state.me.us/

Maryland - Online inmate locator here : http://www.dpscs.state.md.us

Massachusetts - VINElink again, more info here : http://www.mass.gov/

Michigan - Online offender search here: http://www.michigan.gov/

Minnesota - Online offender locator here : http://info.doc.state.mn.us/

Mississippi - Online inmate search here : http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/

Missouri - Online Offender search here: https://web.mo.gov/

Montana - Uses VINElink, more info here : http://www.cor.mt.gov/

Nebraska - Online inmate locator here : http://dcs-inmatesearch.ne.gov/

Nevada - Online offender search here: http://www.doc.nv.gov/

New Hampshire - Online inmate locator here : http://www4.egov.nh.gov/

New Jersey - Online offender search here : https://www6.state.nj.us/

New Mexico - Online offender search here: http://corrections.state.nm.us/

New York - Online inmate lookup here : http://nysdocslookup.docs.state.ny.us/

North Carolina - Online offender search here : http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/

North Dakota - Online inmate lookup here : http://www.nd.gov/

Ohio - Online offender search here: http://www.drc.ohio.gov/

Oklahoma - Online offender lookup here: http://docapp065p.doc.state.ok.us/

Oregon - Online offender search here : http://docpub.state.or.us/

Pennsylvania - Online inmate locator here : http://www.cor.state.pa.us/

Rhode Island - Online inmate search here: http://www.doc.ri.gov/

South Carolina - Online inmate search here: http://www.doc.sc.gov/

South Dakota - A phone number is available for you to call here : http://doc.sd.gov/

Tennessee - Online offender lookup here: https://www.tennesseeanytime.org/

Texas - Online offender search here: http://168.51.178.33/

Utah - Online offender search here: http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/

Vermont - Online offender locator here : http://www.doc.state.vt.us/

Virginia - Online inmate search here: http://www2.vipnet.org/

Washington - Online offender search here: http://www.doc.wa.gov/

Washington, DC - Uses VINElink, more info here : http://doc.dc.gov/

West Virginia - Online offender search here: http://www.wvdoc.com/

Wisconsin - If you are registered, you can utilize Victim's Voice and search for an inmate here : https://www.wivictimsvoice.org/

Wyoming - Uses VINElink and more information can be found here : https://www.vinelink.com/

Fortress Innocence Group - The Fortress Innocence Group was formed by Martin Tankleff, Jay Salpeter, the private investigator who fought for his innocence, and others, in the fight for justice. Fortress reinvestigates cases in which there is no DNA, but compelling evidence of innocence.

Prisoners of the Census - The Census Bureau counts people in prison as if they were residents of the communities where they are incarcerated, even though they remain legal residents of the places they lived prior to incarceration. As Census data is used to apportion political power at all levels of government, crediting thousands of disproportionately urban and minority men to other communities has staggering implications for modern American democracy.

Prisoners of the census examines a once-obscure Census Bureau glitch that undermines our democracy and suggest workable federal, state and local solutions that would reduce the harm caused by the Census Bureau's prison miscount.

The November Coalition - Working to end drug war injustice, the November Coalition, a non-profit grassroots organization, was founded in 1997.

Members educate the public about destructive, unnecessary incarceration due to the U.S. drug war, and advocate for drug war prisoners.

The Fortune Society - Their mission is to support successful re-entry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration, thus strengthening the fabric of our communities.

Prisoners.com - a nonprofit corporation of education, information and charity. Our mission is to benefit the 120,000+ state, local and federal prisoners in Pennsylvania, their families and loved ones. Further, we aim to assist prisoners everywhere.

Detention Watch Network - DWN is a coalition that addresses the immigration detention crisis head on. Together we work to reform the U.S. detention and deportation system so that all who come to our shores receive fair and humane treatment.

CJS Offender Section - This page is interactive and interesting, though it has nothing to do with American prisons.

Prisonet - Directory of organizations assisting the families and friends of the incarcerated.

Prisoner Visitation and Support - a volunteer visitation program to Federal and Military prisoners throughout the United States.

Alpha Dictionary - How to speak Big House

CorrectionsOne - Corrections news, products, training and careers.

Avvo - Lawyer locator, free legal advice and more.

American Correctional Association - The American Correctional Association is the oldest, and largest International correctional association in the world.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums - FAMM works to change mandatory sentencing laws through the legislative process on the federal and state levels, participation in precedent-setting legal cases and by educating the public.

Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. - We are working to free Efrén Paredes, Jr., a wrongly convicted Latino former high school student who was arrested at age 15 for a crime he did not commit. The crime occurred in St. Joseph, Michigan in 1989. Efrén is now 36-years-old and remains in prison.

California Crime Victims Against the Death Penalty - California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is a coalition of families, friends, and loved ones of murder victims who oppose the death penalty.

Bearing False Witness - Bearing False Witness produces content and collects news and commentary relating to wrongful convictions.

Students Against the Death Penalty - Students Against the Death Penalty (SADP) works to end the death penalty through campaigns of public education and the promotion of youth activism.

Help Free Paul Cortez - On March 23, 2007, an unimaginable, horrific injustice took place: an innocent man was sentenced to 25 years to life for a crime he did not commit. We have created this non-profit organization to tell the rightful story of Paul Cortez and his fight for a proper opportunity to prove his innocence.

Death Penalty Information Center - The Center was founded in 1990 and prepares in-depth reports, issues press releases, conducts briefings for journalists, and serves as a resource to those working on this issue. The Center is widely quoted and consulted by all those concerned with the death penalty.

Prison Fellowship - To seek the transformation of prisoners and their reconciliation to God, family, and community through the power and truth of Jesus Christ.

@innocenceblog - The twitter account of the Innocence Project - Exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system.

@dpinfoctr -
Death Penalty Information Center, serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment.

@ncadp - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

@amnesty -
We are Amnesty International USA. We are people from across the world standing up for human rights.

@prisonreform -
News about Prison Reform on behalf of Michael Santos and prisoners everywhere.

@bnewmiller - Author of Bearing False Witness and father of a wrongfully convicted son.

@cellmail -
Wife, mother and CEO of Cell-Mail Greetings, an inmate communications company.

@legal_injustice -
Misconduct & abuse by those who took an oath to uphold the law; stories of those wrongfully accused; convicted of crimes they did not commit.

@thousandkites -
Thousand Kites is a community-based performance, web, video and radio project centered on the United States prison system

@prisonbookprog -
We are a grassroots organization that exists for one purpose - to send free books to prisoners. We've been doing it since 1972.

@prisonfellowshp - Prison Fellowship partners with local churches across the country to minister to a group that society often scorns and neglects: prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.

@freepeltiernow - Support organization for political prisoner, Leonard Peltier.

@gogogi - Getting Out by Going In is a nonprofit empowering incarcerated men and women in jails and prisons throughout the U.S.A.

@prisonvoice - Prison Pen Pal Service.

@txprisonbidness -
“What happens if you privatize prisons is that you have a large industry with a vested interest in building ever-more prisons.” -- Molly Ivins, 2003

@pfmusa - Prison fellowship network across the USA.

@prisondharma - an international, nonsectarian, contemplative support network for prisoners.

@prisonmovement - A blog about prison and incarceration.

@ilovemyinmate - A woman with a son incarcerate in Ohio. She sells items on Cafepress to make money to send her son.

@prisonactions -
Gets alerts of prison and prisoner-related actions from 30+ social action platforms.

@scottsisters -
Volunteer Legal Analyst - Seeking Freedom for The Scott Sisters

@dpfocus -
Death Penalty Focus is one of the largest nonprofit advocacy organizations in the nation dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment.

@aclu - The American Civil Liberties Union

@aclupa - ACLU of Pennsylvania

@aclu_wa - ACLU of Washington State

@aclu_norcal - ACLU of Northern California

@fla_innocence - The Innocence Project of Florida

@accadp - Alameda County Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

@n_a_d_p - Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty

@kcadp - The Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty


Alabama
Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty
PHADP Blog

Arizona
Coalition of Arizonians to Abolish the Death Penalty

Arkansas
Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

California
Death Penalty Focus
Death Penalty Focus on Twitter
Death Penalty Focus on MySpace
Death Penalty Focus on Facebook

Colorado
Coloradans Against the Death Penalty
Coloradans Against the Death Penalty on Facebook

Connecticut
Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty

Delaware
Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty

Florida
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Georgia
Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
GFADP on Twitter
GFADP on Facebook

Idaho
American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho

Indiana
Indiana Information Center on the Abolition of Capital Punishment
Indiana Coalition Acting to Suspend Executions

Illinois
Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
ICADP on Twitter
ICADP on Facebook

Kansas
Kansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Kentucky
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
KCADP on YouTube
KCADP on Facebook

Louisiana
American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana
ACLU of Louisiana on Facebook

Maryland
Maryland Citizens Against State Executions

Mississippi
Mississippians Educating for Smart Justice

Missouri
Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty

Montana
Montana Abolition Coalition

Nebraska
Nebraskans Against the Death Penalty
NADP on Twitter
NADP on Facebook

Nevada
Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Coalition to Abaolish the Death Penalty
NHCADP Blog

North Carolina
North Carolina Coalition for a Moratorium

Ohio
Ohioans to Stop Executions

Oklahoma
Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Oregon
Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

South Carolina
American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina

South Dakota
American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota

Tennessee
Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killings

Texas
Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
TCADP Blog

Utah
American Civil Liberties Union of Utah

Virginia
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
VADP on Facebook
VADP on MySpace

Washington
Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Wyoming

WriteAPrisoner.com - http://www.writeaprisoner.com/

Prisonpost - http://www.prisonpost.com/

LostVault - http://www.lostvault.com/

Inmate-Connection - http://www.inmate-connection.com/

InmatesForYou.com - http://www.inmatesforyou.com/

Inmate Classified - http://www.inmate.com/

Meet-An-Inmate - http://www.meet-an-inmate.com/

American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming