Congress passed the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) in 1984, aiming to bring longer sentences to career criminals committing violent felonies.

Systemwide, DOC counted 468 K2-related incidents thus far this year, not counting the most recent five deaths and a dozen or so inmates treated for signs of reactions to the drug.

The Sentencing Project calls for states and the federal government to terminate private prison contracts, require greater disclosure of private prison records, and stop sending inmates to prisons far from their homes.

The lawsuit filed in each state alleged the constitutional rights of the inmates were being violated by the prison’s failure to accommodate their religious practices and provide adequate nutrition.

Both a guard and a therapist are accused of assault.

Texas's reforms, including diversion programs for low-level drug offenders, increased attention to rehabilitation and work readiness, and other “second chance” measures, reduced recidivism and the incarceration rate. The federal Justice Department should take notice.

While policy changes and a move away from for-profit prison systems will go a long way in aligning America’s prisons with those of more progressive countries, education remains a key driver in preventing citizens from going to jail in the first place, in becoming more attractive prospects for hire, and in reducing recidivism.

Criminals find more and more ways to be stupid – or hypocritical. (You can't make this stuff up.)

Looking admiringly at drug laws in countries like Singapore and the Philippines, Trump and his Department of Justice are angling toward pushing for capital punishment for drug dealers.

In a recent 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved a dispute among lower federal courts about how large a share of damage awards won by inmates in civil rights cases must be paid towards their lawyers’ fees.