Idaho’s prisons are beyond capacity, and the consequences are hitting taxpayers, families, and the justice system all at once. New budget figures from the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) show the state is incarcerating more than 10,000 people despite having space for just over 8,200 in its prisons. When beds run out, Idaho sends people…
In Idaho, harsh drug sentences are a significant driver behind the rising rates of female incarceration. Over the past few decades, the state’s tough-on-crime policies, particularly regarding drug-related offenses, have led to an alarming increase in the number of women behind bars. Many of these women are incarcerated for non-violent offenses, often related to addiction…
Gerald B. Cummings Jr. was pronounced dead at 3:38a.m. Saturday, December 11. His cellmate, Colton J. Reagan was charged with first degree murder. Cumming was found unresponsive with injuries that appeared to be consistent with a beating. After Ada County Sheriff’s Office conducted interviews, they concluded Reagan, a 25-year-old and Cummings Jr., a 57-year-old, were…
Julius Jones was sentenced to death after the July 28, 1999, murder of Paul Howell. He is scheduled to die November 18 for a murder that he, for decades, maintained he did not commit. A Pardon and Parole Board has recommended twice that Jones’ death sentence be commuted to life with possibility of parole. However,…
When you think about prison, do you think about tenderness, caring and connection? They’re not common, but they’re here, in the Washington State Reformatory. While Christopher Blackwell, a fellow inmate, went on a run he began spotting bunnies at every turn. Bunnies from different colors and sizes, some spotted, others fully white, black, or light…