Monthly Archives: May 2011
When proof isn’t possible
By Chaka Holley “Innocent until proven guilty is the old mantra”; but a convicted defendant is “guilty until proven innocent.” James Legate and his wife, Yolanda, are attempting to prove his innocence as he sits behind bars in Texas. Legate … Continue reading
Filed under confidential informants, Criminal justice reform, DNA testing, Faith, innocence, Texas
Texas politicians choose prisons over schools
A recent article in The Economist argues that conservatives can call for criminal justice reform without appearing to be tough on crime. The Lone Star State is held up as a prime example of conservative politicians turning away from mass incarceration: Texas … Continue reading
Bob Moses: The White-Power Legislature
I’m not suggesting anything conspiratorial here—Heaven forbid!—but it does seem mighty suspicious that school funding is being decimated at a time when Texas schools are “browning” at a rapid pace. In the last decade, Hispanic enrollment in public schools jumped … Continue reading
Filed under education, racial politics, Texas, white racial resentment
Jared Lee Laughner and the mystery of iniquity
By Alan Bean Jared Lee Loughner, the man responsible for the Tucson shooting spree that left six dead and twelve, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, badly wounded, has been declared incompetent to stand trial. Authorities now have four months to restore Loughner to competency. How are they … Continue reading
Filed under redemptive violence, religion and law, spirituality
The slow death of the 14th amendment
On May 4, amateur historian David Barton appeared on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. Barton’s central argument was that, constitutionally, the first amendment applies to the federal government but not to the states. Therefore, if individual states and municipalities see fit to make the Bible the sole … Continue reading
The Drug War’s Latest Victim
By Alec Goodwin The War on Drugs has claimed yet another victim: the California prison system. The United States Supreme Court has ruled in a narrow 5-4 decision that the prisons in California are so overcrowded that it violates the … Continue reading
Alexander v. McWhorter: who’s got the winning formula?
By Alan Bean John McWhorter and Michelle Alexander agree that the war on drugs should be abandoned. They also agree that far too many young black males are languishing in American prisons. But McWhorter thinks Alexander’s call for a consensus-shifting movement is wrong-headed. It’s wrong-headed … Continue reading
Supreme Court tells California to cut prison population by 33,000
By Alan Bean A Supreme Court ruling will soon force the state of California to reduce its prison population by at least 33,000. Noting that the state prison system was built for an inmate population of 80,000, the five justices in … Continue reading
“Only a movement built on love”: Michelle Alexander at Riverside Church
“Now I want to be clear that when I’m talking about love, I’m not just talking about love for people who have committed crimes like we may have committed, crimes that we think are not so bad; I’m talking about … Continue reading
Filed under "civil rights", common peace consensus, Criminal justice reform, drug policy, economics, education, human rights, immigration, juvenile justice, marriage and family, mass incarceration, New Jim Crow, prison reform, Race and the Law, The politics of crime, the politics of race, war on drugs
US Navy names ship after Cesar Chavez
The US Navy has named a ship after civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. Self-taught historian, David Barton, may think Chavez is unworthy of emulation and the Arlington School Board may think he doesn’t deserve to have a special day, but the Secretary of … Continue reading
Filed under "civil rights", Texas, the politics of race
