We talk with Mike Wessler of the Prison Policy Initiative which has put out a new report on how prison gerrymandering hurts political representation for all Oregonians, not just inmates. We also to to a local Lane County Democrats meeting to hear what's on their minds about their local and national leaders.

New FWD.us research shows mass incarceration is costing families with incarcerated loved ones nearly $348 billion every year in lost wages and out-of-pocket spending.

Yesterday, a federal judge granted a second temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety related to the operation of the “Farm Line” at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) during periods of extreme heat.

At a time when public safety initiatives are being defunded, communities are proposing spending millions and sometimes even billions of dollars on new jail construction projects around the country. While proponents often claim new construction is the only way to resolve persistent problems such as staffing shortages and inhumane jail conditions, our research consistently shows that building newer, bigger jails doesn’t make anyone safer. Join Prison Policy Initiative at 2:00 pm ET on June 11th, 2025 as we bring together a panel of activists who have pushed back against jail expansion in communities from Atlanta, Georgia, to Sacramento, California, all the way to Oahu, Hawai’i. We’ll discuss how arguments for new jail construction have shifted over time, go over some useful strategies and tools for responding to these arguments, and talk about how Prison Policy Initiative’s advocacy department can help support efforts to challenge new jail construction in your area. Panelists will include: Carrie Ann Shirota: Policy Director, ACLU-HI with the Reimagining Public Safety in Hawai’i Coalition; Liz Blum-Guttierez: Co-founder Decarcerate Sacramento; and Michael Collins: Senior Director of Government Affairs, Color of Change with the Communities Over Cages Coalition.

In 2023, amid record-breaking rain and snow, two prisons in the southern San Joaquin Valley faced a serious risk of flooding.

While Gov. Greg Abbott steps up his push for stricter bail rules, critics seek a balance between the rights of the accused and the goal of keeping dangerous defendants behind bars.