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70 Million: When “Bail Reform” Isn’t
Jul13

70 Million: When “Bail Reform” Isn’t

  This week on Making Contact, we look at Bail Reform in the state of Texas with the help of our podcast partners 70 Million. For conservative lawmakers and bail reform advocates have long debated what bail reform can look like for those who cannot afford to bail themselves out of jail. Image Credit: Photo by Brandon Allen Image Caption: Monique Joseph stands in front of the  A. M. “Mac” Stringfellow Unit (previously...

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Unequal Justice: the Criminalization of Black Youth
Apr13

Unequal Justice: the Criminalization of Black Youth

Nearly two thirds of all children in the U.S. juvenile justice system are kids of color. That’s according to a recent report by the Children’s Defense Fund. In this episode of Making Contact, we’ll hear from Dr. Kris Henning on the disparities faced by Black youth in the juvenile justice system. Dr. Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown University Law Center. And...

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Part 2 of The Pandemic Inside: COVID-19 and Prisons (Encore)
Jan26

Part 2 of The Pandemic Inside: COVID-19 and Prisons (Encore)

Making Contact · Part 2 of The Pandemic Inside: Covid-19 and Prisons   In a two-part series, we look at how COVID-19 has torn through prisons and how organizers are trying to push state and local governments to release inmates in order to contain the spread of the pandemic. For Part 2, we talk about why vaccines aren’t an effective solution to ending COVID in prisons, and we also look at how re-entry has become harder...

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Part 1 of The Pandemic Inside: COVID-19 and Prisons (Encore)
Jan19

Part 1 of The Pandemic Inside: COVID-19 and Prisons (Encore)

Making Contact · Part 1 of The Pandemic Inside: Covid 19 and Prisons – Encore   In this encore episode, we look at how COVID-19 has torn through prisons and how organizers are trying to push state and local governments to release inmates in order to contain the spread of the pandemic. In part one, we focus on California. We take a look at why a prison, like San Quentin, is such a perfect environment for infectious diseases,...

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70 Million: Where Juvenile Detention Looks More Like Hanging Out
Nov17

70 Million: Where Juvenile Detention Looks More Like Hanging Out

Making Contact · 70 Million: Where Juvenile Detention Looks More Like Hanging Out   There’s a place in rural St. Johns, Arizona, where teens who have encounters with officers of the law can play pool, make music, and get mentored instead of going to jail. It’s called The Loft, and it’s the brainchild of a judge who wanted to save the county hundreds of millions of dollars and divert young people towards the support many were not...

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U.S. Anti-Torture History After 9/11
Oct27

U.S. Anti-Torture History After 9/11

Making Contact · U.S. Anti-Torture History After 9/11   In today’s program, we turn our attention to the history of torture in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks. Sociology professor Lisa Hajjar traces the post-9/11 history of torture through the victories and defeats, and to the ways in which torture and the fight against it have altered the legal terrain on torture, not only in the United States, but potentially on a global scale....

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