[Incarcerated person] leaps to death on Rikers Island in NY. 37th death in 2 years

By; Randall via Asamnews.com Authorities at Rikers Island say an inmate identified as Rubu Zhao jumped to his death this weekend at the New York City jail, reports the Daily News. The 52-year-old accused murderer is the 37th detainee to die at the facility since early 2021. “I am saddened by the circumstances that led to […]

Connecticut incarceration rates are low, but probation rates aren’t

By: Molly Ingram via WSHU Public Radio Almost 1% of Connecticut’s population is on probation. That’s 30,000 people — and three times the amount of people incarcerated in the state. According to a new report from the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, the state uses probation more aggressively than its peers, and it’s causing reincarnation […]

Report: Connecticut Has Aggressive Probation Practices

By Christine Stuart via CT News Junkie Published May 23, 2023 Connecticut’s use of community corrections, particularly aggressive probation tactics, traps thousands of people in the correctional system and fuels a troubling cycle of incarceration, according to a new report released by the Katal Center and the Prison Policy Initiative. The report highlights the disproportionate […]

CT uses probation more aggressively than other states, new data shows

By Alex Putterman via CT Insider Published May 23, 2023 While Connecticut has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the nation, the state uses probation more aggressively than most of its peers, a pair of new reports show.  As outlined in a paper released Tuesday by the Prison Policy Initiative and the Hartford-based Katal Center, Connecticut […]

Another prisoner has died while in custody at Rikers jail

By: Matthew Euzarraga via Pix11 News NEW YORK (PIX11) – An inmate has died while in custody at the Rikers Island Jail Complex, the Department of Correction said Wednesday. Rubu Zhao, 52, was being held in the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers when he was reported to have suffered severe injuries on Sunday, officials […]

Elected officials, community groups call for federal takeover of Rikers Island

By: News 12 Staff via News12 The Bronx Elected officials and community groups rallied outside U.S. District Court of Manhattan Thursday pushing for the federal government to take over Rikers Island. The rally happened as a judge heard statements regarding the latest federal monitor report on the correctional facility. Supporters said although it’s not the […]

Katal Center Gives Update On Bail Issues At NY Capitol

By: MediaSanctuary via SoundCloud The debate over whether or not to rollback recent reforms to bail has held up the state budget for 18 days past the deadline. While the media reports that legislative leaders have struck a deal on bail, details have not been officially released. Yonah Zeitz of the Katal Center for Equity, […]

Kenyatta Muzzanni: The Connecticut Juvenile Training School should be demolished

By: Kenyatta Muzzani via The Hartford Courant For 20 years our politicians force-fed us a line that the Connecticut Juvenile Training School was an educational institution when it was actually a prison for kids. The facility closed in 2018 after decades of community organizing and public outcry over the inhumane conditions and abuses children experienced behind its […]