State lawmakers dig into violent conditions in Georgia prisons, Fulton jail

By Stanley Dunlap

Georgia’s state prisons and Fulton County’s jail took center stage Friday before legislative committees tasked with making recommendations on how to deal with troubles arising from overcrowded and outdated detention facilities.

The Georgia Senate’s Department of Corrections Facilities Study Committee held its first hearing this month when it heard from the state’s top agency officials about the challenges of running a large prison system where severe understaffing, deteriorating buildings, smuggling of contraband have led to more violence among inmates, correctional officers and other prison staff.

State corrections officials told lawmakers at the Friday hearing the agency needs to upgrade aging prisons with more one-bed cells to resolve a typical underlying cause of violent attacks between inmates. 

They also discussed the need to eliminate a complex system of drones that deliver cell phones and other illegal contraband to inmates and stop the spread of violent street gangs across the state that have a presence in Georgia prisons.

Tennessee governor calls CoreCivic ‘important partner’ amid DOJ investigation

By Sam Stockard

Gov. Lee shows no signs of dumping CoreCivic, which runs four state prisons for $233 million a year

As the Department of Justice starts a civil rights investigation into a privately-run state prison in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee contends steps have been taken to improve operations at the facility operated by what he calls an “important partner.”

Lee said the state reduced the number of inmates at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center and increased pay for the state’s correctional officers. 

The inmate population was cut to 2,068 over the last year from 2,480 in October 2023, according to the Department of Correction.

US credit card debt continues to rise as housing and other costs remain high for the lowest earners

 By Casey Quinlan 

Americans are racking up credit card debt as they struggle to keep up with the cost of living, and experts say those who earn the least are the hardest hit.

Total credit card balances rose 5.8% from a year ago, to $1.14 trillion, according to a recent New York Fed report. Equifax credit files through June show that credit card delinquency is still rising but that delinquency on consumer finance loans and retail cards fell and auto loan delinquency was flat.

People use credit cards for all kinds of purchases, and despite the stereotype of consumers getting themselves into too much credit card debt so that they could buy a few extra flashy clothes or vacations, many of them are for necessities.

So what does it mean for the economy that the average rate for people with a credit card balance was 22.76% in May, that there is an expansion of financial tech products like “buy now, pay later,” and that many Americans find themselves unable to pay off that debt? It depends on your role in the economy, financial experts and economists say.

Juvenile justice reform commission could start meeting next month

By William J. Ford

Advocates said they hope a commission created to assess Maryland’s juvenile justice system can begin meeting as early as next month, even though just four of the 28 members of the panel are in place so far.

House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) has appointed two House Judiciary Committee members, Dels. J. Sandy Bartlett (D-Anne Arundel) and N. Scott Phillips (D-Baltimore County), to the commission. Two other members, the secretaries of Human Services and Juvenile Services, are named in the law that created the panel.

Report: Ohio school-to-prison pipeline bolstered by ‘exclusionary discipline,’ absenteeism

 By Susan Tebben

“Student disconnection” spurred on by mental health factors, disproportionate discipline and a lack of in-school supports plays its part in driving Ohio’s absenteeism rate, according to a new report from an Ohio think tank.

That absenteeism, and the contributing factors of it, can create “an entry point in the school-to-prison pipeline,” according to Policy Matters Ohio, who released a new study on the issue this month.