'Choose' is such an interesting word. Do people living in poverty and loneliness 'choose to go to jail' - or do governments, across the world, 'choose' to invest in prisons instead of social infrastructure and support services?

The findings echo much of what our Lived Experience Panel members reported in their submission to the Inquiry into Women's Pain last year (.

“The Australian government’s treatment of children in its criminal justice system went from bad to worse in 2024,” said @hrw Australia researcher Annabel Hennessy. “These increasing violations are a blot on Australia’s human rights reputation globally.”

"It proves a point that there are probably thousands of other people in prison today who could be safely released." George Gascón on how getting people home from prison, and then closing prisons, strengthens communities and creates economic wealth:

It's fascinating to learn about decarceration efforts and outcomes in other countries. This new article (open access) charts a history of decarceration in Italy in the 2010s and provides insight into the limits of decarcerating for purely fiscal reasons:

These are all indicators of *successful* law reform. Clearly, it's working.

“With pure punishment, you’re going to get out the same person. Now they’re leaving with practical skills...and they can use those skills to get a job. If it’s just punishment, they’re just going to be in the same boat when they get out.” - Rob, who runs the Oakwood woodwork shop

New self-narratives - an identity as something other than an 'offender' - are needed to desist from crime. They're core to our practice. But this new UK study finds the parole process damages already fragile self-identities and may undermine desistance:

Meanwhile, dozens of prisons and jails in LA are currently threatened by wildfires. One juvenile detention centre, holding 96 children, is in an evacuation zone; @theappeal reports there are no current plans to evacuate or protect any incarcerated people: