Policing the USA: Do inmates' lives matter?

Monday, November 26

Inmates in a math class at Tyger River Correctional Institution, in South Carolina. The institution was included in an Associated Press report on killings and punishment for inmates in prison.

Inmates kill with less consequence in S.C.: Report

News and opinion from outlets across the country culled by Policing the USA

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Do inmates' lives matter?

Based on the actions of South Carolina's justice system, it looks like the answer to that question may be: Not much.

According to a new Associate Press report that researched incidents of prisoner-on-prisoner killings going back to 1997, inmates are punished much less severely for incidents involving fellow inmates.

Of nearly 30 homicide cases going back more than two decades, only a handful resulted in severe punishment including either life in prison or the death penalty.

It seems that even inmates who are trying to get the death penalty in that state sometimes don't (an inmate who killed four South Carolina prisoners reportedly did so in an attempt to get executed).

But prisoners who commit homicides are also punished in other ways, according to the state's prison director, including with severe movement restrictions and loss of privileges.

Shooting of 15-year-old under investigation

The teenager (who may have been in foster care) was becoming violent with people in the home, was large and struggled with police officers after they arrived on the scene. He also suffered from bipolar disorder.

That's the most significant information released on what led to an altercation that ended with Miami-Dade Police officer Ronald Neubauer shooting a 15-year-old Florida boy. One thing that's in question is whether the teen, whose name has not been released, did anything aggressive enough toward the cop to warrant potentially fatal action. The boy, who was not armed, was sent to Kendall Regional Medical Center, according to a Miami Herald report.

This is not the first shooting that Neubauer, who has been a cop for nearly 30 years, has been involved in. The officer injured a man, who was armed with a Taser, in March. Neubauer is on administrative duty while the most recent incident is being investigated.

"Ear Hustle" star will be podcasting outside of San Quentin

The podcast created instant groupies, and Policing the USA has been one of them.

The award-winning "Ear Hustle" is known for being gritty, real, touching and revealing about life for men inside California's maximum security San Quentin prison, mainly because it's been told from the inside — produced and hosted by inmate Earlonne Woods and artist Nigel Poor.

Now Woods, who was sentenced to 31 years to life for robbery, will have to tell those stories of life inside one of the world's most notorious prisons from the outside. His sentence was commuted Wednesday after 21 years served. California's Gov. Jerry Brown stated in the clemency notice that Woods "demonstrated his commitment to turning his life around and leaving violence behind."

To hear Woods in action, listen to the most recent episode in the "Ear Hustle" series. This one is on dating and romance while locked up.

For a conversation with podcast co-host and San Francisco area artist Poor about the day Woods found out his sentence was commuted, check out NPR's "All Things Considered."

Want more? Check out the Policing the USA site for information on police, policing and the justice system across the country.

Want to talk about police, race and the justice system in America? Reach out to Policing the USA editor Eileen Rivers on Twitter @msdc14 or via email at erivers@usatoday.com.