Going to Jail for Being a Democrat: How Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman Got Roved
By Paul Craig Roberts, CounterPunch
Once a popular governor of Alabama, Siegelman was framed in a crooked trial and sent to prison by the corrupt Bush administration.
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The theme this week appears to be prisons, and why not? Last week brought news that one in 100 American adults are behind bars, a staggering new high (or low) for U.S. criminal justice. Fortunately, “reform” is in the air — but is it too little, too late?
We also bring you sordid political tales, from the chilling story of jailed ex-Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, who reminds us how “Rove” became a verb, to the strange case of Gustavus Adolphus Puryear IV, a former corrections executive who Bush wants on the judicial bench in Tennessee.
Luckily, it’s not all bad news. This election season brings stories like this one, from a former prisoner who cast a ballot for the first time yesterday, after fighting to restore his right to vote in Rhode Island.
More below and in AlterNet’s Rights & Liberties section. Thanks for reading!
Liliana Segura
Editor, Rights & Liberties special coverage
America Behind Bars: Why Attempts at Prison Reform Keep Failing
By Liliana Segura, AlterNet
A bloated prison system is against the country’s best interests. Yet “tough on crime” rhetoric has gotten in the way of reform.
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I Voted Today: A Former Prisoner Fights Back
By Andres Idarraga, Brennan Center for Justice
When Andres Idarraga got out of prison, he fought to win back his right to vote. On Tuesday, he won.
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Can a Prison Profiteer with No Court Experience Make a Good Trial Judge?
By Stephanie Mencimer, Mother Jones
Bush’s nominee for Tennessee trial court judge is a Republican crony who has made millions off the prison boom.
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Waterboarding? Racist Cops Have Been Torturing Black Suspects for Years
By Thomas J. Gardner, Madison Capital Times
Torture is not a new phenomenon. Just ask the Memphis police officers who beat me forty years ago.
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Could Our Democracy Withstand Another 9/11?
By David T. Z. Mindich, AlterNet
The Reichstag fire helped transform Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship. What can we do to avoid a similar outcome?
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National Mall Redesign Could Seriously Restrict Free Speech
By Scott Thill, AlterNet
The National Park Service is considering confining protests to a designated area.
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Kenya in Translation: An Interview with Ngugi wa Thiong’o
By Emily Wilson, AlterNet
Ngugi wa Thiong’o was imprisoned for writing in his own language. He speaks to AlterNet about the importance of language in battling oppression.
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PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web
Bush Says Americans Should “Thank” the Telecoms for Illegally Spying on Them
By Amanda Terkel, Think Progress
Bush is implying that Americans who oppose telecom immunity are unpatriotic.
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Iraqi Court Overturns Conviction of U.S. Citizen Facing Death Penalty
By Nick Fiske, Jurist Legal News and Research
Mohammad Munaf’s case could help the Supreme Court decide whether American citizens held by U.S. forces in Iraq can challenge their detention.
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Mukasey Lets Bolten and Miers Off the Hook
By GottaLaff, Cliff Schecter’s Blog
So can I refuse subpoenas too? Not that I’ve ever been subpoenaed, or would be, should be, could be, shall be, or expect to be subpoenaed…
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Baptist Church Nixes Family Photos Rather Than Include Gays
By Pam Spaulding, Pam’s House Blend
We exist. We aren’t monsters. We have families.
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