C117- Imprisonment & Reentry

What is the purpose of the Prison Violence Consortium? (editor's note: Professor Rodriguez has noted that anything regarding her prison project is not on the exam)

Uniform concerns and priorities

understanding, preventing and reducing violence via research

Use resources where needed

Training and recruiting staff

Increasing drug use and rapidly changing nature if drugs

Improve post-release outcomes

According to the Council of State Government, what were the changes in prison admissions in 2020? What happened to crime in 2020?

14% drop in state population from 2019-2020. Drop driven by prison admissions.

⅓ of drop due to fewer supervision violations.

Violations remain high- 42% of prison admissions.

Reducing violators will save money.

Must now monitor policy changes; see impact on crime.

More people than there are beds, notorious for overflow.

Property crime was down; homicide and assault went up

According to the Consensus Study Report: Decarcerating Correctional Facilities, what strategies can be used to decrease the spread of COVID in a correctional setting?

Divert people away (reduce pop. entry), monitor populations capacity, ID those best suited for release, Use compassionate release policies, comprehensive reentry plans.

Further expose inadequate healthcare incarcerated people experienced (improve healthcare link between community health and prison inmates).

Test and quarantine to keep people safe (in facilities), monitor revocations, facilitate Medicaid, transparency with date related to COVID.

What institutional and systemic barriers pose an increased risk of COVID transmission among the correctional population, staff, and surrounding communities?

overcrowding, population turnover

spatially concentrated patterns of releases and admissions

physical design of facilities (e.g., dormitory-style housing and poor ventilation)

health care capacity—vulnerability of incarcerated individuals due to age + presence of chronic health conditions.

According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, what are the guiding principles for decarceration?

Maximization of net benefits-Under this principle, decarcera- tion plans will aim strategically to reduce mortality and morbidity caused by the transmission of COVID-19 among incarcerated and detained people, correctional staff, and the local communities in which they are located

Equal regard and fairness with view to mitigation of health and racial inequalities-The principle of equal regard recognizes the equal worth and value of all people, protecting them from discrimination, when determining fair approaches to limiting the use of custody and releasing individuals from correctional facilities.

Transparency to support evidence-based decision making- The principal of transparency demands data on COVID-19 infection and complications from facilities and disclosure of the criteria and priorities that will determine people's chances of future detention and/or release, as well as how decarceration strategies are to be implemented and whether certain populations will benefit more than oth

According to the Decarcerating Furing Covid-19: Highlights for Correctional Leaders, what are the cases that would make it available for individuals to qualify under the "diversion in a public health emergency?"

-Misdemeanors, technical violations of probation and parole, and nonpayment of bail are allcases appropriate for diversion in a public health emergency.--The report recommends that correctional officials should identify candidates for release fromprison and jail in a fair and equitable manner and engage other officials outside the correc-tional system to expedite decarceration. Individuals assessed as medically vulnerable, nearingsentence completion, or of low risk to commit serious crime are likely to be suitable candi-dates for release during a public health crisis

Define the four normative principles described in the NAS report.

Proportionality: criminal sentences PROPORTIONATE to seriousness of offense.

Parsimony (something we should consider; smaller # of people): period of confinement sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve goal of sentencing policy. ·

Citizenship: conditions + consequences should not be so severe to the point of violating basic status as a member of society.

Social justice (In the end the system we have should align with our values): promote, NOT undermine fair distribution of rights, resources, and opportunities.

What are the limitations of science discussed in the NAS report?

Generalization

Researchers' access to prisons

Closed systems have a hard time trusting outsiders. Negatively impact/affect collection for research.

Limits of basic metrics and data.

Often those who are afforded access mitigate for cases of inmates that are confined.

Gaps of knowledge that still exist; too much data left unexplained, too little data available to make reasonable discussion.

Know basic statistics about incarceration discussed in the NAS report's introduction: How many individuals are in state prisons? What proportion of incarcerated people are in local jails? How are admissions due to parole violations changing over time? In which regions of the U.S. are incarceration trends increasing? Decreasing?

Rate 4x higher than 1972. 2012: 2.23 million people in custody.

2012, state prisons held 57% of adult incarcerated population

⅓ adult incarcerated population held in local jails

~1 in 100 adults in prison/jail, US rate 5-10x higher than rates in other liberal democracies.

~60% minorities (2011)

Parole now drives much of prison growth, violators now constitute 34% of all admissions

Incarceration trends are increasing in southern and western states

Decreasing in midwest and northeast

What were the primary features of criminal justice reforms in the 1970s and early 1980s? How did these change from the mid 1980s through 1996? What about reforms since 1996?

1970s - early 1980s: reforms aimed to make sentencing more fair and outcomes more predictable and consistent (ex: determinate sentencing laws, presumptive sentencing guidelines)

1980s - 1996: sentencing policy targeted drug and violent offenders, mandatory minimum, three strikes, truth-in-sentencing mandate life without parole for certain offenses

Since 1996: no new comprehensive sentencing systems, with exception of mandatory minimum, carjacking, CP, TODAY bi-partisan support for federal sentence revamping via first step act

According to Travis, why is it difficult to reintegrate released persons into society?

About 1 in 5 prisoners who reenter society do not have any post release supervision

The explosive growth of the prison population makes it hard for the system to supervise all post-releases

Our system of justice lacks the organizational capacity to effectively reintegrate released offenders

In order to effectively release offenders we need to set up individual conditions geared towards effective reintegration and acknowledge when these conditions have been met to celebrate their new beginning

What is the main argument made by Travis?

(1) the reentry process presents singular opportunities for advancing social goals—opportunities difficult to pursue within the legal constructs and operational realities of current criminal justice policy

(2) the role of "reentry manager" (the institution responsible for achieving reentry goals) is undergoing major redefinition

(3) the judiciary should play a far greater role in managing reentry.

Why are drug treatment and drug courts considered model reentry programs?

When carried out as intended through evidence-based practices, drug treatment can be considered a model reentry program since treatment often carries over from the prison to the community (continuity of care), treatment often does not stop until stable behavioral changes are exhibited, drug use is monitored, and treatment often entails a mix of both therapy and medication (important to note that programs that only provide drug education or only provide medication have been found to be ineffective).

Drug courts are often one component of the drug treatment process where treatment is merged with judicial oversight

What is the difference between the jail population and the prison population?

In 2012 57% of adult inmates were in prisons

⅓ of incarcerated adults are in local jails

30-40% of prison admissions is due to parole violations

Most prison inmates are there for violent crimes

A majority of jail inmates have not been convicted (pretrial detention)

What is the leading cause of death in jails?

Suicide leading cause of death; 12 million jail admissions for non-violent/mentally ill offenders.

Often 1st system to respond to the needs of acute, mentally ill people.

Ignored, neglected pop

Are suicide rates in jails different from those in the community? If so, how?

Suicide rates in jail are higher than those in the community

Describe the extent to which there are racial disparities in imprisonment, offending, sentencing, and case outcomes.

Relative to population (peaked in the 80s and early 90s)

Sentencing and case outcomes: African Americans are more likely to be sentenced for a longer amount of time

Mandatory minimum sentence, three strikes, truth-in-sentencing, life without possibility of parole: all of these laws mandate especially severe punishments for offenses for which black and hispanic people often are disproportionately arrested and convicted

The political and social context in which current policies unfolded has a pronounced racial dimension

Because arrest patterns are unable to explain disparities in case outcomes, it is important to note that somewhere further down the line in the CJS, disparities are being created (pretrial detention due to inability to make bail, adjudication and sentencing) to result in extremely disproportionate rates of incarcerated racial minorities compared to their share of the general population

What were the primary features of criminal justice reforms in the 1970s and the early 1980s? How did these change from the mid 1980s through 1996? What about reforms since 1996?

The primary feature of criminal justice reform in the 1970's was increased consistency and fairness, which included parole sentencing, determinate sentencing laws, sentencing guidelines, and presumptive sentencing guildlines. In the 1980s the Mandatory minimum sentence and three strikeslaw was created. In the 1990s the truth in sentencing which made states eligible for funding if offenders serve at leaaste 85% of their sentencing. Reforms since then are the First Step Act of 2018 which was created to reduce recidivism(reduce people coming back in the system), earn time creditd for pre-release, confine close to home, and correction reforms(provide sanitatary napkins for women, against the use of restraints on pregant persons ,de-esculating training, prohibition against the use of solitary confinement for juvenilie delinquents in federal custody)

Know the purpose of the First Step Act of 2018.

Evaluate recidivism risk of prisoners

Guide housing, grouping, and program assignments

Incentivize and reward participation in: completion of recidivism reduction programs and productive activities.

Reducing drug recidivist penalties, expanding safety valve (relief from mand. Min. sentence), compassionate release, limit "stacking" of 25-year penalty.

Be able to define proportionality and parsimony and explain what they mean in the context of sentencing.

Proportionality is the principle which holds that the punishment of a crime match the seriousness of said crime, while parsimony holds that the punishment not be excessive to the point of yielding only costs and no benefits

In the context of sentencing, greater attention must be granted to devising punishments/sanctions that properly balances public safety, accountability, and fairness

Recognize the distinctions between jail populations and prison populations, particularly the proportion of pretrial detainees.

Jails: Hold people waiting for trial (PRETRIAL DETAINEES) and those serving short sentences Non-violent offenders and those with mental illness (under 1 year); 1/3 of the total incarcerated population are in jails; many jailed people haven't been convicted (they are just there because their trial hasn't happened yet); State and local; Jail houses community supervision violators (State and Federal), those awaiting transfer, and ICE holds

Prisons: Hold people who have been convicted of serious crimes and are serving longer sentences (over 1 year); mostly people who have already gone through trial and sentencing. State prisons hold 57% of the adult incarcerated population (2012)

Understand key reasons individuals end up in local jails, especially the role of inability to pay bail and issues related to mental health, homelessness, and substance use.

They can't afford bail, even for minor charges, people stay in jail because they don't have the money to get out before trial

Mental health issues: some people are jailed instead of being sent to treatment

Homelessness: People without stable housing are more likely to be arrested for small violations

Substance use: Drug or alcohol problems often lead to arrests for low-level offenses

What is the relationship between incarceration and crime? Is there a deterrent effect on crime?

This relates to reoffending, the deterrent effect on crime matters because the crime is measured for time of incarceration.

Specifics matter when it comes to experience of incarceration on reoffending.

General deterrence- threat of punishment

There is a notable endogeneity in the relationship between incarceration and crime, meaning that they are mutually reinforcing and effectively circular (incarceration leads to crime, crime leads to incarceration, etc. etc.). One possible explanation for this relationship would be that incarceration has a criminogenic nature, which breeds recidivism and further criminal conduct.

While deterrence has been challenged in its role in corrections policy, there is evidence to show that the celerity and certainty of a punishment are much more important than the severity of the punishment; indeed, certainty is perhaps the most important deterrent force in the viability of a sanction's effectiveness

Another factor that impacts deterrence is the length of the sentence, where incarceration for shorter periods of time have been shown to have some deterrent effect (perhaps this means that the endogeneity of crime and incarceration is reserved more evidently for extensive incarceration)

What are aspects of housing in prison presented in "Cellies"?

Spatial Constraints: The typical cell measures approximately 4' x 9' (1.2 x 2.7 meters), accommodating two inmates. Within this limited space, inmates share essential facilities, including a bunk bed, toilet, sink, and lockers, while managing their personal belongings within a confined area of six cubic feet.

Significance of Cellmate Relationships: The selection of a cellmate is a critical aspect of prison life. Inmates often navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, as exemplified by the story of brothers Eddie and Emile DeWeaver. Despite their familial bond, they encountered challenges living together due to differing personal habits and emotional triggers, highlighting the importance of compatibility in shared living arrangements.

Emotional and Psychological Impact: The confined living conditions can lead to significant psychological stress. Inmates like Ron Self have described experiences of intense frustration and conflict with their cellmates, emphasizing the emotional toll of such close quarters.

Adaptation and Coping Mechanisms: Inmates develop various strategies to cope with the challenges of shared living spaces. For instance, some engage in humor and camaraderie to alleviate tension, as seen in the relationship between cellmates Sha Wallace-Stepter and Donte Smith, who found laughter to be a vital coping mechanism.

What happened to crime rates from 1961 through the early 1980s? Was there a consensus on the causes of crime during this period? Was public opinion about crime and punishment racialized during this time period? If so, why?

Crime rates naturally rose from 1960 to the early 1980s during a period focused on rehabilitation in the correctional setting.

Due to the severe lack of consensus on the issue of rising crime, the inability to know how to respond led to widespread fear

It can be said that public opinion about crime and punishment was not racialized completely in this time period, but it would be more accurate to argue that the culture of uncertainty combined with greater black migration to the North and rising crime all became fertile ground for political activism calling for harsher policies and laws. Conservative politicians especially challenged social programs as contributing to rising crime, which harmed racial minority groups who were perceived as major recipients of said programs/welfare. The conflation of race and crime became much more politically savvy, especially with the War on Drugs and its resulting mass incarceration of racial minorities such as African Americans. Professor Rodriguez acknowledges that public opinion on crime and punishment is highly racialized today because impoverished communities are still plagued by higher rates of social problems, even though these same communities were and continue to be the centers of mass incarceration due to correctional policies that prioritized punishment over rehabilitation (note that these policies were highly racialized in execution and outcome).

How did criminal justice and sentencing policies change under the Johnson administration?

Policies under the Johnson administration can be summed up with the Law Enforcement Assistance Act (1965) which awarded grants to improve and expand CJS operations at the state and local levels, which emphasized a greater federal government role

Johnson called for a War on Crime in conjunction with his War on Poverty, claiming that crime resulted from poverty and lack of social resources; indeed, Johnson would call for government investments in these resources and institutions outside the realm of the CJS

What effect did the War on Drugs have on incarceration?

Drug laws led to an unprecedented rate of imprisonment for drug use and possession

Drug offenders became ⅕ of all state inmates and ⅔ of all federal inmates by 1997

According to The Sentencing Project report, what is the relationship between incarceration, voting, and disenfranchisement?

Varies by state, some states restore voting rights upon completion of prison term

Some states disenfranchises it for life

Restrictions on voting rights have diminished the political voice of many communities

2022, 4.6 million Americans were unable to vote due to state laws

What is the basis of a "superpredator"?

Describes young black boys to be especially dangerous

Disregards a young person's age at the time of the crime

Pushes that certain offenses committed by juveniles should be prosecuted in an adult court

The superpredator myth, known by its proponents as the superpredator theory, was a theory in criminology that became popular in the 1990s in the United States, positing that a small but significant and increasing population of impulsive (often urban) youth were willing to commit violent crimes without remorse.

What is the national recidivism rate of state prisoners?

Recidivism rate: 3 year; 68% readmitted to prison

+3 years after release, 68% of offenders were back in the system of corrections

Latest recidivism rates: 62% of prisoners released arrested within 3 years, 71% within 5 years (BJS, 2021)

What are the six trends that alerted the conditions of confinement in the U.S.?

1. Overcrowding

2. Increase in mental illness

3. Radically/Ethnically Diverse population

4. Reduction of lethal violence in prisons

5. Early litigation driven improvements in prison conditions followed by a 'hands off' judicial approach to prison reform

6. Rise of the 'penal harm' movement

Are there comprehensive prison data on prison conditions and quality of life? Explain.

Prison data on prison conditions and quality of life have not been comprehensive due to a lack of uniform standards to evaluate prisons by, and such data is difficult to gather due to traditional lack of access to correctional institutions. NAS authors reject the idea of a comprehensive system of data, arguing that "No mandatory reporting requirement exists for most key indicators or measures, and many prison systems do not systematically assess or report them"

Know what specific incapacitation means.

To debilitate, deprive, send a general deterrent message, and ostensibly to normalize prison operation (found in Article: "Extended Solitary Confinement for Managing Prison Systems Placement Disparities and Their Implications").

the state of not having the necessary ability, qualification, or strength to perform some specified act or function;

According to Blevins et al. (2010), what is the difference between the deprivation model, the importation model and the coping model? Can general strain theory be used to explain prison adjustment?

Deprivation model - identifies categories of strain that are likely to impinge on the lives of many inmates. One is Positively valued goals and removing them by denying inmates access to achieve the goals (denying them programs to help them gain work experience if the goal is to get a job after being released). Another is removal of positively valued stimuli such as death of spouse, losing a job, abandonment of friends. The third is presentation of negative stimuli like high noise and crowded living conditions which is related to inmate misconduct.

Importation model - reactions to the strains of prison environment is contingent on individuals attributes such as age and personal information

Coping model - Inmates either cope with imprisonment maturely or immaturely and failure to have sufficient coping resources is linked to inmate misbehavior.

General strain theory provides insights and a framework for inmate misbehavior and why that results from adjustment

Prison presents new strains and stressors that impact each inmate individually, but each inmate will attempt to respond to these novel strains in their own way; adjusting to stressors in the prison setting can be explained by GST

According to Tasca et al. (2016), what three familial processes take place during prison visitation? Provide an example of each.

1. Family time. Visitation provided an opportunity to simply be together. Example - they sit down and have makeshift meal of vending machines just to have dinner like at home

2. Attempts to bond. Caregivers use prison visitation to build bridges between child and parent (incarcerated)

3. Declarations of family responsibilities - caregivers proclaim their sacrifices associated with caring for their children. Caregivers assertions of parental duties that incarcerated mothers and fathers should assume.

According to Aranda-Hughs, et al (2025), what are the perceptions of officers of the effects of restrictive housing on the mentally ill? Do they differ from those of the nonmentally ill? Familiarize yourself with prison personnel perceptions of solitary confinement and mental health impacts. Understand how agency, empathy, and punitiveness shape prison personnel’s views on the effectiveness and appropriateness of solitary confinement

Compared to the general prison population (GPP), those who experienced extended solitary management (ESM) were twice as likely to be early young adults (age 18-24, 52% vs. 24%)there were more whites in GPP (47%) than ESM (24%) while there were more blacks in ESM (63%) than GPP (43%)6% of ESM inmates needed mental health treatment while 1% of GPP inmates did9% of ESM inmates needed outpatient medical care compared to 5% of GPP inmates

Review the NIJ report and types of segregation, including the differences and effects.

There are three distinct types of segregation: administrative segregation, disciplinary segregation, and protective custody.

Administrative segregation: Used to separate inmates deemed to pose a significant threat to institutional security from the general population; administrators in this type of segregation will place the prisoner in segregation units due to patterns of disruptive behavior, security threat group classification, and/or high-risk classification; this type of segregation is largely indefinite in terms of time period of stay and dependent on administrative decisions; placement in administrative segregation does not trigger due process rights like disciplinary segregation does, but most prisons tend to have procedures in place for prisoners to challenge placement decisions

Disciplinary segregation: typically imposed as a sanction following a disciplinary hearing related to a specific instance of misconduct; placement in this type of segregation is limited based on the hearing decision, and there are due process rights in place for the legal treatment of inmates that are being sanctioned by the state

Protective custody: Inmates are segregated for their own protection — their placement in segregation is sometimes voluntary; whether voluntary or mandated, this form of segregation is designed to protect those inmates most at risk of victimization

These forms of segregation all have the potential to mirror conditions of solitary confinement

What are STGs? Why do they matter?

An STG is a "Security Threat group" AKA a gang

Inmates sometimes try to join an STG to find protection or purpose

Sometimes, inmates are flagged as an STG member before they even get to prison and are treated differently, often given restrictive house immediately

The STG population is 213,000

The chance of STG members being placed in restrictive housing is three times the chance of regular inmates

What is the rate of violence in the community and in prison? What are some of the impacts of prison violence?

The BJS reports that 15 percent of state prisoners surveyed claimed to have violence-related injuries (Sung 2010)

Injuries are the largest health concern inside prisons, but they are not treated as public health issues but correctional issues

Prison violence can lead to traumatic brain injury, increased stressors and trauma from incidents of rape and abuse, and mental health repercussions and greater transmission of STDs from sexual assaults

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2015), what percentage of prison and jail incarcerated persons have spent time in restrictive housing over the past year? What is the relationship between higher rates of restrictive housing, levels of disorder, and the proportion of "vulnerable" persons in facilities?

20% of prison inmates and 18% of jail inmates had spent at least one day in RH in the past year

Higher rates of RH have generally been associated with greater levels of disorder and greater proportion of vulnerable persons in facilities; Rodriguez claims that solitary confinement conditions are unduly severe and disproportionate to the legitimate security concerns and inmate management objectives

Describe the relationship between solitary confinement and prison violence.

"These effects [of solitary confinement] include heightened levels of "negative attitudes and affect, insomnia, anxiety, panic, withdrawal, hypersensitivity, ruminations, cognitive dysfunction, hallucinations, loss of control, irritability, aggression and rage, paranoia, hopelessness, depression, a sense of impending emotional breakdown, self-mutilation, and suicidal ideation and behavior" (Haney, 2003).

Negative consequences outlined above play a direct role in the creation of behaviors that are known to lead to violence (ex: aggression and irritability leading to intentional injury against correctional officers or other inmates)

What are some of the benefits of restrictive housing that a corrections perspective might espouse?

Prison safety

Increases order and control of prisoners

Improves the behavior of violent and disruptive prisoners

Reduces gang influence

Form of punishment

Understand the impact of California's Three Strikes Law on individuals serving long-term sentences.

California's Three Strikes Law, also known as Penal Code Section 667, imposes severe penalties on repeat offenders convicted of serious or violent felonies. While the law aims to enhance public safety, it often leaves individuals facing disproportionately harsh sentences. 25 to life rule.

Know the emotional and psychological effects that result from extremely long sentences, particularly following failed reform initiatives such as Proposition 66.

Extremely long prison sentences, especially in the wake of failed or problematic reform efforts like California's Proposition 66, can lead to severe emotional and psychological effects on incarcerated individuals. These include chronic depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, paranoia, and increased risks of suicide and self-harm—symptoms often intensified by long-term isolation in solitary confinement. Proposition 66, intended to speed up the death penalty process, inadvertently prolonged incarceration and exacerbated mental health issues by straining resources and limiting access to rehabilitation. Correctional officers' views on restrictive housing vary and are shaped by beliefs in personal agency, levels of empathy, and punitive attitudes. Officers who are more punitive tend to support solitary confinement regardless of an inmate's mental health, while those with greater empathy are more likely to acknowledge its harms. Overall, mentally ill individuals are particularly vulnerable in these environments, facing worsening conditions and limited treatment, which also contributes to higher recidivism rates.

Be able to describe Curtis's story from "Left Behind," including the offense that led to his third strike, the length of his sentence, and the conditions that influenced his perceptions of fairness and hopelessness.

Curtis was sentenced to 25 years to life under this law for a nonviolent offense (possession of stolen property, a bike part), a sentence that led to a decade of incarceration. The conditions within the prison system, including overcrowding and limited access to rehabilitation programs, contributed to feelings of hopelessness and a sense of unfairness. However, following the passage of Proposition 36, which allowed for the re-sentencing of certain inmates, Penn was released after serving 10 years. Upon his release, he expressed a sense of calm and normalcy, contrasting his previous life in prison with the freedom he now experienced.

Understand the psychological impacts of solitary confinement, as illustrated in the documentary, including mental health deterioration and self-harm.

The documentary reveals the severe psychological effects of solitary confinement, including depression, anxiety, hallucinations, emotional numbness, and suicidal thoughts. Inmates are shown engaging in self-harm as a way to cope with the extreme isolation and lack of stimulation.

EX: Todd, a young inmate with a history of mental health issues, is shown struggling intensely with the effects of prolonged isolation. Over time, his behavior becomes increasingly erratic and self-destructive—he repeatedly cuts himself, smears blood on the walls, and expresses deep emotional distress. Todd describes feeling invisible and hopeless, saying that being in solitary makes him feel like he's "not a person anymore."

Be able to critically evaluate the rationale behind solitary confinement as a safety or disciplinary measure, highlighting examples from the documentary. Know examples from the documentary illustrating the conditions in solitary confinement and how inmates respond to these conditions.

A safety and disciplinary tool, while exposing the severe emotional and psychological toll it takes on inmates. Correctional officers and prison administrators argue that solitary confinement is used to manage violent or disruptive individuals who pose a threat to others or to the facility's order. For example, some inmates are placed in isolation after attacking staff or other inmates, with the intent to prevent further harm. This is presented as a way to maintain control in a high-stress environment with limited resources. Solitary confinement is often used not only for dangerous behavior, but also for relatively minor infractions.

How can a hunger strike impact correctional settings?

A powerful form of protest that can draw public and legal attention, challenge prison authority, and strain medical resources. It often forces prison officials to confront ethical and legal dilemmas, such as whether to force-feed inmates or allow their health to decline. Hunger strikes can lead to changes in prison policies, especially when they highlight issues like solitary confinement or poor conditions. Overall, they are a serious challenge to institutional control and can drive broader discussions on inmates' rights and prison reform.

What impact did the hungers strike in CA have on Mr. Rising?

While physically it impacted him (he was eating a cardboard box to survive) it gave him and his fellow inmates a sense of unity as they all came together and ended prison violence among all the gangs.