International

News Article The Huffington Post July 6, 2018

More Democrats Want To Abolish ICE. Decriminalize Migration? Not So Much.

This article by Huffington Post reporter Roque Planas quotes Justice Strategies’ Executive Director Judith Greene, pointing out that at the root of the current family separation crisis is the criminalization of migration itself.  The article recounts the origins of this practice to a 1929 law introduced by South Carolina Senator Coleman Livingston Blease and embedded in the anti-Mexican and segregationist legacy of the times.  Despite calls from current day Congressional Democrats to end the Trump Administration’s practice of family separation, few are willing to call for an end to the racially charged practice of criminalizing migration.

JS Blog Post November 21, 2017

The Rights of Children of Incarcerated and their Parents a Human Rights Issue

Lill M. Hewko

Justice Strategies (JS) is working to address the impact of parental incarceration on children as a human rights issue and will be attending and presenting at the 2017 Advancing Human Rights Conference in Atlanta December 7-10th. With over two million children in the United States experiencing parental incarceration, children of color are impacted disproportionately. In 2014, in response to advocacy by JS, the United Nations’ CERD Committee (Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination) made observations which included concerns on the negative impact of parental incarceration on children of color and called upon the US government to promote the use of alternatives to prison for parents of minor children. On July 24th , 2017, JS attended the US State Department’s Civil Society Consultation in Washington D.C. and made a statement to the department’s CERD Team urging the US government to uphold the observations regarding children of incarcerated parents at the federal, state and local level. We will continue to work to advance the rights of children of incarcerated and their parents as a human rights issue. Here is our full statement: 

  Read more »

JS Blog Post December 12, 2016

International Human Rights Day – Call to Action for Our Children's Lives!

Patricia Allard

International Human Rights DayCall to Action!

Yesterday, December 10th, was International Human Rights Day. Now that we have celebrated and honored this tremendously important day. Please welcome this CALL 2 ACTION to ensure we advance the well-being of each and everyone of us and work together to make the world a safer and more joyful place to thrive in.

Children of Incarcerated Parents Read more »

JS Blog Post November 15, 2016

In 2017 Our Children and Families Will Need Support More Than Ever

Patricia Allard

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children

Summary:  Over two million children in the United States are lost in a sea of draconian laws that have led to mass incarceration.  Approximately 50 percent of incarcerated individuals in U.S. prisons are parents. Incarceration of parents has devastating effects on their vulnerable children, increasing mental health and behavioural problems, contributing to child homelessness and poverty, and intensifying intergenerational inequalities.  Recent research documenting the harmful impact that parental incarceration visits on children, as well as a growing interest from policymakers and practitioners to mitigate the long-term harms to children and their communities suggests that the time is ripe for policy reform to offer (1) appropriate alternatives to incarceration for parents of young children and/or (2) early release from prison for parents of young children. Read more »

News Article Immigration Impact July 20, 2016

New Book Documents 10 Years of Operation Streamline

This story in Immigration Impact, a publication of the American Immigration Council covers key findings of our book Indefensible. The author quotes Judge Felix Recio, retired federal magistrate in Brownsville, Texas, who said Operation Streamline prosecutions have no deterent effect whatsoever.

News Article Tucson Sentinel.com July 14, 2016

Advocates: Fast-track immigration courts costly, ineffective

This Tucson Sentinel article quotes Indefensible author Judith Greene and co-author Bethany Carson, with additional quotes of Judge Felix Recio, retired Federal Magistrate for Brownsville, Texas.  Reporter Paul Ingram of the Sentinel explains how programs such as Operation Streamline rely on privately operated for-profit prisons under contract with the federal government to incarcerate migrants, and how, since 2003, 155 people have died in ICE facilities nationwide. 

News Article San Antonio Current.Com July 15, 2016

The Feds Have Spent Billions Jailing People for Illegal Immigration

The San Antonio Current covers the release of Justice Strategies' and Grassroots Leadership's lastest publication, our book titled: Indefensible: A Decade of Mass Incarceration of Migrants Prosecuted for Crossing the Border.  Key findings discussed in the book are highlighted.

News Article Texas Matters on Texas Public Radio July 15, 2016

Texas Matters: Operation Streamline and Problems with the U.S. Immigration System

Bethany Carson, co-author of Justice Strategies and Grassroots Leadership's book Indefensible, is interviewed by David Martin Davies of Texas Public Radio's Texas Matters.  The audio interview covering key findings of the book begins on minute 13 of the imbedded link above (also found by following link in: "Read the original article" hyperlink). 

News Article Common Dreams July 14, 2016

End 'Operation Streamline': How One Human Rights Disater is Driving Several More

This article by Deirdre Fulton quotes Justice Strategies' director Judith Greene as she calls expanded mirgrant prosecutions under Operation Streamline the latest contributor to mass incarcertion, straining an already overcrowded federal prison system.  The article goes on to cover several of the key findings of Justice Strategies' and Grassroots Leadership's book length report, Indefensible,  the full version of which may be downloaded free here on our website, along with book highlights, our press release, and media and advocates conference call audio conducted July 13, 2016.

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