It has been well demonstrated that jails and prisons are incubators and amplifiers of diseases and infections because of the tight quarters of correctional facilities. This makes combatting the Coronavirus through "social distancing" and other measures nearly impossible. To that end, West Virginia has taken some measures to slow the spread of the Coronavirus within…
Criminal Legal System
Editor's Note: This blog post was guest authored by Lida Shepherd, program director for the American Friends Service Committee and all-around wonder woman. With jails and prisons twenty-five percent over capacity and county and state budgets stretched thin, the West Virginia legislature made significant strides this session to reduce the impact the criminal justice system…
When people leave the criminal justice system, a combination of family support, community assistance, and economic opportunity is needed to help them stay out. Having access to employment opportunities is key, providing not just financial resources, but also connections to society that help those with criminal records reintegrate successfully. Read report. Unfortunately, people with a…
Over the last 30 years, the number of West Virginians incarcerated has grown nearly five-fold despite a decline in the state’s population over this time. This steep rise is not due to rising crime rates in West Virginia, but the policy choices made by lawmakers to use imprisonment as a response to crime. Download PDF.
On December 1, 2018, WVCBP Executive Director Ted Boettner presented at the first Mountain State Racial Justice Summit on mass incarceration in the United States and West Virginia. The presentation included information on prison demographic trends, the impact of incarceration on race, wealth and employment, along with policies to move our communities forward. View the…
Every year in West Virginia, around 4,000 juveniles will appear before a judge. Pending the judge’s decision, a juvenile may be given an improvement period to address the behavior, put on probation, referred to a special court, or committed to some form of out-of-home placement. However, the state’s juvenile justice system can be confusing and…
Despite little growth in either its population or crime rate, West Virginia has seen a marked increase in the number of people housed in its corrections facilities. As the state's prisons become overcrowded, West Virginia is facing a corrections crisis that not only impacts the state's budget but also the low-income and minority communities…