News & Press

Corrections One

The majority of weapons found in ‪‎NYC jails‬ last year were inmate-made as found in a new report from the Board of Correction. However, the official view is at odds with this finding as there is a push to change city rules restricting inmate visits, which advocates are at odds with."This report calls into question the administration's focus on visitors as the source of weapons," said Jennifer Parish, Director of Criminal Justice Advocacy, at MHP.

NY Daily News

A group of advocates blasted a plan Wednesday that would create a new supersecure unit for Rikers Island's 250 most dangerous prisoners. The planned Enhanced Supervision Unit would allow prisoners to be kept in cells for 17 hours a day, among other restrictions.

MSNBC

Jennifer Parish, the director of MHP discusses proposed shifts away from responding to inmates who have mental health needs solely through the criminal justice system.

NY Times

In an effort to reduce the growing number of inmates with mental health and substance abuse problems in New York City’s jails, the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans on Monday to significantly expand public health services at almost every step of the criminal justice process.

NY State of Politics

Susan Goodwillie, a social worker at MHP, and Terry Hubbard, the mother of an inmate dealing with mental illness, joined us to discuss conditions of the US prison system following a recently released New York Times article on Riker's.