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More Progressive Punitivism, the Manafort Edition: Conservatives, Maoists, and the SCUM Manifesto

June 5, 2019 / Hadar Aviram
 This morning on Twitter, Shaun King took on the schadenfreude festival that surrounded the reports that Paul Manafort–perhaps the shrewdest collaborator with the Russians in the context of the 2016

Play Review: The Box by Sarah Shourd

July 19, 2016 / Hadar Aviram
It’s hard to say that watching The Box, Sarah Shourd’s new play, was a pleasurable pastime. But it was an important play, incisively written, beautifully acted, and impressively produced, that

Reiter on Solitary Confinement

December 5, 2015 / Hadar Aviram
Keramet Reiter of UC Irvine has recently done a Q&A with the Berkeley Human Rights Center on solitary confinement, her topic of expertise and focus of her forthcoming book. Will

What Does the Settlement in the Solitary Confinement Lawsuit Mean?

September 29, 2015 / Hadar Aviram
Almost a month ago we reported of a historic settlement ending Ashker v. Brown, the class action suit regarding conditions in solitary confinement. What remains is to figure out exactly

Juvenile Solitary Bill Fails

September 6, 2015 / Hadar Aviram
Amidst the joyous news following the settlement in Ashker v. Brown comes a less encouraging development: AB 124, which would severely limit the use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities (to

BREAKING NEWS: Settlement in Ashker v. Brown: The End of Indefinite Solitary Confinement in CA

September 2, 2015 / Hadar Aviram
Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights has announced that the parties to Ashker v. Brown, the case challenging indefinite solitary confinement in California, have reached a settlement. According to CCR’s

What Happens If the Court Disallowed Your Attorney from Attending a Batson Hearing?

June 18, 2015 / Hadar Aviram
The Sixth Amendment requires that defendants be tried by a jury of their peers; this raises serious questions when partisan interests bring racial considerations into the choice. Batson v. Kentucky, decided

Today: Herman’s House at the New Parkway

August 12, 2014 / Hadar Aviram
This evening, Uncommon Law is hosting a special screening and discussion of Herman’s House.  In 1972, New Orleans native Herman Joshua Wallace (b. 1941) was serving a 25-year sentence for

Solitary Confinement Lawsuit Attains Class Action Status

June 5, 2014 / Hadar Aviram
The struggle against long-term solitary confinement in California continues! Months ago, we reported about the certification hearing for Ashker v. Brown, a lawsuit against solitary confinement. The most recent news

Worse than Iran: Solitary Confinement

May 16, 2014 / Hadar Aviram
Seven months after his release from prison in Iran, former hostage Shane Bauer visits Pelican Bay and is shocked by the conditions. His prison conditions in Iran were better than