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On today’s episode of The Confluence: In 25 county jails across Pennsylvania, a WITF investigation found that almost 1 in 3 uses of force during the last three months of 2021 involved someone having a mental health crisis or who had been diagnosed with a mental illness; long-COVID continues to impact people around the world, and a recent study confirms it’s more widespread than previously thought; and a legal challenge to the Wilkinsburg annexation effort.
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A WITF investigation finds that corrections officers use physical force on people who may be unable to comply with orders due to a mental health condition.
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On today’s episode of The Confluence: U.S. House Republican leaders unveiled their "Commitment to America" platform in western Pennsylvania last week, ahead of the November election; Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Child Protective Services 2021 Annual Report found there was an increase of reports of child abuse, but the department anticipated the uptick after a decline of reports in 2020 attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic; and we speak to a co-founder of an organization helping women and trans people reenter society after incarceration.Today’s guests include: Chris Potter, WESA’s government and accountability editor; Richard DiBello, senior forensic interviewer with the Child Advocacy Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital; and etta cetera, co-founder of Let’s Get Free.
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On today’s episode of The Confluence: The opportunity to apply for emergency housing assistance from Allegheny County and Pittsburgh ends today; state laws allow some incarcerated people who become terminally ill to qualify for compassionate release, but Spotlight PA’s Danielle Ohl explains why that process has been called "broken"; and a nonprofit in Carrick is teaching teenagers how to use audio equipment and technology for a career in production.
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The program at SCI Muncy will match pregnant inmates with a doula to support them through birth and the postpartum period.
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A new, intensive program aims to help former inmates in Pennsylvania stay out of prison by giving them access to loans, educational programs and drug and alcohol treatment.
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A referendum banning most uses of solitary confinement at the Allegheny County Jail took effect in December. Still, 294 inmates were isolated in the last month.
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C-SAU was pulled as a training contractor from the Allegheny County Jail in September. Now, inmates at the York County Prison have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging they caused excessive force and cruel and unusual punishment.
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The president of the corrections officers' union said Thursday that staffing issues could prevent the end of the 23-and-1 lockdown at the Allegheny County Jail. The jail's warden strongly disagrees.
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Members of the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board will hear from a use of force expert, jail administrators and the contractor himself before determining whether C-SAU should continue training corrections officers.