Inside the Prison World cover art

Inside the Prison World

Inside the Prison World

By: Circle Of Insight Productions
Listen for free

We interview correctional officers and former inmates on the life inside prison.Copyright Circle Of Insight Productions Economics Political Science Politics & Government Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Locked In: The Supreme Court Just Slammed the Door on Compassionate Release

    Locked In: The Supreme Court Just Slammed the Door on Compassionate Release
    Jun 8 2026
    On May 28, 2026, the Supreme Court issued two back-to-back decisions, Rutherford v. United States and Fernandez v. United States, that fundamentally narrow the grounds on which federal prisoners can seek compassionate release, the mechanism created by the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 to allow early release for extraordinary and compelling circumstances. The Court ruled that prisoners cannot use compassionate release to argue they were sentenced under laws Congress has since made more lenient, nor can they use it to claim actual innocence, closing off two of the most significant pathways advocates had fought to establish. This episode breaks down what these rulings actually mean, who gets hurt, and why the fight over who controls the exits from federal prison is one of the most consequential and underreported battles in American criminal justice.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • The Washington Sentencing Scandal: How a Computer Glitch Freed Thousands Early and What It Reveals About Justice System Vulnerabilities

    The Washington Sentencing Scandal: How a Computer Glitch Freed Thousands Early and What It Reveals About Justice System Vulnerabilities
    Jun 2 2026
    In 2015, Washington State officials revealed that a long-standing computer error in the Department of Corrections’ sentencing calculations had resulted in the early release of approximately 3,200 inmates over more than a decade due to excessive “good time” credits. This systemic flaw exposed critical weaknesses in how sentences are computed and administered, prompting immediate fixes and reviews. This episode explores the origins and impacts of the scandal while examining the current state of sentencing accuracy, technological safeguards, and ongoing risks of mistaken releases in U.S. correctional systems
    Show More Show Less
    4 mins
  • Inside the Oregon Prison Data Breach: Insider Threats and the Fragile Trust in Corrections Systems

    Inside the Oregon Prison Data Breach: Insider Threats and the Fragile Trust in Corrections Systems
    May 31 2026
    A former employee at Oregon’s largest prison, Snake River Correctional Institution, improperly accessed more than 33,000 files containing sensitive personal information on staff, inmates, vendors, and visitors over a six-month period. Discovered in January 2026 during a misconduct investigation, the breach underscores persistent vulnerabilities to insider threats within correctional agencies. This episode examines the incident’s details, potential consequences, systemic implications, and broader lessons for data security in justice institutions.1
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet