“The United States has the highest prison population rate in the world, some 686 per 100,000 of the national population, followed by the Cayman Islands (664), Russia (638), Belarus (554), Kazakhstan (522), Turkmenistan (489), Belize (459), Bahamas (447), Suriname (437) and Dominica (420). However, more than three-fifths of countries (62.5 percent) have rates below 150 per 100,000. (The United Kingdom’s rate of 139 per 100,000 of the national population places it above the midpoint in the World List; it is now the highest among countries of the European Union.).”
– Walmsley, Roy, World Prison Population List, Fourth Edition; London, England, UK: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2003; page 1; HomeOffice.Gov.UK/RDS/PDFS2/R188.pdf
“Our findings indicate that being a woman prisoner in U.S. state prisons can be a terrifying experience. If you are sexually abused, you cannot escape from your abuser. Grievance or investigatory procedures, where they exist, are often ineffectual, and correctional employees continue to engage in abuse because they believe they will rarely be held accountable, administratively or criminally. Few people outside the prison walls know what is going on or care if they do know. Fewer still do anything to address the problem.”
– Human Rights Watch, 2000, http://www.HRW.org
Amnesty International, http://www.AIUSA.org
Anarchists Prisoner Legal Aid Network, 818 SW 3rd Ave., PMB 354, Portland, OR 97204; http://www.APLAN@Tao.ca
Civil Liberties Defense Center, 259 East Fifth Ave., Ste. 300, Eugene, OR 97401; http://www.CLDC.org
Critical Resistance, 1904 Franklin St., Ste. 504, Oakland, CA 94612; 510-444-0484; http://www.CriticalResistance.org
Drug Policy Alliance, http://www.DrugPolicy.org
Earth Liberation Prisoner’s Support Network, http://www.SpiritOfFreedom.org.Uk
Families Against Mandatory Minimums, http://www.FAMM.org
http://www.FlexYourRights.org
Friends of MOVE, POB 19709, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Human Rights Watch, http://www.HRW.org
http://www.InternationalExtradition.com
The Moratorium Campaign, http://www.MoratoriumCampaign.org
North American Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network, POB 11331, Eugene, OR 97440; http://www.NAELPSN@Tao.ca
The November Coalition, http://www.November.org
Prison Activist Resource Center, POB 339, Berkeley CA 94701; 510-893-4648; http://www.PrisonActivist.org
Prison Dharma Network, POB 4623, Boulder CO 80306; 303-544-5923; http://www.PrisonDharmaNetwork.org
The Sentencing Project, http://www.SentencingProject.org
Stop Prisoner Rape, http://www.SPR.org