LLRX.com - Internet Resources

Deep Web Research 2007

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:00:00 -0700

Marcus P. Zillman's bibliographic guide highlights resources that focus on the history of deep web research, as well as dozens of topical sources that will contribute to your search and research efforts, through a range of respositories of valuable data, reports and scholarly literature.

The Government Domain: 2007 Calendars and Schedules

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:00:00 -0700

A wide range of online calendars from agencies and Congress offer valuable information to researchers that includes: release dates for topical reports, news, surveys, meeting and official travel schedules, historical commemorations, House and Senate bill histories, and links to speeches and testimony. Peggy Garvin includes numerous examples of e-gov sites with such services that should be on your radar.

Using RSS to Create and Enhance Current Awareness Services

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:36:51 -0700

Jason Eiseman's guide demonstrates how adding RSS to your technological arsenal can enhance the current awareness services you provide, as well as your ability to effectively manage organization-wide information.

The Government Domain: A Cornucopia of Government Search Engines

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:31:54 -0700

Peggy Garvin's column compares and contrasts the features of FirstGov Search, Google Government Search and GovMine.

Features - Criminal Justice Resources: Prisoners' Rights and Resources on the Web

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:52:20 -0700

Criminal Justice Resources

Prisoners' Rights and Resources on the Web

By Ken Strutin

Ken Strutin (JD, MLS) is an experienced law librarian, criminal defense attorney, and well-known writer and speaker. He is the author of The Insider's Guide: Criminal Justice Resources on the Internet, and has lectured extensively about the benefits of using the Internet for legal research at national and local CLE training programs. Mr. Strutin also wrote ALI-ABA's Practice Checklist Manual on Representing Criminal Defendants, and co-authored the award winning Legal Research Methodology computer tutorial, published by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). He has contributed chapters to several books and written many articles concerning knowledge management, legal research and criminal law. Mr. Strutin has taught courses in Advanced Legal Research and Law Office Management. He is also listed in Who's Who in American Law. Currently, Mr. Strutin is the Director of Legal Information Services at the New York State Defenders Association and writes a column for the New York Law Journal.

Published August 15, 2006

Introduction

This guide highlights resources about prisons, the people who occupy them, legal and social services for inmates and their families, issues related to incarceration and reentry, and human rights behind bars. The focus is on selected web resources and online publications.

Commissions	Legal Services	Physical Health	Statistics
Conditions of Confinement	Library Services	Policy Research	Support Services
Education	Mental Health	Prisoners' Rights	Voting Rights
Guides and Manuals	News and Periodicals	Prisons	Women
Inmate and Prison Locators	Organizations	Reentry	Bibliographies and Research Guides
Law School Clinics	Parole	Standards

Commissions

National commissions have been created to investigate conditions and facilitate legislation aimed at reforming the prison system. And many states and local governments have established agencies to oversee their correctional facilities, and issue reports about their operations. More information on the national level can be found under Conditions of Confinement.

National Commissions

Selected State Commissions

South Dakota Corrections Commission

Conditions of Confinement

The Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons conducted a national examination of the violence, sexual abuse, degradation, and other abuses occurring in prisons and jails across the country. Four public hearings were held over the course of a year. In 2006, they issued their final report, Confronting Confinement, with recommendations for improving and reforming the prison system, which included standardized reporting of violence and abuse, reinvestment in violence prevention programs, and expanding Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement to cover correctional facilities. The Commission was staffed and funded by the Vera Institute of Justice.

In addition to the work of the Commission, the following organizations have been monitoring and studying prison conditions in the United States, and around the world:

Human Rights Watch: Prisons
Human Rights Watch: United States Prisons

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), 42 USC § 15601, et seq., gave rise to the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. The Commission website makes accessible testimony taken at ongoing hearings along with updates about their work. The following sites provide resources on PREA and its implementation:

National Institute of Corrections

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Related Resources

Education

Prison societies and academic institutions devote resources to prison education through distribution of books and supporting course materials.

Correctional Education Association (CEA)
National Institute for Correctional Education (NICE)

Prisoners' Reading Encouragement Project (PREP)

Guides and Manuals

Here are several excellent publications that provide information on legal research, inmate rights, pro se litigation, and resources for prisoners and ex-offenders.

Arrested? What Happens to Your Benefits If You Go to Jail or Prison? (Bazelon Center)
Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook and Women's Appendix (Center for Constitutional Rights & National Lawyers Guild)
Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (Columbia Human Rights Law Review)
Protecting Your Health and Safety: Prisoner's Rights (Southern Poverty Law Center)

Inmate and Prison Locators

The federal government posts a list of its facilities, and a locator to find particular inmates. Most states offer similar resources for their prisons and some jails. In addition to these directories, an individual state or county's facilities can be found by searching the local government's website or one of the national lists below for the appropriate department of corrections.

Federal Prison Facilities (Federal Bureau of Prisons)
Inmate Locator (Federal Bureau of Prisons)
Inmate Locators (Corrections.com)
National Prison Directory (PrisonerLife.com)

Law School Clinics

Many law schools have created clinics to provide representation for incarcerated persons who need assistance in post-conviction matters and prison-related cases.

Law School Clinics Serving Prisoners (AALL 2004)
Prisoner Law (University of Buffalo)

Legal Services

These are directories and sites that provide information about legal services for prisoners and information on self-representation.

Human Rights in Prisons and Jails (Southern Center for Human Rights)
Prison Dharma Network Resource Guides Legal Aid Services
Prisoners' Legal Resource Addresses (Death Row Speaks)
Prisoners' Rights (Pro Bono Net)
Prisoners' Rights Project (The Legal Aid Society)

Library Services

The resources from national library organizations and others provide information on the issues related to serving this special population.

Directory of State Prison Librarians (Maryland Correctional Education Libraries)
Law Libraries Serving Prisoners (AALL)
Library Service to Prisoners Forum (ALA)
Prison Librarianship Clearinghouse
Services to Incarcerated People and Ex-Offenders (ALA)

Mental Health

The appropriate treatment of inmates with mental health issues has been the subject of much study and debate. This is a small selection of recently published materials and resources.

Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project (Council of State Governments 2002)
How to Help--When a Person With Mental Illness Is Arrested (NAMI 2004)
Ill-Equipped: US Prisons and Offenders With Mental Illness (HRW 2003)
Mental Health and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers (US Dept of Justice 1999)
Mental Health in the House of Corrections (Correctional Association of New York 2004)

News and Periodicals

Stories about prison conditions and developments in the law affecting prisoners' rights can be found in these specialized sources. Notably, there are some standout publications, such as the monthly magazine Prison Legal News, which provides excellent comprehensive coverage and analysis of prison issues. Their website includes a rich collection of resources and an extensive list of research links.

News

BOPWatch Listserv
Corrections Community Blog (National Institute of Corrections)
Corrections News & Features (Officer.com)
Corrections Today (American Correctional Association
Jail and Prisoner Law Bulletin (AELE Law Enforcement Legal Center
Prison Legal News
Prisons (Yahoo News) (NCSC)

Law Reviews

Annual Review of Criminal Procedure [Prisoners' Rights] (Georgetown University Law Center)
Columbia Human Rights Law Review (Columbia University School of Law)
New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement (New England School of Law)

Periodicals

Correct Care (National Commission on Correctional Health Care)
Journal of Correctional Health Care (National Commission on Correctional Health Care)
Journal of Prisoners on Prisons
Prison Journal (Pennsylvania Prison Society)

<Table of Contents>

Organizations

There is a broad spectrum of private, academic and governmental organizations concerned with the state of US prisons and the operation of the prison system. Many of them publish reports and studies on issues vital to prisoners' rights and prison reform.

Parole

Here are some general sites concerning parole administration, more information can be found in the Reentry section.

American Probation and Parole Association
Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision
Parole Violations Revisited (National Institute of Corrections 2004)

Physical Health

Health issues for people behind bars are a serious concern and have an impact on society at large. Here are a few national resources on this topic.

Policy Research

Many private, academic and governmental groups engage in research on prison and sentencing reform. They often conduct original research on the conditions of confinement or develop strategies to respond to current problems, such as overcrowding.

Federal Prison Policy Project
Impact of Sentencing Reforms on Prison Populations (Vera Institute of Justice)
Prison Expansion & Sentencing Reform (Open Society Institute)
Prison Policy Initiative
Sentencing and Corrections Program (Vera Institute of Justice)
State Sentencing and Corrections Programs (Vera Institute of Justice)
Treatment or Incarceration (Justice Policy Institute 2004)

Prisoner's Rights

Much of the literature and resources on prisoners' rights have already been noted under other categories.

Prison Litigation Reform Act (The Legal Aid Society, Prisoners' Rights Project 2004)
Prisoner's Rights ((Wex Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School)
Prisoners' Rights Fact Sheets (ACLU National Prison Project)

Prisons

These sources concentrate on the unique concerns of prisons and correctional facilities related to placement, administration, and economics.

Classification of High Risk Prisoners (National Institute of Corrections 2004)
Costs of Incarceration and Supervision (Third Branch 2004)
Meaning of Life: Long Prison Sentences in Context (Sentencing Project 2004)
New Landscape of Imprisonment (Urban Institute 2004)
Objective Prison Classification System (National Institute of Justice 2004)
State Prison Expenditures 2001 (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2004)

Reentry

More than 600,000 former ex-offenders are in the process of reentering society. And governmental and private entities are beginning to provide much needed services to ease the transition and promote reintegration.

Advocacy Toolkits to Combat Legal Barriers Facing Individuals With Criminal Records (Legal Action Center)
After Prison Initiative (Open Society Institute)

Collateral Consequences of Criminal Charges (NY)
Family Justice
Legal Action Center
Life After Exoneration Program
Prisoner Reentry (National Criminal Justice Reference Service)
Prisoner Reentry (National District Attorneys Association)
Prisoner Reentry (National Governors Association)
Prisoner Reentry Institute (John Jay College of Criminal Justice)
Project Greenlight (Vera Institute of Justice)
Reentry Net
Reentry Policy Council
Reentry Resource Map (National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Reentry Trends in the United States (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2002)
Relief From the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction: A State-by-State Resource Guide (Sentencing Project)
Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (US Dept of Justice)

Standards

National and state standards exist for the administration and operation of prison and jail facilities.

National Standards

Jail Standards and Inspections (National Institute of Corrections)
Standards & Accreditation (American Correctional Association)

Selected State Standards

Statistics

Criminal justice agencies, academic and some private organizations collect statistical information on prison populations, services and special issues.

Corrections Statistics (US Bureau of Justice Statistics)
Juveniles in Corrections (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
State Corrections Statistics (National Institute of Corrections)

Support Services

Many organizations exist that provide a variety of basic services to inmates and their families.

Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents
Family and Corrections Network
Nation Prisoner Resource List (Prison Book Program)
Prison Help Services
Prison Resource Directory (Prisonet)
Prisoner Support Directory (Prison Activist Resource Center)
Prisoner Support Directory (Western Prison Project)
Serving Families of Adult Offenders: Directory of Programs (National Institute of Corrections 2002)

Voting Rights

The right to vote for persons behind bars has become the focus of studies, policy discussions and litigation nationwide.

Barred for Life: Voting Rights Restoration in Permanent Disenfranchisement States (Sentencing Project 2005)
Felon Disenfranchisement (Prison Policy Initiative)
Felon Disenfranchisement (NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund)
Felon Voting (Dr. Christopher Uggen, University of Minnesota)
Legislative Changes on Felony Disenfranchisement 1996-2003 (Sentencing Project 2003)
Purged! How a Patchwork of Flawed and Inconsistent Voting Systems Could Deprive Millions of Americans of the Right to Vote (ACLU 2004)

Women

Several organizations have devoted significant resources to the special issues facing women behind bars.

Resource List for Women in Prison (Chicago Books to Women in Prison)
Women in Prison (ACLU National Prison Project)
Women's Prison Association

Bibliographies and Research Guides

Here are some extensive bibliographies, pathfinders, and collections of resources on prison related topics.

Jail & Prisoner Law Resources (AELE Law Enforcement Legal Center)
Prison & Corrections-Related Mega-Links (Dr. Thomas O'Connor, Austin Peay State University)
Prisoner Rights & Resources (Findlaw)
Resources for Legal Research: Prisoners' Rights (Pace Law School)

<Table of Contents>

The Government Domain: Government Documents in the News

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:35:52 -0700

The Government Domain

Government Documents and the News

By Peggy Garvin

Gumshoe Librarian 2006

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:34:02 -0700

Barbara Fullerton and Sabrina I. Pacifici recommend 70 sites whose content and features will enhance your research on subjects that include: news, people finders, U.S. and international competitive intelligence data, state and federal government resources, cybersecurity, blogs, health, finance, locating audio, music and videos online, and accessing open source scholarly literature.

Faulkner's Practical Web Strategies for Attorneys - Maximize Your Browsing Experience: Toolbars, Bookmarklets, and Extensions

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:44:26 -0700

Frederick L. Faulkner IV recommends a range of applications, easy to install and use, that extend the versatility and enhance the value of your browsing experience as you search the web throughout the course of the day.

Features - Criminal Justice Ethics Sources on the Internet

Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Criminal Justice Ethics Sources on the Internet

By Ken Strutin

Features - Deep Web Research 2005

Mon, 17 Jan 2005 01:00:00 -0700

Deep Web Research 2005

By Marcus P. Zillman

Metaforix@Health: Healthcare, Online and Off

Mon, 19 Jan 2004 01:00:00 -0700

Metaforix@Health
Healthcare, Online and Off

By Lois C. Ambash

Notes from the Technology Trenches - Top Web Sites for Summer Associates

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 -0700

Top Web Sites for Summer Associates

Features - Remember the Internet Archive for Historical Research

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 01:00:00 -0700

Remember the Internet Archive for Historical Research

By Steven M. Cohen

Notes from the Technology Trenches - Weighing the Benefits of Legal Portals

Mon, 17 Dec 2001 01:00:00 -0700

Weighing the Benefits of Legal Portals

By Cindy Curling

Web Critic - The Internet Archives: Preserving the History of Web Pages

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 01:00:00 -0700

Attorney and author Kathy Biehl practiced law privately in Houston, Texas for 18½ years before relocating to New York City in 1998. She has taught legal research and writing at the University of Houston Law Center and business law at Rice University. A member of the State Bar of Texas, she earned a B.A. with highest honors from Southern Methodist University and a J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where she was a member of Texas Law Review and Order of the Coif. She is co-author of The Lawyer’s Guide to Internet Research (Scarecrow Press, Nov. 2000), with Tara Calishain.