'Incarceration profoundly affects families and communities'

A female prison inmate enters her room at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California.

A prison inmate enters her room at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California

(Image credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

published 29 April 2025

'Incarcerated women deserve a second chance'

Heather Rice-Minus and Hillary Blout at The Hill

Despite their "unique needs, criminal justice policy has largely overlooked incarcerated women, partly because they are significantly outnumbered by men in the prison system," say Heather Rice-Minus and Hillary Blout. This "requires collective action from all of us" to "help women heal and to safely bring them home." Culture "tends to shame women more than men for incarceration, since women are expected to be virtuous and wholesome." Once "rehabilitated, women should have the opportunity for mercy and redemption."

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America's "organ shortage is a perplexing public health problem," say Steven Levitt and Ruby Rorty. There are "simple steps we can take to radically increase the number of kidneys available for transplant, but political and institutional inertia has stood in the way of these changes." By "changing incentives for prospective donors and transplant centers, we could save thousands of lives." Policy reform "would also help tackle a persistent disparity: the disproportionate impact of kidney disease on low-income Americans."

The U.S. "celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence from Britain next year and Northern Ireland wants pride of place at the party," says Jude Webber. Northern Irish Americans have "helped shape the world's most powerful nation," and "leaders in Northern Ireland believe it is now time for that shared heritage to receive greater recognition." But "historically, Northern Ireland's influence on America has played second fiddle to that of émigrés from what is now the Republic of Ireland."

As "virus fears faded and health restrictions fell away, many big-city residents watched outdoor dining disappear too," says Henry Grabar. What "separated New York was the program's scope, popularity, and political support." The "question is: Who is ready to design a new, more lenient law to facilitate outdoor dining, without the 'seasonal' requirement that analysts have described as a poison pill." But the "urgency of the post-pandemic period has faded, and larger problems loom."

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.