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The Abstract
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> Edited by Torie Ludwin, Arnold Ventures
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Public Affairs and Communications Manager Thomas Hanna discusses the U.S. Senate’s unanimous passage of the Federal Prison Oversight Act.
By almost every measure, our nation’s prisons are in crisis.
Understaffing, over-incarceration, and crumbling infrastructure are contributing to increasingly dangerous conditions for corrections staff and incarcerated people alike.
And the effects are not confined to prisons. The trauma incarcerated people experience and the reduced opportunities for rehabilitation programming can have a detrimental effect on public safety. Similarly, poor prison conditions can have a devastating effect on the lives of corrections officers, their families, and their communities.
Thankfully, Congress is starting to turn its attention to this pressing issue. This week, the Senate unanimously approved the Federal Prison Oversight Act (H.R. 3019), which establishes an inspections process for the Bureau of Prisons and creates an ombudsman to conduct targeted investigations.
While this legislation will not solve all the system’s problems, it is an important first step that will enhance transparency and oversight of federal prisons.
Read our statement from Arnold Ventures' Vice President of Criminal Justice Advocacy Kevin Ring>
Ring speaks with NPR's "All Things Considered" about the significance of this act>
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Unanimous Vote Highlights Critical Need for Drug Patent Reform
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Bipartisan Act Introduced to Improve Unemployment Insurance
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Senate Finance Committee members at a hearing in June. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
By Richard Allen Smith, public affairs and communications director
What’s Happened: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) along with 10 bipartisan Senate co-sponsors introduced the Unemployment Insurance Integrity and Accessibility Act this week, which will make key improvements to the unemployment insurance system.
Why It Matters: Unemployment insurance was a major target for fraud during the pandemic. This legislation will help protect taxpayers as well as claimants.
Read our statement from Vice President of Public Finance Andrew Moylan>
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Criminal Justice
- A new survey by the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) highlights challenges facing prosecutors — including personal wellbeing, inadequate pay, and heavy caseloads — and makes the case for renewed focus on support and retention.
- In PennLive, policymakers in the state are calling for the “Little Scandinavia” prison reform project to be continued and or expanded to other facilities.
- Knox News reveals how many of Tennessee’s jails are at or above capacity and questions whether newly passed “tough-on-crime” policies may exacerbate the problem.
- The Collateral Consequences Resource Center has released a new report on rehabilitation or employability certificates, which initial promising research suggests could be very effective at improving employment outcomes for people with a criminal record.
Health Care
- In The Wall Street Journal, insurer-driven diagnoses are costing taxpayers billions in overpayments to Medicare Advantage. In many cases there is no subsequent treatment, and neither the patient nor their physician were aware of the diagnosis, raising questions about legitimacy of the diagnosis. (free link)
- More than two dozen organizations called on the Senate Finance Committee to act now to protect patients as hospitals continue to buy up physician practices and then charge more for the same service.
- In a recent op-ed for The Washington Post, Dr. Marty Makary, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Carey Business School, makes the argument for site-neutral payment reform. (free link)
- The Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board finished its required affordability review of the first set of five medications and deemed three drugs unaffordable to Colorado families; the board will be setting upper payment limits for these medications.
Public Finance
- American Enterprise Institute’s Kyle Pomerleau argues in the Washington Examiner that Congress shouldn’t blindly extend tax provisions next year, but instead use the upcoming expirations as an opportunity to continue the work of fiscally responsible, pro-growth tax reform.
- Tax Foundation released a report by Alan Cole discussing considerations for Puerto Rico in the context of the OECD’s global minimum tax agreement.
Higher Education
- In income-driven, student loan repayment news, a federal appeals court ruled to stay a preliminary injunction that blocked the Department of Education from cutting most Saving on a Valuable Education program (SAVE) enrollees’ monthly payments in half, in The Washington Post. (free link)
- TICAS discusses the impact of income-driven repayment plans without loan discharges, finding that without a discharge provision, many persistently low-income borrowers would be stuck in the repayment system indefinitely without hope of ever repaying their debt.
- In Higher Ed Dive, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) urged the Department of Education to explain how it will adapt to the Chevron doctrine ruling, which puts several higher education regulations at risk.
Housing/Infrastructure
- In The New York Times, Stephen Smith examines how the uniquely American combination of labyrinthian red tape and skepticism of international best practices leads to longer construction times and higher costs for installing elevators in the U.S. than even developing nations' experiences, not just for elevators but for virtually every facet of housing construction. (free link)
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After driving 19 hours in an American Red Cross emergency response vehicle from Sebastian, FL, volunteer Joe Vizzi began his 19th deployment with the organization, this time to help those affected by Hurricane Beryl. Find out more about how the American Red Cross is helping those in need, and how you can volunteer. |
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The Higher Education team, in conjunction with three other foundations, has launched a joint Request for Proposals. Higher education is a driver of economic mobility for millions of Americans, yet a large portion of the public is concerned that college may not be worth it. Low graduation rates, high costs, and uneven returns have sparked a growing interest in improving higher education to address these outcomes. To take real action, policymakers need new, concrete ideas about how to ensure the resources, capacity, and incentives to support improvement. Applicants may submit a proposal here by Friday, July 26, 2024.
The Evidence and Evaluation team invites grant applications to conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of social programs. Slides and a video from a recent webinar on this request for proposals (RFPs) are now available. Applicants may submit three-page letters of interest (LOIs) through our portal.
The Criminal Justice team has released a RFP titled “ Causal Research on Community Safety and the Criminal Justice System.” The RFP seeks research proposals across all issues related to the criminal justice system and will remain open.
View our RFPs here>
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