Joseph Dole is 37 years old and has been incarcerated for over 15 years. He has won numerous PEN Prison Writing Awards, and writes frequently on criminal justice and prison issues. More of his writings can be found on the website, www.realcostofprisons.org.
Joseph Dole
Articles by Joseph Dole
Tuesday July 16
Prison Diary
How can I communicate what it is like to get arrested when you have one four month old daughter and a second daughter on the way, and then be sentenced to a term of life without the possibility of parole after your first felony conviction, by way of a theory of accountability, for a crime you didn’t commit?
Monday November 19
Illinois Abolishes the Death Penalty
The governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, argued in 2007 that the money could be better spent on providing drug treatment or extra police, which actually prevent crime. Such an argument has long been a mainstay of liberals, one that other politicians were reluctant to voice out of fear of being labeled “soft on crime.”
Tuesday May 10
Juvenile Adults
When it comes to our criminal justice system, policies are too often incoherent and irrational. One of the most glaring examples of this is also one of the least pondered. It’s that in a court of law we now tell juveniles that they are adults even when we know they are not. We only do