Close Gitmo Now

By Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Published on April 5, 2013

Once imprisoned, now free

By Klaudia Klimek
Published on March 19, 2013

Thousands attend funeral of Palestinian who died in Israeli prison

Published on February 25, 2013

Thousands of Palestinians attended the West Bank funeral of a Palestinian prisoner who died in an Israeli prison days after being arrested for participating in attacks on Israelis.

Spy suicide scandal focuses attention on Israel’s foreign Jews

Published on February 14, 2013

The jailhouse suicide of an Australian immigrant who may have betrayed Israel's Mossad has focused attention on the agency's recruitment of foreign-born Jews who could spy under cover of their native passports.

Life of an IDF ‘Refusenik’

Published on January 16, 2013

Life in Israeli military prison, it turns out, is a lot like life in the Israeli military.

Israeli Supreme Court shortens whistleblower’s prison term

Published on December 31, 2012

Israel's Supreme Court on Monday shortened by a year the 4-1/2-year prison term of a soldier who gave a journalist classified military documents, some relating to operations against Palestinian militants.

Editorial Cartoon: California's death penalty by the numbers

By Steve Greenberg
Published on October 16, 2012

Cuba says Gross in ‘normal’ health, willing to negotiate his release

Published on September 13, 2012

A Cuban Foreign Ministry official rejected claims by the wife of Alan Gross that the jailed American contractor was in ill health and said Cuba was willing to negotiate his release with U.S. officials.

Pollard supporters call Clinton’s remarks a ‘slap in the face’

Published on July 17, 2012

Supporters of Jonathan Pollard called Hillary Clinton's remarks rejecting his possible clemency "a resounding slap in the face" to Israel's leaders and its people.

Israeli officers get 30 months for dumping Palestinian prisoner

Published on July 9, 2012

Two Israeli police officers convicted of leaving a Palestinian car thief to die were sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Most prisoners who get a kosher meal are not Jewish

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on May 2, 2012

‘Fly-in’ activists draw swastika in holding cell

Published on April 17, 2012

Two activists who arrived in Israel as part of the pro-Palestinian "fly-in" protest drew a large swastika on the wall of their holding cell.

Nevada inmates to receive kosher meals after lawsuit is settled

Published on March 29, 2012

The Nevada Department of Corrections, responding to an inmate's lawsuit, agreed to provide Orthodox Jewish inmates with kosher-certified meals.

Alan Gross’ wife hoping Cubans reciprocate humanitarian gesture

Published on March 20, 2012

The wife of Alan Gross welcomed a judge’s decision to temporarily release a convicted Cuban spy to visit his ailing brother and said she hoped the Cuban government would grant a similar request to her husband.

Is Marriage Like Prison?

By Ilana Angel
Published on March 1, 2012

Palestinian woman on hunger strike in prison

Published on February 27, 2012

A Palestinian woman, released by Israel in a prisoner swap last year but re-arrested earlier this month and held without charge, is on a hunger strike to protest at her treatment, officials said on Monday.

Palestinian prisoner ends 66-day hunger strike

Published on February 21, 2012

A Palestinian held in an Israeli jail without charge agreed to end his 66-day hunger strike. Khader Adnan, 33, ended the hunger strike Tuesday after the State Prosecutor's Office agreed that it would not renew his administrative detention, which is set to end on April 17.

Palestinian on hunger strike in Israeli prison denied release

Published on February 14, 2012

A Palestinian man in the 59th day of a hunger strike was denied release from an Israeli prison, where he is being held without charge.

Israeli tourist released from Chile jail

Published on February 9, 2012

An Israeli tourist charged by Chile with accidentally starting a massive forest fire in a popular national park was fined and released.

Turkey’s jails filling up with journalists

Published on February 1, 2012

Aziz Tekin, a correspondent for the Kurdish-language newspaper Azadiya Welat, had the misfortune of becoming a news item himself over the weekend when he became the 105th journalist in Turkey to be put behind bars.

Pollard’s wife: Jonathan may not last another year in prison

Published on November 21, 2011

The wife of convicted spy for Israel Jonathan Pollard said her husband may not survive another year in prison.

Madoff says he is happier in prison than free

Published on October 28, 2011

Financial swindler Bernard Madoff said that he is happier in prison than he was on the outside because he no longer lives in fear of being arrested and knows he will die in prison, TV journalist Barbara Walters said on Thursday.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a Pig & a Pervert, Not a Rapist

By Ilana Angel
Published on August 24, 2011

Judge rules U.S. inmate has no right to matzah

Published on August 11, 2011

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that a Jewish inmate in a New York jail does not have a constitutionally protected right to matzah and grape juice.

Nevada prison system says kosher food will continue, disputing lawsuit’s claims

Published on June 10, 2011

Officials for the Nevada prison system say it is not discontinuing its kosher meal program, contrary to the allegations of a recent lawsuit. On June 1, attorneys for Howard Ackerman, an Orthodox Jewish prisoner in Carson City, Nev., filed a lawsuit against the state. The suit claimed that the state's corrections department intended to stop serving kosher meals to inmates within a week, thus violating their client’s freedom to practice his religion.

Solitary Confinement -When Solitude Is No Longer a Virtue

Published on May 17, 2011

Last week, there was a major Congressional briefing on the effects of long-term solitary confinement.

Prosecutors appeal Demjanjuk’s release from jail

Published on May 16, 2011

Munich state prosecutors appealed a district court's decision to release convicted Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk from prison pending his appeal. Monday's appeal of Demjanjuk's release, following his conviction on war crimes on May 12, also appealed the five-year sentence handed down that day for being too lenient. The prosecutors' reasons will be presented in writing and only then released to the public, according to a spokesperson for the Munich District II court, which found Demjanjuk, 91, guilty as an accessory to nearly 28,000 murders in the Nazi death camp Sobibor in occupied Poland in 1943.

Appeals court upholds kosher meals for Indiana prisoners

Published on May 10, 2011

The Indiana Department of Corrections must provide kosher food for observant Jewish inmates after an appeals court dismissed the department's appeal of a lower court decision. The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Monday in Maston Willis v. Commission, Indiana Department of Corrections.

A Pesach plea for prison reform

Published on April 12, 2011

Last week, here in Los Angeles, we read with horror of an inmate in a local county jail who was strangled to death in his cell. This inmate had been complaining to a judge that he was being “hassled” by other inmates. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions have plagued L.A. County’s jails for more than 30 years, along with a culture of violence and fear that includes prisoner-on-prisoner assaults and the use of excessive force by deputies.

Passover in Prison

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on April 12, 2011

A few weeks before Passover, there was a moment when Shirley Friedman looked worried that there might not be enough food for everybody. Friedman, who calls herself “a full-time grandmother,” is expecting to feed three dozen people over the first two nights of Passover at her table at home — but on that Thursday morning, she wasn’t worrying about a problem that could be solved by another trip to the supermarket.

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav receives seven-year prison sentence

Published on March 22, 2011

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who was found guilty of rape and sexual assault, was sentenced to seven years in jail and ordered to pay compensation to two of his victims.

Jesse Jackson appeals to Cuba to free Gross

Published on March 2, 2011

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has called on Cuba to release Jewish U.S. citizen Alan Gross from prison and reunite him with his family. Jackson, who has been to Cuba several times and met with former President Fidel Castro and current President Raul Castro, offered to go to Cuba to negotiate the release of American contractor Alan Gross, according to a statement issued Tuesday from his Rainbow PUSH coalition.

Abusive ‘rabbi’ sentenced to 24 years in prison

Published on February 28, 2011

A self-proclaimed rabbi who counseled his followers to commit acts of child abuse and abused several children who lived with him was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Elior Chen was sentenced Monday in Jerusalem District Court to 24 years in prison and damages of $192,000 to his victims, eight children of the woman with whom he lived, a follower whose husband had given her over to the charismatic leader.

Montana inmate sues for kosher food

Published on February 1, 2011

An inmate in Montana Women's Prison is suing the state corrections office and prison officials for not providing her with kosher food. Shelley Tischler claimed in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Billings, Mont., that she is Jewish and eats kosher food. She claims that prison officials are denying her kosher food, and that fellow inmates and prison staff are directing slurs about her Jewish faith at her, according to The Billings Gazette.

Rubashkin appeal seeks new trial

Published on January 4, 2011

Lawyers for convicted former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin have appealed a judge's decision denying their bid for a new trial. In a brief filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis, Mo., lawyers for Rubashkin made four arguments on his behalf, chief among them that the presiding judge in his case, Linda Reade, should have recused herself. Reade had rejected that argument in October. Rubashkin was convicted in 2009 on 86 counts of fraud related to his management of the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, and later was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.

International aid arrives as Carmel fire continues to rage

Published on December 3, 2010

Seven fire-fighting aircraft landed in Israel early Friday, the first arrivals of a planned international airlift sent to aid the battle against a massive brushfire ripping through northern Israel.

Inmates’ rights were violated on kosher meals, judge rules

Published on November 8, 2010

The Indiana Department of Corrections violated federal law when it substituted vegan meals for kosher for its inmates, a federal judge ruled.

Muslim prisoners’ appeal on bread is toast

Published on March 24, 2010

Israel's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a Muslim prisoner to provide him and his co-religionists in prison with bread during the Passover holiday.

Bernie Bests Butner Bruiser

By Rob Eshman
Published on October 13, 2009

Inmates Celebrate B’not Mitzvah

Published on September 9, 2009

Two women, identified as Carol and Pamela — not their real names — became b’not mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 5. Both are inmates at the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Corona, located about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The event is believed to be the first bat mitzvah to take place inside prison walls in the United States.

Shalits reveal content of 2006 letter from Gilad

Published on September 8, 2009

The family of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit has allowed public access to a letter he wrote just months after being taken captive by Palestinian militants in 2006.

Bernie Madoff Goes to Butner

By Rob Eshman
Published on July 14, 2009

Madoff Enters the Sentenced Land

By JewishJournal.com
Published on July 14, 2009

Madoff Gets 150 Years in Prison

By JewishJournal.com
Published on June 29, 2009

A Seder Is Not a Seder Is Not a Seder…

Published on April 2, 2009

My Passover odyssey began in 1991, when I decided to organize a community seder. It would be homemade affair in a rented room, with my children, cousins and friends creating the decorations, skits, music and conversation topics.

N.J. man accused of spying for Israel

By Ron Kampeas
Published on April 24, 2008

The arrest this week of a retired a New Jersey man on charges of transmitting classified information to Israel two decades ago shows how the Jonathan Pollard spy case continues to haunt the U.S.-Israel relationship.

One day at a time, one person at a time

By Roberto Loiederman
Published on April 24, 2008

life-size soft sculpture of a cleaning woman scrubbing the floor marks the entrance to the office of Harriett Rossetto, founder and executive director of Beit T'Shuvah

Actress Lindsay Lohan Needs Jesus

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on July 27, 2007

Wife of Rabin’s Assassin Discusses Relationship, Life

By Michal Ben-Horin
Published on April 5, 2007

Her smile and soft voice are immediately appealing. Offered some coffee and cake, Larissa Trimbobler-Amir accepts with a gentle gratefulness. She has come to talk about her marriage to Yigal Amir, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

Horror in the court: Nuremberg trial documentary film finally reaches U.S.

By Tom Tugend
Published on January 18, 2007

The documentary complements the audio from the trial with visuals of the Nazi era and death camps and features extensive in-person interviews with prosecutors and others involved in the trial.

Los Angeles mom pleads for life of son kidnapped in Iran

By Karmel Melamed
Published on December 21, 2006

"Why is the world so silent -- why are Jews so silent about the plight of Jews being held captive in Iran?" Elana Tehrani, an Iranian-born Jewish woman now living in Los Angeles asked a crowd during a speech at the Nessah Cultural Center in Beverly Hills.

Book Review: Tools to fight terror: big dreams, good friends

By Robert David Jaffee
Published on October 12, 2006

Goldberg recently won the Anti-Defamation League's Daniel Pearl Award and goes so far as to suggest that being Jewish has benefited him in his dealings with terrorists.

New Year brings new hope to inmates

By Nick Street
Published on September 28, 2006

Daniel, a 24-year-old UCLA student, has gotten under my skin. I met him a month ago when I followed Rabbi Yossi Carron on his rounds through Men's Central Jail and Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Feds Indict Suspect in Prison Murder of JDL’s Krugel

By Jim Crogan
Published on July 23, 2006

Krugel had been transferred to the Federal Corrections Institute (FCI) Phoenix, a medium security prison, just three days before the assault. To date, there is no indication that Krugel and Jennings knew each other.

Sympathy for the Devil?

By David Klinghoffer
Published on January 26, 2006

By now thousands of published articles, ranging from critical to hateful, have appeared about the famous Jack Abramoff -- Orthodox Jew, former Washington super-lobbyist, product of an affluent Beverly Hills upbringing and future inmate of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy.

The Hit Man Who Came to Dinner

By Sandee Brawarsky
Published on November 17, 2005

>"Blood Relation" is Eric Konigsberg's account of his uncle's life, gleaned from 10 visits to the Auburn facility over three years, interviews with family members as well as the families of Harold's victims. It also includes the author's examination of extensive court testimony and FBI records. More than a biography in crime, this powerful book is a nuanced view of Harold in the context of his family, and the author's own reflections on coming to know and attempting to understand his uncle.

List, Muslim Gangs Prompt Terror Probe

By Tom Tugend
Published on September 1, 2005

An investigation into alleged home-grown Muslim extremists has yielded another arrest and prompted law-enforcement agencies and Jewish institutions to tighten security as the Jewish High Holidays approach.

Pollard Appeal Fails; Few Options Left

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on July 28, 2005

There appear to be few legal options left for Jonathan Pollard, after a U.S. federal appeals court last Friday rejected the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst's claim that he had inadequate counsel when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for spying for Israel.

After the Ashes

By Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Published on March 24, 2005

Natan Sharansky's attitude is as old as the Bible. This week's Torah portion began with a description of the olah, the obligatory burnt offering that was brought twice a day -- morning and afternoon -- to the Holy Temple.

High Court Hears Prison Religion Case

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on March 24, 2005

Though Jews make up a small proportion of the prison population, they often are discriminated against and denied religious materials, such as kosher meals and tefillin, advocates for Jewish prisoners say.