incarcerated people

Advocates are calling for mental health diversion programs for the thousands of people held at New York City's Rikers Island jail who need psychiatric treatment rather than incarceration. The push reflects growing concerns that the jail complex, long criticized for violence and poor conditions, is being used as a de facto mental health facility, and that treatment-based alternatives would better serve inmates and public safety.

Georgia authorities have arrested a suspect tied to a prison-based scam ring after a Florida woman lost $15,000 in Bitcoin. Investigators say inmates orchestrated fraud schemes targeting people outside prison, convincing victims to convert money into cryptocurrency. The arrest sheds light on how incarcerated fraudsters continue running scams behind bars, prompting calls for tighter phone and communications monitoring in state prisons.