By: David Ware Section I: Introduction The Alabama Department of Corrections states that one of its main goals is to promote esteem building amongst the inmates in its custody.[1] Becoming incarcerated already comes with anxiety and hardship, so it would make sense for our prison system to promote the self-esteem of inmates. There are certain variables that are essential to building and maintaining a high self-esteem, which include privacy and individuality. However, when looking at the mandates, rules, and regulations imposed […]
Category: Capstone Commentary
The MORE Act of 2020
by Lacey Stewart In the United States, more and more states have begun to legalize marijuana for not only medicinal use but for recreational use as well.[i] That being said, there has been pressure put upon Congress to take action federally.[ii] The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would end the federal ban on marijuana. The bill is referred to as The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020 or the MORE Act of 2020.[iii] This bill essentially […]
New Rules: A Breach of Faith
by Rachel Sharma In the beginning of May of 2020, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, issued new rules about Title IX regulations of sexual misconduct. These regulations are set to take effect on August 14th of this year. These new changes also apply heavily to college students and allow those accused and accusers of sexual assault, harassment, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking to have more due process protections.[1] Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on […]
The 12-Foot Tall Steel Wall
by Tanner D’Ortenzio The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 is a United States law that bestows certain rights to artists across the country and the works they produce.[1] This law is the first piece of U.S. legislation that formally protected the moral rights of artists and their work. Traditionally a European practice, moral rights (separate from economic rights) essentially maintain the integrity of the artist’s work. While these laws do provide artists with protections in a large number of […]
The Fantastical Case of the Vanicorn
by Tanner D’Ortenzio Sweet Cecily Daniher is an artist from the Bay Area who has quite the knack for finding rare and mystical unicorns in our modern world, as shown in her photography book I See Unicorns.[1] A tattoo artist by trade, Daniher has used her artistic ability to maintain a career that gives her the opportunity to put forth true forms of expression into the world. One of these expressions took the form of a “tremendously cool, dark blue […]
A Coat of White Paint
by Tanner D’Ortenzio There once was an old, dilapidated factory nestled cozily in Queens, New York. Constructed in the waning years of the U.S industrial revolution, this factory served its role in expanding the industrial might of the United States by working in the exciting field of water meter manufacturing. In time the Neptune Meter Factory[1] underwent a drastic metamorphosis, changing from a damp water meter factory; to a world-renowned sanctuary for aerosol artists and daring creatives alike. Eerily similar […]
Insanity
by Rachel Sharma The insanity defense has a long history in many different countries; however, in the United States, it holds water through the 8th Amendment of the Constitution: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”[1] The insanity defense fits under the umbrella of “cruel and unusual punishment”. Due to the fact that those who use the insanity defense successfully are seen as not knowing what they were doing or not […]
17 For Life
by Rachel Sharma In the case of Miller v. Alabama, fourteen-year-old Evan Miller was tried and convicted of capital murder during the course of an arson in 2004. Because of the crime itself, Miller was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, Miller filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds that sentencing a fourteen-year-old to life in prison without the possibility of parole was against the 8th amendment right against cruel and unusual […]
The Pressing Injustice of the Thirteenth Amendment
by Soleil Ozols “Neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist in the United States, or any other place subject to their jurisdiction.”[1] The exception for slavery and involuntary servitude for inmates in the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution redacts integral Constitutional rights from inmates. The few retained rights include their basic First Amendment rights, such as free speech and religion, protection against any form […]
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The Undeniability of Discrimination in Solo v. United States Soccer Federation
by Soleil Ozols In recent years there have been many instances of women coming forward to speak out against their experiences with workplace discrimination through the unequal pay between men and women; women’s soccer is no exception to this. On March 8, 2019, all 28 players of the U.S. Senior Women’s National Soccer Team sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on the basis that the USSF is in […]
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