Banned Books: A Tool For Prison Control

Coming up on today’s show:

• On Monday, the Trump Administration reversed more than decade of U.S. immigration policy by ending temporary protected status, or TPS, for Salvadoran immigrants. It’s the latest crackdown by the Department of Homeland Security. Mark Curnutte, the race and community reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, and Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, explain. 

• On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether a driver should have an expectation of privacy in a rental car when his or her name isn’t listed on the agreement as an authorized driver. Adam Liptak, Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times, says that this case could have major implications for poor Americans, particularly African Americans who are more likely to have rental transactions.

• A Michigan judge began preliminary exam hearings for four state environmental regulators who are accused of crimes related to the Flint water crisis, from involuntary manslaughter to misconduct and willful neglect. Quinn Klinefelter, senior news editor for Detroit public radio station WDET, has the details. 

• About 60 Baltimore schools have had heating issues this winter, forcing a number of schools to close last week. It’s an issue that has plagued the school system for years, says Kimberly Mooney, a teacher at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, who has worked in the Baltimore City Public School System for 13 years, and a member of the Baltimore Caucus of Educators for Democracy and Equity. 

• The ACLU of New Jersey got its hands on a list of banned books this week. According to their report, the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) had banned “The New Jim Crow“from some state prisons — it’s a pivotal work that addresses mass incarceration. Georgia Lerner is executive director of the Women’s Prison Association. She argues that prisons ban books to impose control without making a serious effort at rehabilitation.

• What happens to women who speak up about sexual harassment and assault in the workplace? In the latest installment of #MeToo conversations between Koa Beck and Jessica Bennett, The Takeaway explores the phenomenon of “dream crushers,” and a look at past and present cases.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich