Russell Nichols

Recent Articles

• Working Prisoners Save Taxpayers' Money
• Apr 29, 2011
• States are increasingly utilizing prison labor to plug budget holes, but public employee unions aren’t happy.
• 24 Comments

• Finding Balance in California's Budget
• Apr 29, 2011
• The only things certain in California are debt and taxes, and the country's oldest current governor is struggling to erase the former without raising the latter.
• 5 Comments

• Helping Hands for Homeless in Hawaii
• Apr 28, 2011
• Gov. Neil Abercrombie calls on citizens to direct homeless people to medical, mental and housing services.
• 2 Comments

• Looking for Cash in All the Right Places
• Apr 21, 2011
• To save more money, state lawmakers propose new exit strategies for inmates and patients.
• 2 Comments

• Who’s at Fault for Not Repairing Calif. Schools?
• Apr 18, 2011
• Due to restrictive rules, money for urgent seismic repairs eludes California schools.
• 1 Comments

• The Price of Recidivism
• Apr 14, 2011
• A study from the Pew Center on the States finds that more than four in 10 offenders return to prison within three years. The report comes at a time when prison spending has spiked over the years.
• 1 Comments

• Corruption and Other Drugs
• Apr 12, 2011
• The war on drugs rattles the U.S.-Mexico border as illicit drug use in the U.S. rises and cartels infiltrate American law enforcement.
• 3 Comments

• In California, Non-Violent Inmates Might Transfer to County Jails
• Apr 6, 2011
• Gov. Jerry Brown’s new law aims to reduce overcrowding, but the program lacks funding support and local sheriffs fear they’ll pay the price.
• 1 Comments

• States Struggle to Regulate the Bond Industry
• Mar 31, 2011
• While critics question the fairness of the bail bonds industry, proponents argue that its services save states money and keep defendants from fleeing.
• 3 Comments

• Progressive California Pays Price from Procrastination
• Mar 30, 2011
• Stalled energy projects drive up costs in a state already plagued by excessive debt, but is there a quick fix?

• To Withstand Tsunami, Coastal Oregon Town Plans to Put City Hall on Stilts
• Mar 25, 2011
• Cannon Beach, Ore., aims to get the nation’s first tsunami evacuation building off the ground by 2014.
• 1 Comments

• Radiation Fears Spread Throughout Western U.S.
• Mar 18, 2011
• With some 5,000 miles of Pacific Ocean between Japan and California, public health officials say there’s no reason for concern.

• Are U.S. States and Cities Prepared for a Disaster?
• Mar 16, 2011
• On quakes, tsunamis and radiation leaks, one expert says, "the U.S. is not nearly as well prepared as Japan was."
• 4 Comments

• California’s Children Suffer from Budget Cuts
• Mar 14, 2011
• Across the state, budget cuts threaten stability of programs and services that benefit children in need.
• 7 Comments

• California’s Adult Ed Programs Collapse in Financial Crisis
• Mar 8, 2011
• Adult education throughout the state feels the burns of harsh budget cuts.