October 22, 2009
Prisoners allege guard turned search into 'strip tease'
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland has asked Anne Arundel County officials to investigate inmates' claims that they are forced to remove clothing one article at a time for body searches that are akin to a "strip tease" at the detention center in Glen Burnie. The ACLU said in a letter to the jail administrator Oct. 13 that inmates allege that a jail guard conducts searches that amount to "unusually invasive and intentionally degrading strip searches." The letter, signed by legal program associate Persia Swift, also said the officer targets African-Americans and newer inmates, and that the searches last between eight and 12 minutes, during which the officer "ridicule[s] and harass[es]" inmates. She also said inmates had attempted to address their complaints internally to no avail. William H. Martin Jr., the county's correctional facility administrator, said Wednesday that he was aware of only one complaint and that an investigation concluded that "the inmate was not harassed in any way."
- Nicole Fuller
Ignite Baltimore moves to larger venue
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The fourth edition of Ignite Baltimore is scheduled for tonight at the Walters Art Museum, a new location for the growing Baltimore event that features speakers giving rapid-fire presentations on eclectic topics. The event, which begins at 7 p.m., will have 16 speakers who will touch on such subjects as nanobiotechnology, the basics of zombie survival and Baltimore moments that made a difference. Each speaker is given five minutes and 20 slides to give a presentation. Ignite Baltimore started last year at the Windup Space and grew to a point that the organizers decided it needed a larger venue. Ignite Baltimore is organized by Mike Subelsky, co-founder of startup OtherinBox.com, and Patti Chan, co-founder of startup 600Block.com. The event's Web site is ignitebaltimore.com.
-Gus. G. Sentementes
Forum to address Latino children's challenges
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The University of Maryland, Baltimore County will hold a forum addressing academic barriers specific to children of Latino immigrant families from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the World Trade Center at 400 E. Pratt St. in Baltimore. The forum, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, UMBC's Department of Public Policy and the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, will include a discussion on the public policy implications of efforts to help immigrant students adapt to U.S. schools. UMBC professors Tim Gindling and Sara Poggio will present the findings of their recent policy brief, "Family Separation and the Educational Success of Immigrant Children." The forum is free and open to the public.
- Brent Jones
3 Md. colleges honored for producing Fulbright scholars
Three colleges in the state, including the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, have been named top producers of 2009-2010 U.S. Fulbright students, the program announced this week. The College of Notre Dame, which falls into the "master's institutions" category, had two students accepted into the program. Maryland Institute College of Art (in the "other institutions" category) had one Fulbright student, while St. Mary's College of Maryland (a "bachelor's institution") had three Fulbright students. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers students funding for one academic year of study, research or assistant teaching abroad. More than 1,500 American students were offered grants to work in more than 125 countries this fall.
- Baltimore Sun staff
