Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

Addressing the diversity of American correctional facilities and systems

Unless you have direct experience with incarceration, many people think that all correctional facilities and systems in the United States are the same. The reality, however, is that there’s considerable variety among the places and systems that manage the approximate 2.1 million people who are currently incarcerated. How exactly do correctional institutions and systems differ? […]

How American prison conditions can impact extradition requests

The United States is known around the world for lots of great things. Often referred to as the land of opportunity, America is blessed with spectacular wilderness areas replete with natural beauty, well-respected educational and medical institutions, generally friendly people, and Disneyland . But all that glitters is not gold. The US is also recognized […]

Learning from JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI

Numerous films focusing on Japanese cooking or chefs have been released to Western audiences. One of the more recent iconic and celebrated is David Gelb’s 2011 documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The movie reviews the work (and to a lesser extent the life) of Jiro Ono, a humble and modest 85-year old Tokyo based sushi […]

On-line reviewer platforms, restaurants, and the privileging of mediocrity

Over the past 13 years a number of on-line review platforms like Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and Yelp have been launched that enable individuals to make decisions about restaurants to patronize. Although the results produced by these relatively convenient user-generated content websites and apps reduce readers costs of acquiring information, and can warn them about really […]

Cities must prioritize the provision of accessible, well-maintained, and secure public restrooms

Big cities suffer from numerous problems. One intractable and long-standing challenge has been a failure to provide residents, commuters, and tourists with adequate places to go to the bathroom. From mothers with children in tow, to the burgeoning homeless population, this state of affairs presents an intractable inconvenience. For example, few urban public transportation systems […]