
The Latest

Lockdowns, Violence, and “Barbaric Conditions” in a Federal Jail Known for its Famous Detainees
Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center often makes news for the celebrities detained there, but hundreds of other people at the jail face inhumane conditions.

A 68-year-old Grandfather Died in ICE’s Custody. His Family Seeks Answers.
Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado was healthy when he entered Lowndes County Jail. He died while en route to ICE’s Stewart Detention Center less than four weeks later, leaving his family in shock.

Strip Searches Have a Racist, Dehumanizing Legacy
Strip searches serve as weapons of humiliation rather than security measures.

How Will New Jersey’s Next Governor Protect Immigrants?
New Jersey has one of the largest immigrant populations in the country. We asked candidates in the Democratic primary what they’ll do to keep immigrants safe.

His Name Was Tyré Nichols
The Appeal—and much of the media—has been misspelling Tyré Nichols’ name for years.

Trump’s War on Trans People: A Legal Survival Guide
State and federal governments have moved to criminalize trans people, parents of trans children, and healthcare providers.

Beyond Bail Reform: Minnesota’s Vision for Pretrial Transformation
Creating a pretrial system that prioritizes community safety, equity, and liberty requires more than small tweaks—we need a ground-up transformation.

“If You Want to Live, Don’t Drink the Water”
After mystery illnesses and toxic reports, prisoners at California’s Mule Creek State Prison worry their water is killing them.

“They took my life away for nothing.”
James Carver spent 36 years in prison after he was convicted of setting one of the deadliest fires in Massachusetts history. But after reviewing new scientific evidence, a judge set him free.

Social Worker or AR-15? Portland Struggles Over How to Respond to People in Mental Health Crisis
As Portland weighs expansion of an alternative crisis-response program, new data from a MindSite News-Medill investigation shows police often deploy force on residents who are unhoused or grappling with mental illness.

CoreCivic CEO: Trump Administration Plans Will ‘Supercharge’ the Private Prison Industry
In a quarterly earnings call, the private prison company told investors that it plans to expand its operations across the country.

Private Prison Company GEO Group “Excited” About Mass Deportation
CEO tells investors the Trump administration represents an “unprecedented opportunity.”

Imprisoned People Can Do More than ‘Scare’ Kids ‘Straight’
“Scared straight” programs don’t work. But that doesn’t mean incarcerated people shouldn’t mentor at-risk kids.

Trump DOJ Erases Trans People from Crime Data Surveys
The Justice Department has removed questions about gender identity from the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Survey on Sexual Victimization, and the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails.

Texas Jail Staff Laughed as Army Vet Choked and Died, Lawsuit Says
According to a wrongful death lawsuit, staff at the Angelina County Jail stood by as 33-year-old Glenn Smallwood vomited and died in front of them.

Louisiana Sent Kids to Adult Jail That Violated Scores of Regulations, Reports Say
Investigators found the Jackson Parish Jail violated state rules 83 times between July and February—almost 12 times more than the second-worst lockup.

Trump DOJ Defunds National Prison Rape Resource Center
A letter obtained exclusively by The Appeal says Trump’s Department of Justice has cut all funding to the Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center.

They Served Their Time. But They May Still Die in State Custody.
In half the country, sex offense civil commitment incarcerates people after they complete their prison sentences.

Here’s Where Pro-Palestine Protesters Face the Harshest Charges
In five jurisdictions reviewed by The Appeal, prosecutors have filed or are considering filing 187 charges against 66 protesters—including alleged hate crimes on cops, mob action, and attempted ethnic intimidation.

After Self-Immolations at Red Onion Prison, Virginia Prisoners Allege Crackdown
At least six people at Red Onion intentionally lit themselves on fire last year. Now, prisoners say staff are forcing people to comply—or cutting their electricity.

ICE’s New Deputy Director Helped Oversee Louisiana’s Homeless Sweeps
Madison Sheahan’s Wildlife and Fisheries officers sent unhoused people to a New Orleans warehouse. What does that mean for the future?

How Prison Dog-Training Programs Transform Lives
“We are not just training dogs — we are training ourselves to be better humans.”

ICE Increasingly Relies on Vermont Prisons for Immigration Detention
People detained in Vermont’s prisons for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection struggle to call their families and have been exposed to physical violence.

This Researcher Studies How Solitary Confinement Harms the Brain
“Individuals increasingly find themselves in cages unfit for lab mice and subjected to conditions with less scrutiny than that of invertebrate species kept in aquariums.”

Trump’s DOJ Seeks Death Penalty Against Luigi Mangione
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson “an act of political violence.”

Alabama Can’t Prosecute People For Out-Of-State Abortions, Judge Rules
Alabama’s attorney general said he would charge abortion funds for helping people end their pregnancies in other states. On Monday, a federal judge said doing so would violate the U.S. Constitution.

No Exit: Death and Despair in Texas’s “Double-Cell” Solitary Units
Texas state prisons incarcerate more than 4,500 people in two-person cells the size of a parking space for nearly 24 hours a day.

Cops Used the Shoplifting Panic to Buy Tons of New Equipment
The “crime panic” was a myth. But an analysis by The Appeal shows the narrative helped local police buy facial recognition software, drones, license plate readers, social media surveillance tech, and more.

‘Sing Sing is a war zone.’
I’ve been in prison for 42 years. After New York State closed my facility, it sent me to Sing Sing—a prison filled with tension and violence.

DOJ Seeks Five-Year Minimum Sentences for Tesla Property Damage
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against at least three people for allegedly damaging Tesla property.

Trans Prisoners Say Trump’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care Could Be Deadly
“I’d rather not live than be forced to live as a man,” a trans woman in a federal prison in New Jersey said in a sworn statement.

Supreme Court Decision on Prosecutor Sexism Could Give Women New Trials
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court said Brenda Andrew, who was convicted of killing her husband in 2004, should possibly get a new trial after prosecutors sex-shamed her.

Trans Prisoners Sue to Block Trump Order Banning Gender-Affirming Care
At least one trans woman in federal prison says Trump’s executive order has already prevented her from receiving hormone therapy, leading to “thoughts of suicide and self-harm.”

Palestinian Activist Detained at Louisiana ICE Facility With History of Deaths and Abuse
Inspections have found repeated violations of federal standards at GEO Group’s Central Louisiana ICE Processing Facility.

‘Orange Crush’ Officers Sexually Humiliated, Abused Men in Illinois Prisons, Lawsuit Says
For more than 10 years, a group of incarcerated men have said Illinois prison guards forced them into painful stress positions and forced them to rub their genitals on one another.

In Prison, Football Helps Me Teach About Toxic Masculinity
I was raised an Eagles fan. Their Super Bowl win reminded me of painful lessons my father and his father gave me.

Trump’s Deleted Police Misconduct Database Was Full of Prison and Border Incidents
Data obtained by The Appeal shows that more than 75 percent of the misconduct incidents in NLEAD, the federal police misconduct database Trump deleted this month, were generated by prison and border guards.

Private Prison Exec Calls Mass Deportation Plans ‘Unprecedented Opportunity’
GEO Group Chairman George Zoley said the company stands to gain up to $1 billion in additional revenue from detaining and surveilling undocumented immigrants.

How ‘Bankruptcy’ Lets Private Prison Contractors Evade Accountability
Wellpath, one of the nation’s largest private correctional medical contractors, has conveniently filed for bankruptcy as it faces scores of lawsuits for alleged neglect and misconduct.