A common sense cost-benefit analysis of pretrial detention.

Advocates have been urging Governor Gavin Newsom to make greater use of his clemency power, especially for older prisoners who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Getting convicted of a “minor offense” inflicts serious, long-term harm. The state can and must divert more people to counseling, group meetings, or other interventions.

The Appeal: Political Report’s March 11 newsletter

Ensuring renters have representation in housing court would help close a “justice gap” and be a life-saving intervention for those at risk of losing their homes.

Sterling Higgins died in a Tennessee jail in 2019 after officers pinned him to the floor. Two new medical experts’ reports describe the incident as homicide.

As Texas lifts its COVID-19 restrictions, the city’s jail remains overcrowded and its police and prosecutors continue to operate as normal.

The housing advocate’s run for city council could be a Texan litmus test for the broad appeal of policies popular with working class voters.

New evidence suggests more accounting troubles for the CDAA.

Cities across the country have begun exploring traffic enforcement without police. This bill proposes doing so statewide.

It is the latest incident of violence from a police department already under fire for pepper-spraying a 9-year-old girl and fatally injuring Daniel Prude.

The Appeal: Political Report’s March 4 newsletter

KC Tenants has secured passage of a tenant “bill of rights” and successfully blocked hundreds of evictions through civil action in the Kansas City, Missouri area.

The mayoral candidate’s plans would reimagine life for Boston’s working-class residents—and has earned an endorsement from Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The two candidates will move on to the April 6 general election after securing the most votes under the city’s new approval voting system.

It’s time for congressional Republicans to listen.

Former Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson’s fiery dissents on mass incarceration and sentencing in America’s most carceral state garnered international attention. But the rise of the first Black woman on the court was characterized by one battle after another with the Deep South’s white power structure.

Whether the city will do more to keep people in their homes or simply do more of the same depends on who voters elect as the next mayor.

Community members and advocates question why Mayor Jim Kenney and the City Council continue to fund the police department at record levels, despite the department’s low murder solve rate.

State officials funded by power companies have been warned, since at least 1989, that the power grid was at risk of failure in cold weather. They have consistently failed to act.

The Appeal: Political Report’s February 25 newsletter

Jones says her experience transforming the treasurer’s office will make her an effective mayor. Voters will let candidates know what they think next week.

Jennifer Carroll Foy is a former public defender and state legislator who wants to overhaul school funding and extend an eviction moratorium until the end of 2022.

Proposed legislation would allow people accused of crimes to tell juries if they had a mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability at the time of a crime. The bill could have helped individuals like Matthew Rushin.

In an effort to end systemic racism, the California city will aim to reduce the number of police-involved traffic stops for expired registrations and other small violations.

A coalition of environmental groups urges the legislature to force the repayment and dissociate from the CDAA.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced today that a grand jury voted not to indict any police officers on charges related to the death of Daniel Prude.

The four candidates vying to replace the mayor are each promising to build a better St. Louis, and in a little over a week, voters will decide which visions they endorse.

Now, advocacy groups are struggling to keep unhoused people safe.

The police killing has accelerated a years-long effort by advocates and lawmakers to shift resources and money away from law enforcement.

Numerous city councils and state legislatures are debating giving renters a right to counsel, which can make the difference between stability and catastrophe.

The Appeal: Political Report’s February 18 newsletter

Months after footage emerged of officers fatally suffocating Daniel Prude, police were caught on video pepper-spraying a 9-year-old girl. Advocates say the incident highlights the shortcomings of Mayor Lovely Warren’s crisis response team.

At the urging of advocates, Governor Tom Wolf signed off on all remaining commutations applications on his desk.

The Appeal: Political Report’s February 11 newsletter

The U.S. representative has been a chief architect of mass incarceration in the state and an instigator of racial injustice.

Despite calls to reduce incarcerated populations, the number of people being detained for minor parole violations has been rising.

Seattle suburb Renton is battling an emergency homeless shelter through its zoning code.

Over two nights last year, police in Boston and Worcester used excessive force—including pushing and tackling—while arbitrarily arresting protesters without apparent cause.

After organizing to repeal the “walking while trans” ban, advocates in the state—and around the country—are looking ahead to the next fight.