Anna Simonton

Anna Simonton was an Editor and Development Coordinator for The Appeal.
She has spent nearly a decade carving out space for movement journalism in the media industry as a reporter, editor, and nonprofit builder. Anna helped grow Scalawag Magazine from a volunteer project into one of the leading voices on politics and culture in the U.S. South. She also co-founded and serves on the board of Press On, an organization dedicated to supporting Southern movement journalism.
Anna worked with a wrongfully convicted teacher, Shani Robinson, to co-author an acclaimed book that shed new light on the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal, an infamous case in which Black educators were charged with RICO for allegedly changing answers on standardized tests.

Before stepping into her current role, Anna was the Senior Editor for The Appeal: Political Report, where she guided coverage of local elections and legislation shaping the criminal legal system.

Originally from Atlanta, she is now based in Minneapolis.

Georgia’s Backslide Into a Carceral Hellscape

A wave of bills threatens to channel more people toward incarceration, mete out longer prison terms, and limit prosecutors’ discretion.

Anna Simonton

Mar 29, 2023

Sign for a polling place in the United States.

Backlash on the Ballot: Three Prosecutor Races to Watch in November

The politics of criminal justice is overwhelmingly local, and elected prosecutors have some of the most direct power over how justice is dispatched.

Anna Simonton

Oct 12, 2022

New School Year, Same School-to-Prison Pipeline

The fight to remove cops from classrooms is still raging, with some successes.

Anna Simonton

Sep 14, 2022

Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison

As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests.

Anna Simonton

Jul 06, 2022

How St. Paul Became The Twin Cities’ Leader On Justice Reform

Although Minneapolis has garnered media attention since the George Floyd uprising, St. Paul may be the Twin City making the most strides toward transformative justice. But Sheriff Bob Fletcher’s actions may undo positive steps in Ramsey County.

Anna Simonton, Hibah Ansari

Jan 11, 2022

Montage of George Floyd, police reform demonstrators, police officers, and a police car.

These November Elections Could Dramatically Change Local Police Departments

The Appeal is back and we’re worker-run. We’re excited to bring you the fourth edition of our weekly newsletter as we continue to work toward an official relaunch. Every dollar we raise helps us produce vital journalism. Next month, we’ll begin publishing a special package of stories. Help us return to publishing full time by […]

Anna Simonton

Oct 26, 2021

How Criminal Justice Reform Fared at the Ballot Box on Tuesday

Voters elected new sheriffs and DAs who’ve vowed to challenge mass incarceration and ICE, and they approved initiatives to curtail drug criminalization and expand voting rights.

Anna Simonton, Daniel Nichanian

Nov 05, 2020