Judge Strikes Down New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban
The ban had helped the Broome County Sheriff rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits from detainee video and phone call fees.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 18, 2022
Calls for Action After Reports of Inedible Food at Virginia Prison
Politicians are demanding greater oversight over the Virginia Department of Corrections, after women at one state prison said they’re served spoiled food.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 17, 2022
Report Details ‘Cruel’ and ‘Unconscionable’ Treatment of Patients in Illinois Prisons
A federal monitor says substandard healthcare persists—with horrific consequences—more than a decade after a lawsuit was supposed to compel changes.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 15, 2022
Virginia Prison Still Failing to Provide Adequate Health Care, Incarcerated Women Say
Fluvanna Correctional Center patients say they’ve been threatened with disciplinary action for asking about symptoms at medical appointments.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 02, 2022
Illinois Prison Water Contamination Keeps Getting Worse
Water at 12 state prisons has tested positive for the bacteria this year.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jul 28, 2022
Roaches, Mold, Inedible Meals: Prison Food Is Straight out of a Nightmare
The horrific experiences of women at a Virginia prison fit a broader pattern of neglect across the country.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jul 06, 2022
Supreme Court Overturns Roe, Opening Door for Mass Criminalization of Abortion
Police and prosecutors will now be tasked with enforcing state anti-abortion laws.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2022
Anti-Abortion Group Urges States to Pass Sweeping Criminalization Laws Post Roe
Model state legislation proposed by a leading anti-choice group would impose felony charges for a broad new set of activities related to abortion.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 22, 2022
New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban Drives Big Profits on Detainee Calls
More than two years into the pandemic, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office is still prohibiting all jail visits. The policy helped them take in more than a half-million dollars in 2021.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 14, 2022
‘I Did Not Shake My Son’: Is a Father Serving Life for a Crime That Never Occurred?
Expert says trauma from childbirth, not shaking, led to the death of Danyel Smith’s two-month-old child.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 06, 2022
Man Left Paralyzed After Hospital Denies Care And Calls Police: Lawsuit
Accused of faking his symptoms, Joshua Lee Smith was dragged from his hospital bed, called a “junkie,” and thrown in jail, his lawsuit says. Then, he woke up paralyzed.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 16, 2022
What Would the End of Roe v. Wade Mean for Pregnancy Behind Bars?
A Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion could force thousands of incarcerated people to carry pregnancies to term.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 05, 2022
A Judge Finally Called BS on ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’
In January, a New Jersey judge said Shaken Baby Syndrome is “akin to junk science.”
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 04, 2022
Illinois Advocates Call for Action After Prison Officials Mislead on Contaminated Water
Legionella bacteria was found in five Illinois prisons in March.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 07, 2022
Illinois Prison Water Contaminated with Bacteria That Causes Legionnaires’ Disease
Corrections officials confirmed finding legionella at five facilities over the past 12 months.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 15, 2022
A New Jersey Woman Claimed Innocence In ‘Shaken Baby’ Death. Now Her Conviction May Get Another Look.
Spurred by an Appeal investigation into Michelle Heale’s controversial 2015 case, a law professor is asking New Jersey’s Conviction Review Unit to “correct an injustice” and set Heale free.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 15, 2022
After Years Locked up for Stealing Cold Medicine, Reginald Randolph Is Released
But if he loses his appeal and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declines to grant him clemency, he will likely be sent back to prison.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jan 25, 2022
Thinking Of Those Who Can’t Be Home For The Holidays
It’s been quite a year for us, to say the least. In May, we unionized. Then our former bosses shut The Appeal down. But we, the workers, resolved to save The Appeal and continue the important work we do covering the criminal legal system. Since then, we succeeded in becoming a worker-led nonprofit newsroom. We […]
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Meg O'Connor Dec 21, 2021
“It’s like a slow war, like a slow burn. Like a slow, quiet form of torture.”
Thank you for all of your support. Your contributions have enabled us to turn The Appeal into a worker-led newsroom dedicated to exposing the harms of the criminal legal system — and to begin publishing again! Check out some of our recent pieces: We uncovered a robbery task force at DC’s Metropolitan Police Department that […]
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Dec 14, 2021
State Senators Ask Gov. Hochul to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers
Reginald Randolph is currently serving a two to four year sentence in state prison for stealing cold medicine
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Dec 04, 2021
A Homeless Man Has Spent 800 Days At Rikers After Stealing Cold Medicine. Now His Prison Sentence May Be Beginning.
Blind in one eye and at risk of losing vision in the other, 58-year-old Reginald Randolph is now on the verge of being sent to state prison to serve out a maximum of four years in state prison.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 02, 2021
People Are Being Tortured Inside New Jersey’s Prisons
Inside New Jersey’s Bayside State Prison, corrections officer John Makos allegedly tortured incarcerated kitchen workers. In one incident, he approximated a “crucifixion” by handcuffing his victim’s outstretched arms to fences and doors, then beat him, according to a criminal complaint issued by the Department of Justice last month.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 19, 2021
To End Solitary Confinement, Advocates Turn Up the Pressure on Sheriffs
Sheriffs who run county jails bear responsibility for placing people in torturous isolation.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 30, 2021
The State Convicted Him of Child Abuse. A Medical Expert Said It Was Likely Diaper Rash
A man is serving two life sentences for a crime that, according to his legal team, never occurred.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 29, 2021
Pregnant Women Allege Abuse in Texas Jails
At the same time, state lawmakers are pushing to incarcerate more people pretrial.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2021
Brooklyn Center Mayor Unveils Plan To Decrease Police Traffic Enforcement Powers
The proposal by Mike Elliott, if passed by City Council, would also create a department of unarmed professionals trained to respond to mental health needs.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 08, 2021
Aftab Pureval and David Mann Win Cincinnati Mayoral Primary
The candidates—who didn’t support an affordable housing investment that was rejected by voters today—now advance to the November ballot.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 04, 2021
Cincinnati’s Upcoming Mayoral Race is ‘Make or Break’ for Policing and Housing
True public safety, advocates say, is one of the most urgent issues facing Cincinnati voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 29, 2021
Maryland Could Be the First State to Provide Lawyers for Tenants Facing Eviction
A bill passed by the state legislature, but yet to be enacted, would offer access to counsel for low-income renters.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 16, 2021
‘It Tears Families Apart’: Lawmakers Nationwide Are Moving to End Mandatory Sentencing
Repealing state and federal mandatory minimums will help address the mass incarceration crisis, advocates hope.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 15, 2021
Maryland Bans Sentencing Children to Life Without Parole
The bill gives hundreds of people an opportunity to petition for earlier release.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 13, 2021
Unless The Biden Administration Acts, Thousands Could Go Back to Federal Prison
A Department of Justice memo from January could have a devastating effect on many federal prisoners who have been released on home confinement.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 05, 2021
D.A.s Are Asking Biden to End the Death Penalty. But Some Are Still Wielding It Themselves
Prosecutors who have championed criminal justice reforms are still seeking death sentences, opposing appeals, and, in some cases, have even petitioned for execution dates.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 05, 2021
Activists Who Helped Elect Birmingham Mayor Balk at Police Expansion Plans
Mayor Randall Woodfin is increasing police funding and ignoring calls for non-law enforcement public safety alternatives.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 30, 2021
Children Can Be On Their Own When Grilled By Police. The Push for Protection is Growing
Several states, including Maryland, are considering bills to protect minors from abusive police interrogations.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 25, 2021
Virginia Becomes the First Southern State to Abolish the Death Penalty
Abolition advocates are celebrating a milestone for racial justice.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 24, 2021
How Chesa Boudin Is Pursuing His Promise to Reduce Incarceration
After more than a year in office—and despite pushback—the San Francisco DA’s policies have kept people out of jails and prisons.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 18, 2021
Virginia Bans Mental Health Evidence in Trials. Lawmakers Could Soon Change This
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.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 24, 2021
Most Tenants Facing Eviction Don’t Have a Right to an Attorney. Lawmakers Want to Change That
Numerous city councils and state legislatures are debating giving renters a right to counsel, which can make the difference between stability and catastrophe.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 18, 2021
New York City Has People on Parole In Jails At Rates Not Seen Since The Early Pandemic
Despite calls to reduce incarcerated populations, the number of people being detained for minor parole violations has been rising.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 10, 2021