Jessica Pishko

The Texas jail is bursting at the seams as officials push for more pretrial incarceration.

Though domestic violence is often cited as a reason to maintain the carceral status quo, advocates say there are more humane—and effective—alternatives.

Executive Summary Sheriffs are the so-called “tip of the spear” in eviction proceedings. While they do not instigate eviction proceedings or participate in court processes, sheriffs and their deputies in most states participate in the physical eviction process, which includes serving the writ that notifies tenants of their evictions, forcibly removing tenants from the property, […]

The Snohomish County sheriff is among a string of officials nationwide who have combined a refusal to enforce lockdown orders with broader policies of increased policing and arrests.

When people are arrested and booked into a local jail, they often end up on ICE’s radar. Sheriffs are a major reason why.

Executive Summary Rural communities have certain traits that make them particularly vulnerable in a pandemic. On the whole, people living in rural regions are poorer, older, and less healthy. One in three rural counties has a poverty rate over 20%. More than half of all births at rural hospitals are covered by Medicaid. Rural communities […]

Executive Summary California has quickly become one of the epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic. To date, the state has one of the highest infection rates and over 500 deaths from the coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control currently predicts that the United States will see around 200,000 deaths even if citizens practice “social distancing,” which […]

As infections and deaths mount, state leaders and law enforcement are turning to tough-on-crime tactics in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sheriffs wield enormous power, and they can direct it in ways that will help contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect incarcerated people.

In a joint statement, they emphasized the need to reduce the number of people currently incarcerated in order to contain the deadly COVID-19 virus.

A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier.

Critics say there may be systemic problems with how the unit is run within the Los Angeles County DA’s office.

The attitude behind the Harris County district attorney’s message to ‘put down your gun and pick up an employment application’ is outdated.

New York sheriffs are fighting the state’s cuts to pretrial detention. But bail reform can push sheriffs to embrace shrinking jails.

The former San Francisco DA got the nod over incumbent Jackie Lacey, whose tenure advocates and activists have long criticized as lackluster.

On a host of issues—including police shootings, bail reform, marijuana legalization, and the death penalty—critics say Lacey, once seen as a reformer, has sought to preserve the status quo.

Our ongoing series on the role of sheriffs turns to a site of heated political battles: policing powers.

Assemblymember Jim Cooper is pushing to roll back changes that have successfully reduced incarceration.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen.

Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change.

Sheriffs often control access to treatment in jail and shape law enforcement attitudes toward the opioid crisis. What are their roles?

Advocates are pushing to abolish the office in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Senate Bill 1437 virtually eliminated the ‘felony-murder rule,’ but district attorneys aren’t ready to let it go.

Jail deaths happen with alarming regularity. The Badge probes the responsibility of sheriffs.

‘There were explosions everywhere … I had no idea who was in the house.’

With wide jurisdiction and limited oversight, sheriffs play a pivotal role in policing and incarceration.

In September 2018, President Trump stood in front of 44 sheriffs as he began another diatribe against the New York Times and other media outlets that had published stories criticizing his administration. The sheriffs applauded. The meeting was originally scheduled to be between the sheriffs and officials from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Getting a […]

Trial begins in class action suit alleging medical neglect by Louisiana State Penitentiary.

After being released from prison, her only chance is a pardon from the governor.

New types of registries are being created around the country, despite research showing they don’t work.

A teenage girl spent weeks in jail, and her mother is still locked up on a $150,000 bond.

In September of 2017, Atlanta Police arrested 48-year-old Sean Ramsey for holding up a sign that read “homeless, please help,” an apparent violation of a law forbidding pedestrians from soliciting rides or business.

In our Explainer series, Justice Collaborative lawyers and other legal experts help unpack some of the most complicated issues in the criminal justice system. We break down the problems behind the headlines—like bail, civil asset forfeiture, or the Brady doctrine—so that everyone can understand them. Wherever possible, we try to utilize the stories of those affected by […]

By charging shoplifters with felonies, Jeff Reisig is circumventing Prop 47, intended to reduce CA prison populations.

It was late afternoon on Dec. 26, 2016 — the day after Christmas, a day when most stores are busy processing the returns for unwanted gifts — when Curtis Lawson entered a Walmart in Knoxville, Tennessee. He had a receipt for $39.57 in purchases made earlier that month. He needed cash. He walked through the store, picking up the […]

In March of 2010, Jesus Aguirre, Jr. had just turned 16 and was hanging out with a group of friends in Buena Park, California, when a fight broke out amongst nearly 20 boys. One of the boys fired a shotgun full of birdshot at another teen, who sustained “superficial” injuries, according to the Buena Park Police Department […]

Mecklenburg, North Carolina District Attorney R. Andrew Murray doesn’t seem to understand the problem with the county’s deferred prosecutions system, even after a group of faith leaders held a press conference Monday morning, arguing that the current system discriminates against the poor most in need of help. The protest was timed with a hearing in the case of Charlotte […]

Texas residents have recently been coming around to the idea that carrying small amounts of pot shouldn’t be a crime. Houston’s current district attorney Kim Ogg announced in this year that she would no longer prosecute cases involving small amounts of marijuana, instead recommending a diversion program that would prevent a criminal record. DA Nico LaHood also […]

In this Oregon capital case, it could ensure that the state doesn’t execute the wrong man.

Leon Cannizzaro faced off against the New Orleans City Council this past Wednesday. What began as a request for the council to restore $600,000 in funding to the District Attorney’s office turned into a referendum on Cannizzaro’s punitive tactics and general lack of concern for people’s constitutional rights. He’s been written about before for harassing defense attorneys, threatening eyewitnesses […]