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.

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.

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behind the Harris County district attorney’s message to ‘put down your gun and pick up an employment application’ is outdated.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

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.

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

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