In LA Jails, Mentally Ill People Are Chained to Tables and Rarely Get Psychiatric Care
Los Angeles County is imprisoning more people with mental illness than it did a decade ago—but is failing to provide them with basic treatment. The U.S. Department of Justice says the county jail system is decrepit, dangerous, and unfit to house anyone—let alone people with mental illness.
Report: Nearly 200 New Orleans Cops Were Accused Of Sexual Misconduct, Domestic Violence, or Harassment
A judge ruled the report can be used as evidence in the civil case against an ex-NOPD officer who sexually assaulted a teenage rape victim.
LA is Locking Up More Mentally Ill People, Despite Diversion Efforts
In 2015, Los Angeles County created a program to reduce the number of mentally ill people trapped in jail. But since then, the number of people with mental illness incarcerated in LA has instead increased significantly.
Midterm Elections Deliver Some Good News for Criminal Legal Reform
Midterm election results show the bad-faith “crime wave” narrative failed to con a critical mass of voters, who instead want a less draconian police state.
Almost All Abortions Are Now Banned in Arizona
A judge allowed a Civil War-era law to go back into effect today. The law requires two to five years in prison for people who provide abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant person.
Stop Letting Politicians Trick You About Abortion
The stakes for getting reporting on abortion right are very high, but it costs nothing to call out politicians on their BS.
How to Get an Abortion by Mail in Your State
States will have a hard time stopping medication abortion. Abortion pills are safer than Tylenol and have been approved by the FDA since 2000.
Arizona Judge Blocks Law That Treats Fetuses as People
The law granted embryos and fetuses the same rights as a person. Civil rights groups sought an injunction out of concern the law could criminalize people who provide or obtain abortions.
Justice Department Launches Investigation Into NYPD’s Troubled Special Victims Division
The probe will assess whether the SVD engages in a “pattern or practice of gender-biased policing,” according to the DOJ.
Here’s How You Can Help People After Roe
Resources from organizations that have spent decades helping people access abortions and defending people who are criminalized for their pregnancy outcomes.
What To Expect Now That Roe’s Been Overturned
Most abortion bans criminalize providers by making it a felony to perform an abortion. But experts say people who obtain abortions can and will be criminalized for their pregnancy outcomes — they already have been even while Roe was still in place.
Without Roe, Prosecutors Will Be The Abortion Police
Prosecutors across the country could soon be tasked with enforcing abortion laws that require people to reproduce against their will.
Criminalized Abortions Loom Over Phoenix’s Biggest Prosecutor Election
Maricopa County elects a new top prosecutor this year. In the meantime, state law could let the county’s conservative county attorney prosecute abortions if Roe falls.
Don’t Let Cops Co-Opt Denim Day
Her jeans were so tight, she couldn’t have been raped, the judges said.
Ex-Prison Boss Drunkenly Pulls Gun On Cops, Shows Two Tiers Of Justice
On the night of Jan. 6, Arizona’s former prison director, Charles Ryan, drank half a bottle of tequila and got into a three-hour armed standoff that involved about 50 police officers. After a tense confrontation in which Ryan repeatedly pointed a gun at officers, Tempe police took Ryan into custody and brought him to a hospital — but he was never booked into jail. In the end, Ryan went back home like nothing had happened.
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 […]
How the NYPD’s Troubled Sex Crimes Unit Is Set Up To Fail Victims
Former top cops say a culture of neglect at the NYPD has left inexperienced and poorly trained officers in charge of some of the department’s most sensitive cases.
“Woman of the Year” Mariska Hargitay Should Quit “SVU”
Last month, Glamour magazine featured “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay on the cover of its “Women of the Year” issue. On Nov. 8, an avalanche of A-list celebrities — including “SVU” co-stars Christopher Meloni and Ice-T, actress Melissa McCarthy, and #MeToo co-founder Tarana Burke — honored Hargitay at the Women of the Year Awards which was held at the Rainbow Room, a ballroom that serves as one of the epicenters of New York City high-society.
One Rochester Cop’s Abuses Reveal A Culture of Police Impunity
If Officer Matthew Drake had faced serious discipline for his misconduct, he might not have been on duty the night of Tyshon Jones’s death.
America’s Largest Police Department Is Neglecting Rape Cases
The Appeal is back and we’re worker-run. We’re excited to bring you the fifth edition of our weekly newsletter as we continue to work toward an official relaunch. Today, we also published our first story in a series of pieces we’ll be publishing in the coming weeks as we continue rebuilding and working toward an […]
Austin Uses Money From Police Budget to Fund Substance Use Care
The city will use $1 million in funds diverted from its police budget to expand substance use treatments and harm reduction services for low-income people in Austin and Travis County.
Tishaura Jones Wins St. Louis Mayoral Race
Jones’s election is the latest in a string of progressive victories in the region.
This Anti-Violence Strategy May Be Coming to St. Louis, but Activists See Red Flags
Both mayoral candidates in tomorrow’s election favor an approach called focused deterrence. Some advocates caution it could reinforce punitive policing.
Cara Spencer Is Running To Lead St. Louis Through A Time Of Crisis And Opportunity
The mayoral candidate said she wants to drive down violent crime, stimulate economic growth and development, and reinvest in the city’s struggling schools and neighborhoods.
What The St. Louis Mayoral Candidates Would Do To Close The City’s Notorious Workhouse Jail
Tishaura Jones wants to decriminalize offenses and transfer people out of the Workhouse. Cara Spencer wants to end the contract to house federal detainees.
Arizona Man Faces Decades In Prison After Not Returning a Rental Car on Time
B.S., a 61-year-old Black man, has struggled with substance use for decades. Now, prosecutors are leveraging his record against him—and forbidding references to racial justice, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, B.S.’s potential sentence, or his health problems at his trial.
Phoenix Wants To Shift Crisis Response Away From Police—While Also Increasing The Police Budget
The trial budget includes a proposal to expand a crisis response program under the fire department, but also includes a $3.7 million increase to the Phoenix Police Department’s $745 million budget.
The St. Louis Mayoral Race Reflects a Progressive Shift In Local Politics
Two progressive candidates will move on to the general election, while Lewis Reed, a figure in St. Louis’s Democratic party establishment since 1999, couldn’t carry a single ward.
California Governor Commutes Sentence of Abuse Survivor, Grants Clemency to Several Others
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.
A Florida Lawmaker Introduced Legislation to Remove Traffic Enforcement From Police
Cities across the country have begun exploring traffic enforcement without police. This bill proposes doing so statewide.
Rochester Police Tackle and Pepper-Spray Woman With 3-Year-Old Child
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.
Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer Win St. Louis Mayoral Primary
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.
The Future of Housing in St. Louis Hinges on the Mayoral Race
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.
Policing and Public Safety at Odds in St. Louis Mayoral Race
Instead of expanding the “arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate model,” advocates want the next mayor to address the root causes of violence.
Tishaura Jones Wants to Change St. Louis
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.
No Criminal Charges for Cops Involved in Daniel Prude’s Death
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.
This Election Could Decide St. Louis’s Future
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.
Police Violence Puts the Heat on Rochester Mayor as She Seeks a Third Term
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.
Austin To Buy Second Hotel That Will Become Permanent Supportive Housing
The city will use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the people who will live at the hotel.
State Lawmakers Are Pushing New Bills To Reduce Reliance On Police
So far in 2021, lawmakers in several states have introduced at least 12 bills to shrink the footprint of policing.