Rachel M. Cohen
Rachel Cohen is a freelance journalist based in Washington D.C. where she covers social policy and politics.
Syracuse School Board Elections Heat Up Over Police Debate
Student activists pushing for police-free schools in Syracuse, New York, are backing Twiggy Billue, a candidate in the June 22 primary who wants to follow school districts across the country that have cut ties with cops.
Rachel M. Cohen Jun 11, 2021
The Pandemic Spurred Governors to Grant Clemency, But Advocates Say It Isn’t Enough
Despite sentencing reforms, hundreds of thousands of people who have been incarcerated over the last several decades are ineligible for parole.
Rachel M. Cohen May 24, 2021
Utah’s Hard-Won Bail Reforms Are in Jeopardy
State lawmakers curbed cash bail last year, but now they’re backtracking. Governor Spencer Cox could keep the reforms intact.
Rachel M. Cohen Mar 19, 2021
New Massachusetts Law Paves the Way for Police-Free Schools
Massachusetts ended a mandate requiring cops in schools. Now advocates want Maryland and Florida, the remaining states with such laws, to follow suit.
Rachel M. Cohen Feb 12, 2021
Washington State’s Most Populous County Curbed Covid-19 Among The Homeless By Moving Them To Hotels. But One Local Government Fought Back.
Seattle suburb Renton is battling an emergency homeless shelter through its zoning code.
Rachel M. Cohen Feb 10, 2021
Newly Elected Michigan Prosecutor Will Stop Seeking Cash Bail
As prosecutors nationwide tackle bail reform, advocates press for more steps to take money out of detention decisions.
Rachel M. Cohen Jan 04, 2021
Philadelphia Teacher Faces 65 Years In Prison After Another Person Torched A Police Car During A Protest
U.S Attorney William McSwain denies he’s targeted the social justice leader, but experts say prosecutors’ use of the man’s clothing and social media to argue that he should be detained pretrial is unusual.
Rachel M. Cohen Dec 09, 2020
School Board Elections Are Confronting the School-to-Prison Pipeline
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, a push to remove armed police from schools could hinge on the outcome of local school board races.
Rachel M. Cohen Oct 23, 2020
Cincinnati Is an Epicenter for the Death Penalty. Its Prosecutor Race Could End That in November.
In Hamilton County, Joe Deters has sent more people to death row than any other prosecutor in Ohio. His challenger, Fanon Rucker, promises to stop that practice.
Rachel M. Cohen Sep 15, 2020
St. Louis Prosecutor Faces Voters, After Years of Sustained Fire from Police Union
Kim Gardner has an Aug. 4 rematch against a former prosecutor whom she defeated four years ago, but the terrain has shifted significantly since 2016.
Rachel M. Cohen Jul 23, 2020
How The Largest Known Homeless Encampment In Minneapolis History Came To Be
The frustrations of residents in the Powderhorn neighborhood, not far from where George Floyd was killed, have gotten some national coverage. But the homelessness crisis in the city isn’t new, and it could soon get worse.
Rachel M. Cohen Jul 15, 2020
Washington Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Automatically Cleared Criminal Records
Advocates stress that automating the expungement process will help protect people with past charges or convictions from the economic devastation of COVID-19.
Rachel M. Cohen May 19, 2020