Political Report

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

‘Life Sentences Are Death Sentences.’ How This D.A. Candidate Wants to Decarcerate Manhattan

Dan Quart makes the case for addressing the "systemic breakdown" in New York’s prisons and jails with shorter sentences, ending cash bail, and other reforms.

Daniel Nichanian Mar 11, 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

How Public Defenders Rocked Las Vegas Judge Elections

Community organizing in Nevada’s Clark County helped judicial candidates "flip the bench" to challenge cash bail and mass incarceration.

Sam Mellins Dec 21, 2020

How States Transformed Criminal Justice in 2020, and How They Fell Short

This year of crises, revisited: Nearly 90 state-level bills and initiatives. 16 themes. 7 maps.

Daniel Nichanian Dec 18, 2020

Two New Orleans Public Defenders Elected Judge in a Push to “Flip the Bench”

Angel Harris and Nandi Campbell will become criminal court judges, bucking the norm of former prosecutors filling the role.

Katie Jane Fernelius Nov 04, 2020

California Could End Cash Bail. But is This Alternative Any Better?

Proposition 25 would replace the current system with an even more punitive one, some criminal justice reform groups say.

Lauren Lee White Oct 21, 2020

New Orleans Public Defenders Are Mobilizing to “Flip the Bench”

These candidates are highlighting the power of judges to challenge mass incarceration.

Katie Jane Fernelius Oct 16, 2020

“Unconscionable”: New York Senator Denounces State’s Medicaid Cuts and Criminal Justice Reform Rollbacks

“When we look back on this time, what we’re going to be judged by is how we protected those who are most vulnerable,” Alessandra Biaggi said.

Daniel Nichanian Apr 09, 2020

Chesa Boudin’s New Bail Policy is Nation’s Most Progressive. It Also Reveals Persistence of Tough-on-Crime Norms.

Boudin just eliminated cash bail and restricted pretrial detention in San Francisco. He also reaffirmed a flawed quest to predict who should be jailed over what they might do.

Colin Doyle Jan 30, 2020

When a Sheriff’s Jail Is Emptied

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

Jessica Pishko Jan 24, 2020

Prosecutors Roll Out Reforms in Four States

A Maryland prosecutor stops seeking cash bail, Kentucky and Virginia prosecutors limit pot cases, and a Hawaii prosecutor reduces charges for driving offenses.

Daniel Nichanian Sep 19, 2019

2018 Election Preview: District Attorney of Dallas County

Marijuana prosecutions and bail reform at the forefront of Dallas DA race.

Daniel Nichanian Oct 25, 2018