Epstein’s Death Reveals ‘Culture of Indifference’ in Jails
The same culture exists across the country, experts say—with devastating effects.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 12, 2019
For New York’s Police Union, Any Accountability For Eric Garner’s Death Is Too Much
Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 05, 2019
Mayors Running for President Take Heat on Police Brutality and Racial Profiling During Debates
Current and former mayors were questioned about how they managed their police departments.
Aaron Morrison Aug 01, 2019
Drug Treatment Is Reaching More Prisons and Jails
Recent legal victories have spurred counties and states to provide medication-assisted treatment to prisoners struggling with substance use.
JB Nicholas Jul 31, 2019
Prison Systems Can Respect the Religious Rights of Muslims. State Government Should Ensure They Do.
Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 29, 2019
When Cops Lie, Should Prosecutors Rely Upon Their Testimony At Trial?
In California, Texas and Florida, advocates sent letters to district attorneys, demanding that they refuse to work with officers with histories of misconduct.
States Are Blocking Courtroom Recording. But Reform Requires Transparency.
Sarah Lustbader Jul 23, 2019
Spotlight: Cory Booker’s New Sentencing Reform Bill Is About Redemption
Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 19, 2019
Media Frame: 5 Common Tactics Used to Discredit Reform D.A.s
The backlash is underway against a recent wave of prosecutors who champion criminal justice reform. Here are some methods of attack.
The Power of Peremptory Strikes
As public servants, prosecutors should be willing to put their cases before anyone in the communities they serve.
Vida B. Johnson Jul 18, 2019
Media Frame: Fentanyl Panic Is Worsening the Overdose Crisis
Sensational and false news reports about the drug are pushing lawmakers to enact harmful policies.
Media Frame: A ‘War on Cops’ Narrative Without Evidence
ABC News claims anti-police violence is on the rise but offers no data.
Spotlight: The Citizenship Question, the Supreme Court, and Who Deserves a Do-Over
Sarah Lustbader Jun 28, 2019
Spotlight: The Supreme Court on Curtis Flowers—Right for the Wrong Reasons
Sarah Lustbader Jun 27, 2019
Spotlight: Presidential Candidates—Pay Attention to Poverty and All of Its Drivers
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 26, 2019
Media Frame: Time to Ban Ride-Along Police TV
Reality shows like ‘The First 48,’ ‘Live PD,’ and ‘Cops’ are interfering in legal cases, exploiting people of color, and threatening lives.
Adam H. Johnson Jun 24, 2019
Spotlight: When Police Spread Racism and Hate Online, It Says Something About How They Work
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 19, 2019
Spotlight: Departing Alabama Sheriffs Deplete Funds and (Usually) Face No Consequences
Sarah Lustbader Jun 18, 2019
Spotlight: Supporting Solitary for Manafort Means Supporting It for Everyone
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 05, 2019
Spotlight: Neighborhood Crime Apps Stoke Fears, Reinforce Racist Stereotypes, And Don’t Prevent Crime
Sarah Lustbader Jun 04, 2019
Spotlight: In A Study of Cops’ Facebook Accounts, 1 in 5 Had Posted Racist, Violent Content
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 03, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: Policing Public Health
With Leo Beletsky, Appeal contributor and Associate Professor of Law and Health Sciences at Northeastern University.
Adam H. Johnson Apr 25, 2019
The Push to End ‘Punishment Fever’ Against People With HIV
Advocates say laws that land people with HIV on the sex offender registry are outdated and dangerous.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 11, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: The Risks of Risk Assessment
With Hannah Sassaman and Matt Henry
Adam H. Johnson Apr 04, 2019
I Worked As a Bail Bond Agent. Here’s What I Learned.
Low-income women are fueling bail industry profits—and getting harmed in the process.
A Mother Grapples With an Adoption that Led to Deaths
Tammy Scheurich, who lost three biological children in the Hart family crash last year, tells her story for the first time.
Roxanna Asgarian Feb 26, 2019
Prison Tech Company Is Questioned for Retaining ‘Voice Prints’ of People Presumed Innocent
Defense attorneys say they were unaware of the practice and are unclear on how they can expunge the data of nonconvicted clients.
Corizon, The Prison Healthcare Giant, Stumbles Again
The company recently lost its contract with Arizona after allegations of serious—and sometimes fatal—medical neglect that have echoes across the country.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 08, 2019
Prisons Across the U.S. Are Quietly Building Databases of Incarcerated People’s Voice Prints
The technology also allows authorities to mine call databases and cross-reference the voices of individuals prisoners have spoken with.
New Study Finds Body Cameras Aren’t Objective Witnesses
People who view body cam footage of an incident are less likely to attribute blame to a police officer than those who see the same incident through the lens of a dashboard camera.
Nicole Wetsman Jan 29, 2019
‘The Sixth Amendment Doesn’t Shut Down When the Government Does’
Federal defenders say the shutdown is hurting poor people stuck in jail.
Kira Lerner Jan 24, 2019
Justice in America: Public Defenders on the Front Lines
Josie and Clint talk with Jon Rapping, the founder and president of Gideon’s Promise.
Announcing Season 2 of ‘Justice in America’
Join Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith for the most important discussions on criminal justice.
Editors Jan 15, 2019
The Appeal Podcast: The Power of Sheriffs
With Appeal contributor Jessica Pishko.
Adam H. Johnson Jan 10, 2019
The Power of Sheriffs: Explained
Jessica Pishko Jan 04, 2019
Caging Kids Is An American Tradition
Trump didn’t start it, but we can end it.
Ethan Brown Jan 03, 2019
The Appeal’s Favorite Stories of 2018
Our staff picks 12 stories worth reading (or rereading) before the new year.
Dec 27, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: Black Lives Matter and Racism in the Criminal System
With Angela J. Davis, Appeal contributor and professor of law at American University's Washington College of Law.
Adam H. Johnson Dec 06, 2018
California Governor Jerry Brown is Fighting Trump With Pardons. Will Other Governors Follow Suit?
The departing governor has chosen to pardon immigrants whose past criminal offenses put them in danger of deportation.
Melissa Gira Grant Nov 29, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: The Pseudoscience behind Forensic Science
With Jessica Brand, Legal Director at The Justice Collaborative and Appeal contributor.
The Appeal Podcast: Real Reform vs. Faux Reform
With Appeal senior staff reporter, and co-host of the Justice in America podcast, Josie Duffy Rice.
Adam H. Johnson Nov 15, 2018
How Tuesday’s Sheriff Elections Dealt a Blow to ICE
Local allies of the Trump administration fought challengers over immigration policy.
Daniel Nichanian Nov 08, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: Criminalizing Trans Lives
With Appeal writer Aviva Stahl and trans rights activist Ceyenne Doroshow.
Billionaire Pushes Marsy’s Law To Victory in Six States, Despite Concerns That It Threatens Defendants’ Rights
Victims’ rights campaign spent more than $70 million nationwide, with more than half of that spent in Florida.
Melissa Gira Grant Nov 07, 2018
Your Essential Criminal Justice Guide to Election Night
From sheriffs to bail to marijuana, and more—here’s what you need to know.
Daniel Nichanian Nov 05, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: Prison Strikes Are the Front Line Against Mass Incarceration
With Appeal staff reporter Raven Rakia.
Adam H. Johnson Oct 25, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: The Cruelty of Felony Murder Laws
With Appeal contributor Katie Rose Quandt.
Adam H. Johnson Oct 04, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: Why Police Accountability is as Elusive as Ever
With Appeal staff reporter George Joseph.
Adam H. Johnson Sep 27, 2018
Justice in America Episode 10: A Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates
Josie and Clint talk with the author and journalist about race, politics, and mass incarceration.
The Incalculable Costs of Mass Incarceration
Prisons carry enormous, perhaps impossible to measure social costs—but when assessing the system fiscally, reformers should focus on staffing salaries instead of the number of incarcerated people.
John Pfaff Sep 20, 2018
Justice in America Episode 9: How Democrats and Republicans Created Mass Incarceration
Josie and Clint talk with Elizabeth Hinton, Associate Professor of History and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.
Safe Injection Sites Are On the Way. But Will Prosecutions Follow?
As the federal government vows to pursue ‘swift and aggressive action’ against the sites, experts weigh in on what’s likely to happen next.
Maura Ewing Sep 13, 2018
Justice in America Episode 8: Crimmigration
Josie and Clint talk with Alida Garcia, an attorney and advocate at FWD.us, about where immigration and criminal law increasingly overlap.
Deported Before His Case Was Closed
Immigrants are being deported while their cases are still pending, immigration attorneys say.
Zack Peterson Sep 11, 2018
The Appeal Podcast: Against Innocence
With Appeal contributor Zoé Samudzi.
Adam H. Johnson Sep 06, 2018
The Endless Punishment of Civil Commitment
Prosecutors can subject those convicted of sexual offenses—and sometimes, those with no conviction at all—to an indefinite period of civil punishment at the end of their criminal sentence.
Guy Hamilton-Smith Sep 04, 2018
Justice in America Episode 6: The Faces of Mass Incarceration
Beyond the numbers of America’s incarceration crisis.
Justice in America Episode 5: Excluded From Democracy
A deep dive into the history and future of disenfranchising people who have been convicted of felonies.
The Appeal Podcast Episode 12: When Electronic Cages Replace Steel and Cement
With journalist Kira Lerner.
Adam H. Johnson Aug 16, 2018
For Some Local Prosecutors, the Post-Roe World is Already Here
As the potential demise of Roe v. Wade looms, past and current prosecutions of pregnant women illustrate what lies ahead.
Rebecca McCray Aug 10, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 11: Prosecutors Team Up With Walmart to Crack Down on Petty Crime
With journalist Jessica Pishko.
Adam H. Johnson Aug 09, 2018
Justice in America Episode 3: Who Built Mass Incarceration? Prosecutors
A podcast from The Appeal, featuring Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith.
How Criminal Justice Reformers Should Confront Justice Kennedy’s Retirement
First, look to local prosecutor elections.
Justice in America Episode 2: The 94% — Plea Deals
A podcast from The Appeal, featuring Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III.
The Appeal Podcast Episode 9: The History––and Promise––of the Bail Abolition Movement
With journalist Bryce Covert.
Adam H. Johnson Jul 26, 2018
Drug Testing Organizations Save Lives, So Why Haven’t Rave and Concert Organizers Embraced Them?
Groups like the Loop and DanceSafe test drugs like Ecstasy and warn users of high dosages and adulterants, but federal legislation from the early 2000s has live music promoters wary of their brand of harm reduction.
Zachary A. Siegel Jul 25, 2018
Expert: Crime registries turn people into pariahs with ‘very little to lose’
New types of registries are being created around the country, despite research showing they don’t work.
Jessica Pishko Jul 20, 2018
The Court Watch Movement Wants To Expose The ‘House of Cards’
Prosecutors and judges across the country are starting to feel eyes on them.
Bryce Covert Jul 16, 2018
What Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court Would Mean for Criminal Justice
Trump’s pick to replace Justice Kennedy would most likely undermine the rights of criminal defendants and stall progress on solitary confinement, prisoners’ rights, and the death penalty.
Kyle C. Barry Jul 13, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 7: What Abolitionists Mean When They Talk About Abolition
With William C. Anderson, journalist and co-author of As Black As Resistance.
Adam H. Johnson Jul 12, 2018
Why Sex Offender Registries Keep Growing Even as Sexual Violence Rates Fall
Lists that include out-of-state visitors are inflating the numbers and keeping fear at a boil.
Steven Yoder Jul 03, 2018
Broad Anti-Trafficking Law Faces Its First Constitutional Challenge
Human rights groups, sex worker rights activists, a digital archive and others say they are already facing censorship.
Melissa Gira Grant Jun 28, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 3: Turning Users Into Dealers and Overdoses into Murders
Guest Zachary A. Siegel is a journalist covering the opioid crisis.
Adam H. Johnson Jun 07, 2018
We’ve been fighting the drug war for 50 years. So why aren’t we winning?
A new paper argues that President Johnson’s 1967 Commission on Law Enforcement’s report on the subject was “decades ahead of its time.”
Zachary A. Siegel Jun 04, 2018
These Public Defenders Want to Fight Bias From the Bench
But their push to unseat judges is drawing backlash from a surprising source—fellow Democrats.
Max Rivlin-Nadler Jun 01, 2018
Announcing The Appeal Podcast
Our debut episodes feature Josie Duffy Rice on prosecutors and Melissa Gira Grant on criminalizing sex work.
Adam H. Johnson May 31, 2018
The Appeal Podcast Episode 1: District Attorneys Are The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of
With Josie Duffy Rice, senior staff reporter at The Appeal.
Lawsuit Tests the Supreme Court’s ‘Immunity Protection Program’ for Police Officers Who Kill
Kyle C. Barry May 25, 2018
The Perverse Incentives of Punishment
John Pfaff May 18, 2018
Two States Just Made It Easier to Take Babies Away From Mothers Who Use Drugs During Pregnancy
Lisa Sangoi May 17, 2018
Faulty Forensics: Explained
Jessica Brand May 04, 2018
New Documents Reveal How ICE Mines Local Police Databases Across the Country
George Joseph Apr 26, 2018
The Epidemic of Brady Violations: Explained
Jessica Brand Apr 25, 2018
The Power of Prosecutors
Shaun King Apr 24, 2018
Anti-Backpage Law Not Yet Enacted, But the Crackdown on Sex Workers Has Already Begun
Melissa Gira Grant Apr 10, 2018
Anti-Online Trafficking Bills Advance in Congress, Despite Opposition from Survivors Themselves
Melissa Gira Grant Mar 14, 2018
The Black Love Bail Out Aims to Free Poor Defendants — And Teach Others To Do The Same
Bryce Covert Mar 08, 2018
How Zombie Crime Stats, Phantom Stats and Frankenstats Paint a Misleading Picture on Crime
John Pfaff Mar 01, 2018
Inertia and the Death Penalty
Lee Kovarsky Jan 17, 2018
Finding a Place for Restorative Justice
A new project chronicles the myriad alternative visions of justice taking place in the U.S. and Canada.
Rebecca McCray Nov 17, 2017
Commentary: Attorney General Sessions Says He Wants To Target Gangs, But In The Federal Bureau of Prisons Gangs Find A Home Base, And A Place To Flourish
Seth Ferranti Nov 10, 2017
We’re Putting Sex Offender Stamps on Passports. Here’s Why It Won’t Curb Sex Tourism & Trafficking.
Guy Hamilton-Smith Nov 09, 2017
Despite “Public Health” Messaging, Law Enforcement Increasingly Prosecutes Overdoses as Homicides
Zachary A. Siegel Nov 08, 2017
Cops Who Slap Homeless Women, Rape Prisoners, Assault Children, and Keep their Jobs … and Other Unseen News from The World’s Most Carceral State
Shaun King Nov 07, 2017
Injustice Roundup: My Weekly Roundup of Stories on Abusive Police Officers, Prison Guards, and Prosecutors
Shaun King Oct 30, 2017
Dispatches from the Still Raging Drug War
Matt Henry Oct 16, 2017