Louisiana Wants to Jail Kids at Angola Prison’s Old Death Row An upcoming court ruling could decide the fate of a plan to detain “problematic youth” at a facility that previously housed prisoners awaiting execution. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 22, 2022 Calls for Action After Reports of Inedible Food at Virginia Prison Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 17, 2022 Florida’s ‘Loud Car’ Ban Gives Cops a New Excuse to Harass Drivers Jerry Iannelli Jul 27, 2022 Stacey Abrams’ Bold New Idea is to Tack to the Center Nneka Ewulonu Jul 20, 2022 Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests. Anna Simonton Jul 06, 2022 Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Calls for Action After Reports of Inedible Food at Virginia Prison Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 17, 2022 Florida’s ‘Loud Car’ Ban Gives Cops a New Excuse to Harass Drivers Jerry Iannelli Jul 27, 2022 Stacey Abrams’ Bold New Idea is to Tack to the Center Nneka Ewulonu Jul 20, 2022 Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests. Anna Simonton Jul 06, 2022 Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida’s ‘Loud Car’ Ban Gives Cops a New Excuse to Harass Drivers Jerry Iannelli Jul 27, 2022 Stacey Abrams’ Bold New Idea is to Tack to the Center Nneka Ewulonu Jul 20, 2022 Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests. Anna Simonton Jul 06, 2022 Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Stacey Abrams’ Bold New Idea is to Tack to the Center Nneka Ewulonu Jul 20, 2022 Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests. Anna Simonton Jul 06, 2022 Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Prosecutor Lauded For Investigating Trump Also Wants to Send Educators to Prison As Fulton County DA Fani Willis’s profile rises, the glossy coverage has largely ignored her crusade to incarcerate teachers accused of cheating on tests. Anna Simonton Jul 06, 2022 Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE? Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation. Tina Vasquez May 13, 2022 Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Georgia’s Unique Death Penalty Law Is Killing the Mentally Disabled Georgia is the strictest state in America when it comes to proving intellectual disability in capital cases. This month, the Supreme Court could save the life of a man who says he is mentally disabled—or let the state kill him. Lauren Gill Feb 23, 2022 Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’ After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved. Aja Arnold Dec 08, 2021 North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
North Carolina’s Clemency Process is a ‘Black Box,’ Advocates Say Even with the recent creation of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, the governor's process for granting clemency remains unclear. Katie Jane Fernelius May 21, 2021 Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida’s ‘Secret’ Formulas to Calculate Release Dates May Be Trapping People in Prison The ACLU’s ongoing battle to force the Florida Department of Corrections to release the formulas it uses to calculate release dates for imprisoned people. Jerry Iannelli May 20, 2021 In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
In Florida, Cops Who Kill Civilians Can Now Remain Anonymous Democratic prosecutors in Tampa and Miami campaigned for the 2018 initiative that paved the way for this new ruling. Jerry Iannelli Apr 08, 2021 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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
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. Meg O'Connor Mar 05, 2021 How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics. Jerry Iannelli Feb 08, 2021 A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
A Florida Senator Wants to Exclude People With Felony Convictions From the State’s Minimum Wage Increase It’s the latest bill in the state legislature’s long history of meddling with voter-approved amendments. Jerry Iannelli Jan 27, 2021 ‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown. Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021 A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
A Voter’s Guide To Georgia’s Runoff Election Control of the U.S. Senate hinges on the results of next month’s runoff. Dawn Milam Dec 02, 2020 Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida Activists Flood Polling Sites With Volunteers to Combat Voter Suppression A grassroots coalition is showing up at locations across the swing state to ensure Black and Latinx voters can cast their ballots safely. Harrison Jacobs Nov 02, 2020 Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies. Jerry Iannelli Oct 09, 2020 After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries. Joshua Vaughn Sep 17, 2020 Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Loved Ones And Prisoners Sound Alarm As Coronavirus Cases Surge At Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison As of Thursday, 993 incarcerated women and 62 staffers at Lowell Correctional Institution have tested positive for the virus. Two women have died. Alexandra DeLuca Aug 21, 2020 Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law Aug 12, 2020 Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Prisoners Inside Georgia’s Clayton County Jail Describe Desperate Efforts To Avoid COVID-19 They shared their stories as part of a lawsuit seeking urgent changes to protect prisoners. One prisoner wrote that a jail officer denied his request for a mask, so he tied old underwear around his face. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2020 Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill Jul 30, 2020 Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall? In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’ Ethan Brown Jul 01, 2020 New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
New Orleans Judge Steered People to Wear Ankle Monitors From Company Run by Campaign Donors, Lawsuit Says Judge Paul Bonin improperly required people who appeared in his courtroom to purchase ankle monitors from a private company run by one of his former law partners, a lawsuit says. Ko Bragg Jun 30, 2020 Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law Jun 26, 2020 Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Georgia Budget Cuts Threaten Prisoners’ Ability To Challenge Convictions Citing the pandemic, state legislators asked all agencies to trim their budgets. The cuts could eliminate positions for public defenders who can show a trial or sentence was unjust, overturn convictions, or reduce a person’s time. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 24, 2020 Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015. Ko Bragg, Justin Brooks Jun 17, 2020 Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Grim Stories From Inside An Arkansas Prison Capture The Toll Of Covid-19 The accounts by prisoners in Cummins Unit contradict messaging from the state Department of Corrections, which says it has taken aggressive steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lauren Gill Jun 15, 2020 Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Birmingham D.A. Says Alabama Man Who Has Spent Over Two Decades on Death Row Should Get New Trial In 1998, Toforest Johnson was sentenced to die for the 1995 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy. Now, the city’s district attorney is advocating for a new trial. Lauren Gill Jun 12, 2020 Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor. Tana Ganeva Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them. Jay Willis Jun 11, 2020 Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters. Ko Bragg Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015. Ko Bragg Jun 01, 2020 Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Despite COVID-19 Cases, Mississippi Is Slow to Review Jail Populations For Release The state’s public defender asked the state Supreme Court in April to speed up reviews of people held pretrial, but advocates say it’s unclear if district courts have complied. Ko Bragg May 28, 2020 Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Some Of The Hardest-Working Frontline Employees In New Orleans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck Garbage collectors in the city are striking for $15 an hour, hazard pay, and PPE. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 27, 2020 Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Arkansas Grants Parole To Willie Mae Harris Three Decades After She Was Convicted For Killing Her Husband Harris, now 72 and blind, was sentenced to life in prison in 1985. Since she first started petitioning for executive clemency in 1998, the state’s parole board recommended her for release five times. Lauren Gill May 20, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman Returned To Prison After Being Hospitalized For COVID-19 The family of Gloria Williams, who has served 50 years in prison, is now pressing Governor John Bel Edwards to commute her sentence 10 months after a parole board recommended she be freed. Victoria Law May 14, 2020 Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Mississippi Has Tested Fewer Than 1% of State Prisoners and Staff For COVID-19 Governor Tate Reeves has touted the state’s testing efforts as ‘aggressive,’ but testing rates in the state’s prisons, where the coronavirus has already claimed at least one life, remain low. Ko Bragg May 13, 2020 Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Advocates Push For Details On Georgia’s Response To COVID-19 In Prisons and Jails ‘Our state and local officials have a responsibility to not endanger those who are under correctional control,’ the ACLU of Georgia’s executive director said. Lauren Gill May 08, 2020 Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March. Jerry Iannelli May 07, 2020 Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Arkansas Allows Employees Who Test Positive For COVID-19 To Continue Working In The State’s Prisons Attorneys for prisoners say the policy goes against public health warnings and will ‘promote and facilitate a viral outbreak.’ Lauren Gill May 05, 2020 The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
The Public Health Risks of Jailing People for Poverty In Hillsborough County, Florida, the jail population is bloated by cash bail, fines, and fees, perpetuating health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 04, 2020 In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
In Alabama, Prisoners Must Sign Consent Form to Get Protective Masks Medical ethics experts have criticized the state’s prison officials and say masks to protect against COVID-19 should be distributed ‘with no strings attached.’ Lauren Gill Apr 23, 2020 Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana’s Longest-Serving Incarcerated Woman, Recommended for Clemency Last July, Hospitalized with COVID-19 Governor John Bel Edwards has yet to commute Gloria Williams’s sentence despite a parole board’s unanimous recommendation that she be freed. Now she is in critical condition at a Baton Rouge hospital. Victoria Law For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
For Women At A Federal Prison Hospital In Texas, Fear That Coronavirus Will Spread ‘Like Wildfire’ ‘This is getting worse,’ one woman said. ‘People just want to sleep or fight. They play with our emotions constantly. This place is scary.’ Tana Ganeva Apr 21, 2020 Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana Prisoners Held In Notorious Isolation Unit Are Facing A ‘Slow-Moving Disaster’ Criminal justice advocates have called Camp J at the Louisiana State Penitentiary ‘a dungeon.’ Now it’s housing prisoners who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Victoria Law Apr 17, 2020 Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Alabama Reopens ‘Deplorable’ Prison To Quarantine New Prisoners Approximately 100 men will be transported to Draper Correctional Facility, which has long been known for its nightmarish conditions. Lauren Gill Apr 16, 2020 Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Surviving a Pandemic When Your Loved One Is in Prison The families and partners of those incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex at Oakdale are sharing information and support as COVID-19 hits the prison. Joshua Manson Apr 14, 2020 Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Report From Inside Angola Prison Paints A Troubling Picture As Coronavirus Grips Louisiana 'We are still packed in like sardines,' writes Fate Winslow, who's serving a life sentence. 'The prison doesn't supply anything for us.' Tana Ganeva Apr 10, 2020 Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Government Enforcement of Quarantine Raises Concerns About Increased Surveillance Louisville, Kentucky judges are ordering people with COVID-19 who have allegedly defied quarantine to wear GPS ankle monitors, raising ethical questions about the government's role in a pandemic. Kira Lerner Apr 09, 2020 Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Opposes Prisoner Release Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Public defenders are working with the courts to secure release for people incarcerated in the Florida county, many of whom are jailed for low-level offenses. Victoria Law Apr 08, 2020 As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
As COVID-19 Ravages Florida, Incarcerated People Are Still Doing The State’s Hard Outdoor Labor Despite risks to incarcerated people and the public, Florida is sending prisoners to perform hard labor. Jerry Iannelli Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Prosecutors In This Virginia County Are Letting People Go To Jail for Low-Level Offenses In The Middle of a Pandemic Public defenders in Fairfax County say their clients are being sent into harm’s way. Kira Lerner Apr 02, 2020 Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Fears Grow That Coronavirus Could Overtake Florida’s Largest Women’s Prison With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the state, there’s heightened concern that the conditions inside Lowell Correctional Institution, coupled with the prison’s sizable elderly and pregnant population, could foster a deadly outbreak. Alexandra DeLuca Apr 01, 2020 Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Alabama Officials Executed Nathaniel Woods Despite Claims of Innocence. Then, Against His Religious Beliefs, They Autopsied His Body ‘It was almost like they were going to do whatever they could to demean him and take away his dignity,’ Woods’s spiritual adviser said. Beth Shelburne Mar 25, 2020 As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli Mar 20, 2020 As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
As Florida Primary Approaches, Many With Felony Convictions Remain Unclear if They Can Vote Advocates worry the widespread confusion may have a chilling effect on eligible voters. Kira Lerner Mar 16, 2020 Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Cash Bail Is Creating a Crisis in Rural Jails A federal lawsuit alleges lack of due process in a rural Tennessee county, and reform advocates say its jail is hardly an outlier. Jessica Pishko Mar 12, 2020 High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
High Cost Of Prison Diversion Programs Leaves ‘Too Many People’ Imprisoned in Alabama A survey of roughly 1,000 people found that 1 in 5 had been turned down for a diversion program because they couldn’t afford the costs of drug tests and monitoring devices. Lauren Gill Feb 28, 2020 Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida’s HIV Criminalization Laws Target Sex Workers. A Reform Bill Offers Little Relief. 67% of people arrested under state laws that criminalize HIV exposure and transmission are sex workers. But new legislation meant to modernize these laws would retain harsh penalties against them. Molly Minta My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
My Friend Spent Much of His Formative Years in Prison. He Didn’t Have to Die There. Josh Norman was one of the 17 people to die in Mississippi prisons so far this year. His death raises important questions about the state’s failures. Justin Brooks Feb 25, 2020 Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill Feb 24, 2020 Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida Can’t Bar People From Voting Because of Inability to Pay, Appeals Court Says The court found that a law that critics described as a poll tax violates the Constitution. Kira Lerner Feb 19, 2020 Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana Continues to Imprison People Past Their Release Dates A Department of Corrections official knew the extrajudicial practice was going on but little has been done to correct it. Victoria Law Feb 18, 2020 A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
A North Carolina Professor Gave Up His Free Speech Rights To Resolve a Case Involving a Controversial Sheriff Rann Bar-On pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault of Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson to remain a legal U.S. resident. For the next two years, he isn’t allowed to protest in the county. Aaron Morrison Feb 11, 2020 Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Should a Prosecutor’s Immunity Cover Faking Documents to Lock Up Witnesses? A lawsuit alleges Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office created bogus "subpoenas" to secure reluctant witnesses' cooperation—and even used them to jail crime victims. Jay Willis Feb 05, 2020 Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Judge Denies ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense For Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith will most likely go to trial, where she faces up to a life sentence. Lauren Gill Feb 04, 2020 Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Five Jurists Said Donnie Lance Deserved a New Sentence. Georgia Executed Him Anyway. Three Supreme Court justices and others said competent counsel could have saved his life. Kyle C. Barry Jan 30, 2020 In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
In New Orleans, Drug Testing Is Imposed More Frequently on People Released Without Money Bail People freed from jail on their own recognizance miss more court appearances because of disproportionate conditions placed on their release, a new study suggests. Joshua Vaughn Jan 29, 2020 When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
When Jail Time Comes With A Bill Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020 Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Woman ‘Brutally’ Beaten in Mississippi Prison Died Because Officials Failed To Give Her Medical Care, Lawsuit Alleges The father of Nicole Rathmann says his daughter was “not made safe by employees” while incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. She was one of 16 prisoners to die in state custody in August 2018. Lauren Gill Jan 24, 2020 Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Mississippi Man Given Extreme 12-Year Sentence For Having A Cell Phone In Jail Asks For Rehearing The state Supreme Court erred this month when it failed to invalidate Willie Nash’s sentence as cruel and unusual punishment, his attorneys argue. Aaron Morrison Jan 23, 2020 Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Arkansas Executed Ledell Lee. Posthumous Testing Will Most Likely Prove He Was Innocent, Lawsuit Says Lee’s family wants officials in Jacksonville, Arkansas, to turn over evidence that was used to convict and sentence him to death. The family says that evidence could posthumously exonerate him. Lauren Gill Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Wants to Slash Public Defender Funding By $3 Million Advocates warn that the cuts could push an already overburdened system to the breaking point. Jay Willis Jan 22, 2020 Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Kentucky Bill Would Make It Harder For Formerly Incarcerated People To Vote The bill would disproportionately affect the 140,000 people whose voting rights were recently restored. Kira Lerner Jan 21, 2020 ‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
‘He Had Already Hurt Me.’ Alabama Woman Argues For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Immunity In Killing of Alleged Rapist Brittany Smith, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a man she says brutally raped her, argued in court this week that she acted in self-defense and should be immune from prosecution. Lauren Gill Jan 17, 2020 Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Man Spared From Execution After Rare Clemency Grant It’s the first time since 2014 that someone on Georgia’s death row has been granted clemency. Braden Goyette Jan 16, 2020 For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
For Many Prisoners, Mississippi’s Habitual Offender Laws Are Like ‘Death Sentences’ One man, Paul Houser, is serving 60 years on a drug conviction for purchasing cold medicine and batteries. He’s one of 2,600 people incarcerated as a result of the state’s three strikes laws. Lauren Gill Dec 20, 2019 Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Decades-old Protections For Protesters Are In Jeopardy Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 11, 2019 New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
New Orleans Jail Staff Supplied Fentanyl That Killed Incarcerated Man, Lawsuit Alleges Staff at the troubled Orleans Justice Center are also accused of violating Edward Patterson’s constitutional rights by failing to treat his drug addiction. Lauren Gill ‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
‘It’s Just Heartbreaking’: Families Search for Answers as Death Rate Rises in Mississippi Prisons Prison deaths in Mississippi have climbed nearly 40 percent in recent years, from 62 in fiscal year 2014 to a high of 85 in fiscal year 2018. Lauren Gill Dec 09, 2019 Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg Didn’t Deliver On Her Promise Of Reform. Now Another One Of Her Former Prosecutors Is Running Against Her. Carvana Cloud, until recently the chief of the Special Victims Bureau, is entering the race to unseat her former boss. Roxanna Asgarian Dec 05, 2019 Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Civil Rights Groups Sue Mississippi Prosecutor For Illegally Striking Black Jurors The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and MacArthur Justice Center are filing a class action lawsuit against Doug Evans on behalf of every potential Black juror in the district. Kira Lerner Nov 18, 2019 Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway. Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019 Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Sense of ‘hopelessness’ rises among Alabama prisoners as new rules, leadership changes, limit opportunities for parole After a two-month moratorium, the state parole board reconvened last week, granting parole to 10 out of 87 people. Lauren Gill Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill Oct 29, 2019 Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Tech Company Gave Two New Orleans-Area Sheriff’s Offices Access to Track Cell Phones Without Warrants Neither agency had written policies on how to capture or store the location data without violating privacy rights. Emily Lane Oct 23, 2019 North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian Oct 22, 2019 Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Virginia Sheriff Seeking Re-election Took Campaign Donations From Healthcare Provider For Jail He Oversees Sheriff Mike Chapman, who runs the Loudoun County jail, has received close to $15,000 in contributions from the provider since taking office in 2012. Aaron Morrison Oct 17, 2019 Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Exclusive: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens Of Sexual Harassment An EEOC complaint documents allegations against Owens, former managing attorney in the Jackson office of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Kira Lerner Oct 11, 2019 A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
A One-Sided Report on North Carolina Gun Violence The Charlotte Observer built a narrative on gun crime that relies almost exclusively on police and prosecutors, ignores the violence of incarceration, and offers zero non-carceral solutions. Adam H. Johnson More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
More Than 40 People Have Died in the East Baton Rouge Jail. Will Voters Oust the Sheriff? Sheriff Sid Gautreaux faces two Democratic challengers in the Oct. 12 election. Teresa Mathew Oct 09, 2019 New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
New Orleans Advocates Oppose Jail Expansion Plan Ahead of Public Hearing Increasing the city’s jail capacity will lead to higher incarceration rates, advocates say. Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2019 Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Mississippi Sheriff’s Department Accused Of Racial Profiling Agrees To Reforms That Settle Black Residents’ Lawsuit The Madison County Sheriff’s Department was sued in 2017 for allegedly subjecting Black motorists and pedestrians to unconstitutional stops and searches. Aaron Morrison Oct 03, 2019 Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Helping ICE Stir Up Anti-Immigrant Fervor in Maryland WJLA’s Kevin Lewis selectively reports on immigrants arrested for sex crimes to paint a misleading picture of violence in Montgomery County. Adam H. Johnson Oct 01, 2019 Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 19, 2019 Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill Sep 12, 2019 As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019 Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Florida County: People On Sex Offender Registry Should Shelter From Dorian in Jail Barred from other shelters, registrants were left with few options as the hurricane approached. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 26, 2019 An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill Aug 22, 2019 Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife Aug 21, 2019 The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
The Mississippi Raids And What Awaits Those Detained Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 09, 2019 Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill Aug 07, 2019 Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law Aug 06, 2019 Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Stoking Hostility Toward Homeless People Dozens of reports about an indigent man in Bradenton, Florida, showed the cruel excesses of local news’s homelessness coverage. Adam H. Johnson Jul 31, 2019 Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Hoping for a Commutation After 48 Years in a Louisiana Prison Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 24, 2019 Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Miami Officials: Most People Who Owe Fines and Fees Can Vote Lawyers and advocates in Miami-Dade County will roll out a new plan to counter the disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Kira Lerner, Daniel Nichanian America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
America’s New ‘Sheriff of the Year’ Pushed to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in School Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of Pinellas County, Florida, is one of the state’s most controversial lawmen. Jessica Pishko Jul 23, 2019 In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
In Rare Motion, Atlanta’s D.A. Reversed Tough-On-Crime Stance The office of Paul Howard supported early release for a woman convicted of armed robbery. But a judge and advocates questioned the move since thousands of others don’t get that consideration. Aaron Morrison Jul 09, 2019 An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
An Infamous Louisiana Sheriff Is On His Way Out. Now What? Louis Ackal has said he isn’t seeking re-election. But advocates fear that may not be enough to bring change. Jessica Pishko Jul 08, 2019 New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
New Law Forces Dozens on Tennessee’s Sex Offender Registry From Their Homes The legislation also makes it illegal for many ex-offenders to be alone with their own children. Steven Yoder Jun 28, 2019 New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes Jun 27, 2019 Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Spotlight: Marion Wilson’s Execution Is a Grim Milestone Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 21, 2019 In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
In Louisiana, a Messenger of Change Disregards His Message James Stewart, Caddo Parish’s DA, continues to defend controversial death sentences that originated with his predecessors. Joshua Vaughn Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Floridians Are Suing a Cop Fired for Planting Drugs in Their Vehicles Thanks to the diligence of one assistant state attorney, 119 cases were thrown out and the officer is under state investigation. Katie Rose Quandt Jun 17, 2019 Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Arrested for Shoplifting and Dead 2 Days Later A lawsuit filed by Kentrell Hurst’s children is the latest against New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman over jail conditions. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jun 12, 2019 A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 11, 2019 An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill May 31, 2019 Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Family of Orlando Prisoner Who Died After Police Dog Bites Gets Legal Breakthrough A new court order allows the family’s lawsuit to proceed, and may lead to holding jail staff accountable. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg May 28, 2019 Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
Notorious Jailhouse Informant Case Resurfaces as New Orleans D.A. Race Nears DA Leon Cannizzarro used jailhouse informant Ronnie Morgan to convict a man in the killing of five teenagers, but the case was overturned. Now, Morgan is petitioning for a prison transfer, reviving the murder case.
