When Jail Time Comes With A Bill
Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 27, 2020
Jackie Lacey’s Culture Of Fear
Lack of evidence does not stop opponents of former San Francisco DA George Gascón from making the claim that the city’s criminal justice reforms unleashed a crime wave.
Police and Sheriff’s Departments Join Media Campaign Against Bail Reform In New York State
A wave of sensationalist press is not just coming from New York City, but also from county sheriff and city police departments frustrated by bail reform that they claim is ‘too broad.’
Family Separation And ‘A Longer View Of Public Safety’: A Conversation With San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin
Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 24, 2020
New Jersey Takes On Vestige Of Three-Fifths Clause: Prison Gerrymandering
Sarah Lustbader Jan 16, 2020
‘Weird News,’ ‘Dumb Criminals’ and the Media’s Monetization of Human Misery
There’s a cynical local-to-national news pipeline designed to mock the powerless under the guise of “odd” news stories.
How the Media Can Stigmatize Parents and Separate Families
Stories that uncritically blame child welfare agencies for the deaths of children at the hands of their parents can contribute to increases in child removals—with devastating consequences for families.
Why Keeping People With Sex Offense Convictions Off Social Media Sites Does Little To Make Those Sites Safer
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal purports to take sexual violence seriously, but it aggressively ignores reality in favor of lazy solutions.
The Media’s Misguided Backlash Against Criminal Justice Reforms in D.C. and New York
Many liberals support reform in theory. But when unpopular decisions need to be made, it’s back to the 1990s “Tough on Crime” playbook.
Adam H. Johnson Jan 09, 2020
Can A Prosecutor Be Progressive And Take Sex Crimes Seriously?
The rise of progressive prosecutors and the #MeToo movement has meant an increased focus on sexual assault. But justice cannot be measured in more prosecution or long sentences.
Why the Attorney General’s Concern About Crime Victims and Their Families Rings Hollow
William Barr says the government owes it to the victims and their families to resume federal executions. In doing so, he’s ignoring important facts about the death penalty—and the actual wishes of victims’ families.
Illinois pardons are a reminder of the scale of marijuana arrests, past and present
Vaidya Gullapalli Jan 03, 2020
It’s Time For LA’s District Attorney’s Office To Lead The Way On Decriminalizing Homelessness
As a form of punishment, incarceration does not enhance public safety when it is not balanced against its tendency to make a person’s unfortunate situation worse.
Misplaced Outrage Over Kentucky Governor’s Pardons Harms Criminal Justice Reform
Sensational headlines may score short-term partisan points, but long term they contribute to a toxic culture of Willie Hortonism.
The Damage Done By Foster Care Systems
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 18, 2019
How to Rethink Drug Dealing and Punishment
Criminalizing those who sell drugs by enacting more punitive laws may lead to more dangerous drug use and will disproportionately affect communities of color, a new report suggests.
Zachary A. Siegel Dec 17, 2019
ICE’s Fake University Seemed To Be More About Creating Fear Than Addressing Fraud
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 16, 2019
Prosecutors Can Right Past Wrongs—If Only The System Lets Them
More prosecutors are trying to root out wrongful convictions and restore trust in the legal system. They’re meeting opposition on all sides.
Kansas City Chooses Free Public Transit
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 06, 2019
Trump Makes The Most Important Anti-Hunger Program Harder To Access For People Leaving Prison
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 05, 2019
People Of Color Receive The Harshest Punishments, And The Disparities Are Growing
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 04, 2019
The Crisis Of Murdered And Missing Indigenous Women And Why Tribes Need The Power To Address It
Vaidya Gullapalli Dec 02, 2019
Community Policing Is Not the Answer
Investing billions of government dollars into programs that embed police in Black communities will not reduce police violence, nor repair years of injustice.
Speaking Out About Prison Conditions Is Risky. Incarcerated People Do It Anyway.
Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 15, 2019
How Child Services Punishes Mothers With Substance Use Disorder—And Their Children
Rather than separating families, child ‘welfare’ agencies should help families get access to the care they need.
Democrats Should Deliver On Gun Control That Doesn’t Feed Mass Incarceration
Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 13, 2019
New York’s Child Welfare Laws Will Advance Justice
Two bills, awaiting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s signature, would help reduce the punitive impact of the child welfare system on kids and their families, including formerly incarcerated parents.
Massachusetts’ Highest Court Is Urged To Address A Crisis In Indigent Defense
Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 07, 2019
Uncritical Reporting on a Biased Baltimore Spy Plane Poll
A close examination of a poll backed by a business group reveals loaded questions, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and the shortchanging of very real privacy concerns.
The U.S. Has No “Right To Be Forgotten.” But One News Outlet Has Been Weighing The Costs Of The Internet’s Long Memory.
Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 06, 2019
New York Subway Police Make Us Less Safe
Recent violent arrests in the city subways should make New Yorkers question the push by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the MTA to hire 500 new transit police.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Nov 05, 2019
It’s Time to Fight the Democratic Mayors Who Are Champions of the Carceral State
The mayors of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco wrap themselves in the language of progressivism, but when it comes to the criminal legal system they’re Trumpian.
Kelly Hayes Nov 04, 2019
Beto O’Rourke’s Criminal Justice Plan Reflects Pressure On Democrats To Tackle Mass Incarceration
Vaidya Gullapalli Nov 01, 2019
The Failures Of Re-entry For Returning Citizens And Their Communities
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 25, 2019
Millions of Children Lose Their Parents To Incarceration. That Doesn’t Have To Happen.
Prosecutors can help implement policies that are better for families and communities.
New To The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Armed Teachers, Facial Recognition, And First-Graders Labeled ‘High-Level’ Threats
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 21, 2019
Exploiting New York City’s Chinatown Killings to Attack Bail Reform
The New York Post used a tragedy to target bail reform activists, rather than point to the challenges of a failed mental health system and poverty.
A Federal Death Sentence Ignores The Opposition Of ‘The Navajo People Who Value Life’
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 18, 2019
The Need To Support Visits For Incarcerated People And Their Families
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 15, 2019
Say No to New Jails in New York City
The mayor claims that building new jails is the only safe way to close Rikers Island jail complex, but the City Council shouldn’t fall for this Faustian bargain.
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 Oct 11, 2019
Formerly Incarcerated People Will Host A Presidential Town Hall This Month
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 08, 2019
Two Major Victories For A Public Health Approach To The Overdose Crisis
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 07, 2019
A California Sheriff And Prosecutor Want To Jail Homeless People. Their Plan Is Unlawful.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer intend to openly defy a 1975 state Supreme Court precedent that says law enforcement cannot intentionally discriminate against a person or group of people.
Kate Chatfield Oct 03, 2019
‘Medical Bonds’ Save Money For Jails. Their Use Shows How Often We Jail People Who Need Care
Vaidya Gullapalli Oct 02, 2019
The 1994 Crime Law Hogs The Legal Reform Spotlight. But A Lesser-Known Law Deserves More Attention.
As the presidential election approaches, reformers should focus on the Prison Litigation Reform Act, which restricts the ability of incarcerated people to protest their conditions of confinement.
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
The Media Frenzy Over Chanel Miller Boosts Mass Incarceration
Miller's victim impact statement was centered in a recent '60 Minutes' segment on the Brock Turner case. But such statements do not heal victims, and Miller's unfavorable comparison of Turner's sentence to drug offenders only reinforces carceral logic.
Meaghan Ybos Sep 30, 2019
What Kamala Harris’s Take on Policing Gets Wrong
Rather than encouraging more faith in the police, true reform requires dismantling the system that empowers them.
The Felony Murder Rule As A ‘Representation Of What’s Wrong In Our Criminal Legal System’
Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 23, 2019
Why Juries Need Expert Help Assessing Jailhouse Informants
Informants are highly motivated to lie. But jurors don’t always have the information or skills to discern the truth.
‘It Will Certainly Save Lives’: A Q&A About Medicaid Coverage For People Preparing For Re-entry
Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 18, 2019
California Supreme Court Fails To Resolve ‘Constitutional Crisis’ Created By Police Privacy Laws
A narrow ruling on Brady lists ensures that protecting the police will continue to prevail over due process.
How Local Media Should Report on Safe Injection Sites
In a rare case of local media nuance, a Boston TV news station provided a humane and health-focused segment on safe drug use.
Adam H. Johnson Sep 17, 2019
‘I felt it was my responsibility’: Why A Probation Commissioner Spent 25 Hours in San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall
Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 13, 2019
Report Praises High School in Jail But Fails to Ask Why Kids Are Locked Up at All
A Pittsburgh public radio piece lacked critical reporting about the many problems with jailing children in adult facilities.
To End the School-to-Prison Pipeline, Invest in Resources for Students
Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 09, 2019
Parents Threatened With Losing Children Over Cannabis Use
Even in states where use is decriminalized, child welfare systems continue to treat it as a sign of neglectful parenting, particularly among families of color.
As It Prepares For A Hurricane, South Carolina (Once Again) Does Not Evacuate A Prison
Vaidya Gullapalli Sep 04, 2019
Assuming Guilt While Reporting on Mass Arrests
Kansas City news outlets called scores of people ‘violent criminals’ based solely on the word of police and the federal government.
Adam H. Johnson Sep 03, 2019
Recognizing the ‘Dual Victim’
Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 30, 2019
San Francisco Deserves Restorative Justice
Our response to crime should focus on healing and accountability, not punishment and retribution.
The Public Safety Myth
Law enforcement’s old guard claims that policing low-level crime protects communities. That’s not just wrong; it’s dangerous.
Rachael Rollins Aug 29, 2019
California Has a Chance to Repeal a Building Block of Lengthy Prison Sentences
Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 28, 2019
Bail Isn’t Supposed to Be a Punishment. Why Does the Media Keep Acting Like it Is?
How high or low bond is isn’t a measure of how severe the state considers a crime.
When Americans Are Silent Spectators
Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 26, 2019
Inequality, Not Violence, Is Killing Americans At Record Rates
Media coverage obsessively focuses on homicides, which are at historical lows. Meanwhile, suicides and overdoses skyrocket, quietly driving record declines in American life expectancy.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Aug 20, 2019
Painting a Distorted Picture of Crime ‘Spikes’ in New York City
Murder rates are at an all-time low in Brooklyn, but one would hardly know it reading the New York Times.
Adam H. Johnson Aug 16, 2019
Pulling Back the Curtain on Boston’s ‘Operation Clean Sweep’
Most coverage of police raids targeting homeless people and substance users parroted official—and fraught—talking points.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Aug 15, 2019
A No-Holds-Barred Assault on Prosecutors
Attorney General William Barr pushed back against reforms by progressive prosecutors—but perhaps his greatest vitriol was reserved for the Boston DA’s attempt to rein in police.
John Pfaff Aug 13, 2019
Sensationalist Tale of an Elderly Killer Feeds False Narrative
The New York Times’s coverage of the one-off case of a 77-year-old man omits key facts about how older adults are treated by our punitive legal system.
For New York’s Police Union, Any Accountability For Eric Garner’s Death Is Too Much
Vaidya Gullapalli Aug 05, 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.
The First Step Act Freed People. Now Prosecutors Are Trying To Lock Some Of Them Up Again.
Sarah Lustbader Jul 30, 2019
My Year As A New Orleans Consent Decree Insider
The Crescent City is in the final stages of a multimillion-dollar federal police reform process. Here‘s why it and other programs like it fail to achieve real reform.
Prison Systems Can Respect the Religious Rights of Muslims. State Government Should Ensure They Do.
Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 29, 2019
States Are Blocking Courtroom Recording. But Reform Requires Transparency.
Sarah Lustbader Jul 23, 2019
Media Frame: Stop Quoting Bill Bratton
For far too long, the press has leaned on wrong-headed tough-on-crime officials like the former NYPD commissioner when reporting on the criminal legal system.
Spotlight: Cory Booker’s New Sentencing Reform Bill Is About Redemption
Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 19, 2019
Media Frame: 5 Common Tactics Used to Discredit Reform D.A.s
The backlash is underway against a recent wave of prosecutors who champion criminal justice reform. Here are some methods of attack.
Spotlight: Scalia Called Stevens’s Evolution ‘Arrogance.’ It was the Opposite.
Sarah Lustbader Jul 18, 2019
I Was Sexually Assaulted. And I Believe Incarcerating Rapists Doesn’t Help Victims Like Me.
The carceral system fails to heal victims and perpetuates trauma by caging human beings. It‘s time to try something else.
The Power of Peremptory Strikes
As public servants, prosecutors should be willing to put their cases before anyone in the communities they serve.
Spotlight: Daniel Pantaleo Won’t Face Federal Charges. Will He Be Fired?
Vaidya Gullapalli Jul 17, 2019
Spotlight: Ice Cream Licking, Corporate Negligence, And What Constitutes A Crime
Sarah Lustbader Jul 16, 2019
Media Frame: Fentanyl Panic Is Worsening the Overdose Crisis
Sensational and false news reports about the drug are pushing lawmakers to enact harmful policies.
County Failures, Not State Reforms, Are Killing People In California Jails
Since the state’s public safety realignment in 2011, sheriffs have used criminal legal reform as a scapegoat for their failure to maintain safe jails—and recent reporting has given county officials a free pass to make that excuse.
Media Frame: Chicago ‘Bean’ Graffiti Outrage Prioritizes Property Over People
Outlets ran over 200 articles covering the vandalism. The outsize attention will likely damage young lives.
Adam H. Johnson Jul 11, 2019
Media Frame: A ‘War on Cops’ Narrative Without Evidence
ABC News claims anti-police violence is on the rise but offers no data.
San Francisco Is Paying For Jamal Trulove’s Wrongful Conviction. Will Kamala Harris?
Police and prosecutors framed a father of four in a 2007 murder case with local and national political implications.