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.
Spotlight: The Citizenship Question, the Supreme Court, and Who Deserves a Do-Over
Sarah Lustbader Jun 28, 2019
Spotlight: The Supreme Court on Curtis Flowers—Right for the Wrong Reasons
Sarah Lustbader Jun 27, 2019
Spotlight: Presidential Candidates—Pay Attention to Poverty and All of Its Drivers
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 26, 2019
Media Frame: Time to Ban Ride-Along Police TV
Reality shows like ‘The First 48,’ ‘Live PD,’ and ‘Cops’ are interfering in legal cases, exploiting people of color, and threatening lives.
Adam H. Johnson Jun 24, 2019
Spotlight: Kevin Cooper’s Case Exemplifies Decades of Systemic Failures
Sarah Lustbader Jun 20, 2019
Spotlight: When Police Spread Racism and Hate Online, It Says Something About How They Work
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 19, 2019
The Carceral Feminism Of Linda Fairstein
A nearly 30-year-old New York Times Magazine profile of the infamous prosecutor may reveal as much about Linda Fairstein as Ava DuVernay‘s acclaimed new Netflix series.
Spotlight: Departing Alabama Sheriffs Deplete Funds and (Usually) Face No Consequences
Sarah Lustbader Jun 18, 2019
Spotlight: De Blasio—The Circumstances of Layleen Polanco’s Death Shouldn’t Be So Perplexing
Sarah Lustbader Jun 13, 2019
Spotlight: Will Chicago Get a Memorial to Honor the Survivors of Police Torture?
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 12, 2019
Spotlight: Prosecuting Lifesavers Exposes Deep Problems With Laws and Their Enforcement
Sarah Lustbader Jun 11, 2019
Body Cameras And Tasers Rake In Billions For Axon, But They’re No Panacea For Police Violence
The popularity of Axon’s tech soared after the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014, but it may be doing more harm than good in protecting people from excessive force.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Jun 10, 2019
Media Frame: Stoking Panic Over ‘Flood’ of ‘Juveniles’ in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
The sensationalist coverage of a handful of fights highlights local media’s misplaced priorities.
Spotlight: Incarcerated Women Helped Draft New York Law to Free Domestic Violence Survivors
Sarah Lustbader Jun 06, 2019
Spotlight: Supporting Solitary for Manafort Means Supporting It for Everyone
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 05, 2019
Spotlight: Neighborhood Crime Apps Stoke Fears, Reinforce Racist Stereotypes, And Don’t Prevent Crime
Sarah Lustbader Jun 04, 2019
Spotlight: In A Study of Cops’ Facebook Accounts, 1 in 5 Had Posted Racist, Violent Content
Vaidya Gullapalli Jun 03, 2019
Indefinite Solitary Confinement in New York Is Finally Put to the Test
Court challenges and a sweeping reform bill are offering hope to men trapped in isolation for decades.
It’s Time to Make Chicago Police Pay For Their Misdeeds—Out Of Their Own Budget
Chicago hands out millions in settlements and legal fees for police misconduct. Its newly inaugurated mayor should take a dollar from the department’s budget for every dollar the city spends settling with its victims.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 29, 2019
Johns Hopkins University’s Private Police Force Would Bring More Cops To An Overpoliced Baltimore
A former Baltimore officer says the Hopkins plan should be viewed skeptically because campus police have a history of deadly force and its officials come from troubled Baltimore Police units.
Larry Smith May 16, 2019
Incarceration Is Always a Policy Failure
Instead of building ‘humane jails’ to replace Rikers Island, let’s push the NYPD to cut down on arrests.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem May 15, 2019
‘Cage The Bastards’
Former prosecutor and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro inspires Trump’s rhetoric of dehumanization and incarceration.
Kyle C. Barry Apr 10, 2019
I Worked As a Bail Bond Agent. Here’s What I Learned.
Low-income women are fueling bail industry profits—and getting harmed in the process.
Joshua Page Apr 04, 2019
New York Lawmakers Want To Ban Sex Offenders From The Subway. That Won’t Solve Anything.
Banishing people from the subway will only marginalize them without addressing the problem.
Guy Hamilton-Smith Apr 01, 2019
One Simple Way To Hold Bad Prosecutors Accountable
State bar organizations have the power to discipline prosecutors, but they studiously ignore bad behavior.
Chicago Cop’s Sentence For Killing A Black Teenager Is ‘Exceptionally Short’
Jason Van Dyke’s sentence for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald is approximately half the average sentence for a person convicted of second-degree murder in Cook County, Illinois.
Rob Arthur Feb 25, 2019
I Arrested A Man On Marijuana Charges. Then He Took His Own Life.
A former Baltimore Police officer says it’s time for the department to stop wasteful, harmful marijuana arrests, especially after Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s announcement that her office would not prosecute cases of possession.
Larry Smith Feb 11, 2019
Sentenced To Life At 16 In Slaying Of Man Who She Said Pulled A Gun On Her
In 1996, Michele Benjamin was sentenced to life without parole for killing a man who she said solicited her for sex and menaced her with a weapon in New Orleans. A Supreme Court decision led her to be re-sentenced to life with a chance at parole in 2016. Today, a parole hearing brings the possibility of freedom.
Incarcerated Transgender Women’s Lives Must Matter
As Kamala Harris begins her presidential run, her move to block gender affirming surgery for an incarcerated transgender woman deserves scrutiny, especially as new cases highlighting the struggle for the rights of imprisoned trans women emerge.
Zoé Samudzi Jan 28, 2019
Expansion Of Largest Jail System In The United States Must End
Los Angeles County’s jail system incarcerates tens of thousands of people at a multi-billion dollar cost. The communities most impacted by mass incarceration have had enough.
Cannabis Alarmism Hinders Smart Regulations
Alex Berenson says he’s concerned there’s not enough research into cannabis risks, but his misleading arguments set scientists back.