Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Law Enforcement Commission
The ruling said the commission wasn’t diverse enough and gave little voice to communities affected by policing.
Joshua Vaughn Oct 01, 2020
Don’t Look to the DOJ to Keep Federal Prisons and Their Surrounding Communities Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Experts are urging large-scale releases. But the Department of Justice often operates contrary to expertise.
Shon Hopwood Apr 08, 2020
Policing Coronavirus
As infections and deaths mount, state leaders and law enforcement are turning to tough-on-crime tactics in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Jessica Pishko Apr 07, 2020
Halfway House Residents Describe ‘A Scary Situation’ As Coronavirus Sweeps The U.S.
‘It is progressively getting worse, exponentially worse,’ a resident of one halfway house told The Appeal as part of a survey of facilities. ‘Something is going to happen and it’s not going to be good.’
Lauren Gill Mar 31, 2020
One Thing Barr Gets right: The Sentencing Guidelines Are Indeed Too Harsh
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. When the Justice Department rescinded its recommendation this week that Trump ally Roger Stone be sentenced to seven to nine years, it seemed to lose whatever remaining […]
Sarah Lustbader Feb 18, 2020
About That Trump Super Bowl Ad
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. It was no secret that President Trump was planning to run an ad during the Super Bowl this year; the question was only what the particular message […]
Sarah Lustbader Feb 04, 2020
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.
Ben Miller, Daniel S. Harawa Jan 06, 2020
Jeffrey Epstein, An Ironic Catalyst For Jail Reform
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. When Jeffrey Epstein died in a federal jail, the attorney general was, as he tells it, “appalled” and “frankly angry to learn of the MCC’s failure to adequately […]
Sarah Lustbader Aug 15, 2019
The First Step Act Freed People. Now Prosecutors Are Trying To Lock Some Of Them Up Again.
Prosecutors are pushing back against First Step Act reforms.
Sarah Lustbader Jul 30, 2019