Police Threats Over Vaccine Mandates Are Proving Empty
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Nick Wing Nov 16, 2021
The Movement to Guarantee Legal Help for Struggling Renters Is ‘Taking Root’ in Connecticut
Only 7 percent of tenants in the state have legal representation in eviction proceedings. A bill in the Connecticut house is trying to change that.
Bryce Covert May 03, 2021
The U.S. Economy Won’t Recover Until Black Workers Do
Biden’s American Rescue Plan is a start, but more public investment is needed to address racial inequality in the labor market.
Ashley Mitchell Mar 18, 2021
After Man Dies Waiting For Commutation, Pennsylvania Governor Frees 13 People
At the urging of advocates, Governor Tom Wolf signed off on all remaining commutations applications on his desk.
Joshua Vaughn Feb 12, 2021
Eviction Bans Saved Lives During The Pandemic, New Research Says
Policies that helped keep people in their homes—and keep the utilities on—reduced COVID-19 deaths and infections.
Joshua Vaughn Jan 28, 2021
Joe Manchin’s Voters Aren’t Letting Him Stop $2,000 Checks
The intense backlash to his recent comments criticizing $2,000 stimulus checks signal the growing momentum for guaranteed income programs—and the emerging power of voters who care more about substantive results than partisan skirmishes.
Jay Willis Jan 22, 2021
L.A. County Jails Are Locking People Up For Longer During the Pandemic
The percentage of people held pretrial for six months or longer is up six percent from January of last year, according to a UCLA School of Law report.
Amy Munro Jan 21, 2021
Cities Are Pressuring Landlords to Evict People Under ‘Crime-Free’ Housing Laws
In Granite City, Illinois, landlords have been penalized for refusing to evict tenants who have criminal records or are simply living with someone who does.
Cinnamon Janzer Jan 11, 2021
Democrats’ Win in Georgia Shows What Voters Really Want From Government
It’s time for political leaders, no matter their party, to listen to voters—and provide financial relief from the pandemic.
Emily Galvin-Almanza, Sean McElwee, Ethan Winter Jan 06, 2021
Confront and Remedy the Black Community’s COVID-19 Vaccine Skepticism
Decades of exploitation, abuse, and racism in medicine have cost many Black Americans their lives during the pandemic. Now the government can act to prevent further harm.
Ruqaiijah Yearby Dec 18, 2020
The Pandemic Hasn’t Stopped Landlords From Evicting Tenants—And It’s About To Get Much Worse
Landlords have continued forcing renters out of their homes, despite a patchwork of protections from federal and local governments. Now, with the CDC moratorium set to expire on Dec. 31, millions of Americans could be evicted.
Meg O'Connor Dec 18, 2020
Philadelphia Jails Have Black Mold, Rats, Poor Heating, Say Women Held There
The Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, which recorded and published the complaints, paid for the release of some incarcerated women on Saturday.
Joshua Vaughn Dec 16, 2020
Researchers Estimate Mass Incarceration Contributed To More Than Half A Million Additional Cases Of COVID-19 Over The Summer
The report found that spread inside correctional facilities contributed to community spread, particularly in California, Florida and Texas.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Ethan Corey Dec 15, 2020
Supreme Court’s Decision To Bar Restrictions On Religious Services In New York Is An Ominous Sign
The Court’s willingness to infer discrimination against Judeo-Christian religions from poorly articulated remarks that accompanied a public health response to COVID-19 may make other laws and policies vulnerable to claims of religious discrimination as well.
Leah Litman Dec 09, 2020
People in Prisons and Jails Should Get COVID-19 Vaccines As Early as Possible
The coronavirus has ripped through our prison and jail populations, infecting and killing hundreds of thousands of people most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Brendon Woods Dec 09, 2020
Against CDC Guidance, Denver Displaces Hundreds Of Homeless People Amid COVID-19 Spike
Cities across the country have continued to displace and criminalize homelessness during the pandemic, though the CDC cautions clearing encampments can heighten the potential for the spread of COVID-19.
Meg O'Connor Dec 02, 2020
America’s Biggest City Was Hit Hard By COVID-19. Its Jails Are Filling Up Again
New York City’s jail population is close to reaching pre-pandemic levels. Advocates say dishonest fearmongering about bail reform—and the politicians who capitulated to it—have created a very real safety crisis.
Joshua Manson Nov 30, 2020
Families Urge Cuomo to Release Loved Ones from Prison During COVID-19 Pandemic
In addition to the releases he has already ordered, the New York governor can grant commutations to free more incarcerated people to protect them from the disease. He has issued only three since the pandemic began.
Alana Sivin, Joshua Vaughn Nov 25, 2020
Andrew Cuomo Promised Criminal Justice Reforms, But New York Is Still Waiting
The governor has rolled back bail reform, not released enough prisoners during the pandemic, and failed to rein in police abuses, advocates and prisoners say.
Rebecca McCray Nov 24, 2020
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Is Fresh Off His Book Tour, But Activists Say He Doesn’t Live Up to His National Reputation
Progressive lawmakers and activists say Cuomo has failed to adequately protect those who are out of work, at risk of losing their homes, or living behind bars, where the virus has spread rapidly.
Tara Francis Chan, Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 19, 2020
Jamaal Bowman Is Headed To Congress, Pledges To Make Democrats ‘The Party Of Dismantling Mass Incarceration’
Bowman has also advocated for an eviction moratorium and for rental payments to be cancelled for the duration of the pandemic.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 03, 2020
Lorenzo Sanchez Wants to Provide Healthcare to Uninsured Texans
Sanchez is running for one of the state House seats that Democrats are hoping to flip.
Meg O'Connor Nov 02, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
A California appeals court orders San Quentin prison to reduce its population by half, the ACLU’s Death by Incarceration project paints a stark picture of COVID-19’s toll, and a new law grants early release to 3,000 New Jersey prisoners.
Kelly Davis Oct 21, 2020
‘Democracy Pressure-Tested’: Voter Suppression Efforts Underway As Election Nears
Efforts by elected leaders in several states are making it harder to get to the polls and fomenting misinformation about the election amid a pandemic.
Joshua Vaughn Oct 21, 2020
Black Voters Matter Co-Founder Says Voting Enthusiasm Is Strong Despite Rampant Suppression
The group is seeing real challenges posed by the pandemic, voter suppression tactics, and threats of intimidation.
Kira Lerner Oct 20, 2020
Sara Innamorato Is Fighting to Reduce the Harms of COVID-19’s Economic Crush
The state representative wants to bar landlords in Pennsylvania from reporting missed or late rent payments to credit agencies.
Joshua Vaughn Oct 13, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
COVID-19 has exposed a huge gap in knowledge over the rights of hospitalized prisoners, Wisconsin sees a spike in new cases in correctional facilities, and vitamin D might help save the lives of incarcerated people.
Kelly Davis Oct 07, 2020
Advocates For Domestic Workers, Voters, And Prisoners Express Alarm Over Trump’s Threat To End Stimulus Talks
Passing the HEROES Act would provide crucial protections to some of the most vulnerable essential workers, they say.
Lauren Gill Oct 07, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
A ruling by a Texas judge slams officials for deliberate indifference toward vulnerable prisoners; in San Diego, an ill-advised hospital visit led to a massive COVID-19 outbreak; and a new report finds an alarming increase of Latinx and Native American youth in juvenile-detention facilities.
Kelly Davis Sep 30, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
A new report documents pandemic-driven efforts to release people from Chicago’s Cook County jail, how Virginia’s 900-page COVID-19 response plan has failed elderly and ill prisoners and federal prosecutors argue that a life sentence equals a death sentence.
Kelly Davis Sep 28, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
New Jersey is close to enacting a law that would release up to 3,000 people from prison, advocates urge New York legislators to consider early parole for elderly prisoners, and California prisons see a new spike in coronavirus cases.
Kelly Davis Sep 25, 2020
Mail Voting Disenfranchises Native People, Advocates Warn
In a typical election, Natives face multiple forms of voter suppression. With more than one-third of Americans expected to vote by mail this year, Native communities are facing a new set of problems.
Kira Lerner Sep 24, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
Experts discuss ongoing issues with COVID-19 in prisons and jails, Oklahoma prison officials agree to mandatory testing of all staff, and an incarcerated journalist pens a heart-wrenching account of his experience with coronavirus.
Kelly Davis Sep 23, 2020
Tiffany Cabán: Why I Am Running For New York City Council
In the face of a pandemic and police violence, elected leaders have failed to keep us safe and to champion the voices of marginalized communities like mine. Now it is time to determine our own future.
Tiffany Cabán Sep 23, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
Documents obtained by the ACLU suggest that restarting executions caused a COVID-19 outbreak at a federal prison; Florida’s Brevard County jail says it quashed an outbreak, but a lack of testing raises questions; and San Quentin’s newspaper is publishing again.
Kelly Davis Sep 21, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
After testing positive for COVID-19, Tommy Zeigler, whose case inspired legislation and multiple investigative reports, is missing in a Florida prison; advocates for women inside Oklahoma’s Eddie Warrior Correctional Center want to hear from Gov. Kevin Stitt; and men quarantined in a previously shuttered prison say they’re being forced to pee in cups.
Kelly Davis Sep 14, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
Women at California’s Folsom prison fear that men with COVID-19 will be transferred into their building, a new report looks at the shockingly high rate of COVID-19 deaths among incarcerated people, and we update our ongoing case tracker map.
Kelly Davis Sep 04, 2020
Lawmakers Push For The Federal Government To Treat Racism As A Public Health Crisis
Members of Congress have introduced a bill that would create a National Center on Anti-Racism in Health.
Kira Lerner Sep 04, 2020
Economic Insecurity Brought On By COVID-19 Threatens To Disenfranchise Millions Of Voters
Between the global pandemic and a nationwide economic crisis, voting rights advocates see a ‘perfect storm of barriers’ ahead that could prevent millions of people from casting a ballot in November.
Eoin Higgins Sep 03, 2020
Coronavirus In Jails And Prisons
As states move toward reopening, jails and prisons continue to report large COVID-19 outbreaks; researchers call for greater transparency in reporting infection rates; and prisoners at a New York federal jail say screening is limited to, ‘Are you OK?’
Kelly Davis Sep 02, 2020