San Quentin’s Rolling Lockdowns Are Not Keeping Anyone Safe
We’re still overcrowded and set up for disaster.
Rahsaan Thomas Feb 07, 2023
How Prison Visit Restrictions Force Parents to Make Tough Decisions
Patrick Stephens, a formerly incarcerated writer, explains how arbitrary, byzantine, and punitive visiting rules tear apart the families of the incarcerated—especially after the pandemic.
Patrick Stephens Sep 22, 2022
L.A. Ended a Zero-Bail COVID Rule, and Now the Jail Population is Growing
In June, a judge ended an emergency order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in LA’s jails, enraging civil-rights advocates.
Nili Blanck Sep 07, 2022
Judge Strikes Down New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban
The ban had helped the Broome County Sheriff rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits from detainee video and phone call fees.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 18, 2022
How I Helped Fight Vaccine Misinformation While in Prison
One incarcerated author used skills from an HIV/AIDS group to push imprisoned people and prison guards to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Patrick Stephens Apr 26, 2022
The New Law Enforcement Spending Spree Is Already Underway
Billions of dollars of federal COVID relief aid are flowing to police, prisons, and jails in jurisdictions across the nation.
Nick Wing Mar 29, 2022
Let’s Bring Back ‘Prison Warehousing’
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, “prison warehousing”—which used to be a derogatory term—would look like an upgrade. At least warehouses care about the value of the goods they store.
Nick Hacheney, Tomas Keen Mar 24, 2022
‘It’s a Money Grab’: Billions in COVID Relief Going to Fund Police and Prisons
Less than two years after racial justice protests sparked calls to “defund the police,” states and jurisdictions are using pandemic aid to pad already bloated law enforcement budgets.
Brian Dolinar Mar 23, 2022
A Coalition Led by Philly’s Homeless Youth Wants to Change How Cities Help the Unhoused
Every Thursday morning, the Philly Homes 4 Youth (PH4Y) Coalition hosts a weekly virtual workspace for its members. The coalition of young advocates, youth workers, and non-profit administrators have been strategizing together since at least 2016 to improve care for young people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. But lately, the group’s meetings have taken on a more urgent tone: Tens of millions in federal COVID-19 relief funding is currently up for grabs in Philadelphia, and the coalition wants to ensure at least 20 percent of the money goes to youth services.
Rashni Stanford Mar 22, 2022
The Pandemic Isn’t Over Inside Prisons—and It Might Never Be
A cycle of hopelessness is taking its toll in prisons across the country, amid continued restrictions on the things that make life more bearable.
Christopher Blackwell Mar 11, 2022
Thinking Of Those Who Can’t Be Home For The Holidays
It’s been quite a year for us, to say the least. In May, we unionized. Then our former bosses shut The Appeal down. But we, the workers, resolved to save The Appeal and continue the important work we do covering the criminal legal system. Since then, we succeeded in becoming a worker-led nonprofit newsroom. We […]
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Meg O'Connor Dec 21, 2021
Police Threats Over Vaccine Mandates Are Proving Empty
If you missed it last week, we’ve officially kicked off our year-end fundraising campaign through NewsMatch, an industry-wide program to sustain journalism through matching gifts on the local and national level. Through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will match your new monthly donation (at 12 times the value), or double your one-time gift, all up to $1,000. […]
Nick Wing Nov 16, 2021
When Prisons Locked Down, Prisoners Were Denied Release
Leaving prison often hinges on completing rehabilitative programming. The pandemic caused many of these required courses to be put on hold.
Daniel Moritz-Rabson Jun 29, 2021
The Movement That Is Upending Landlords’ Power Over Tenants
There has been a ‘parabolic increase’ in cities and states giving tenants a right to counsel to help fight evictions.
Abigail Savitch-Lew Jun 01, 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
Unless The Biden Administration Acts, Thousands Could Go Back to Federal Prison
A Department of Justice memo from January could have a devastating effect on many federal prisoners who have been released on home confinement.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 05, 2021
New York City Considers A Bold Idea To Keep People From Being Pushed Out Of Their Homes
Activists are calling for a number of new policies to expand the reach of community land trusts.
Abigail Savitch-Lew Mar 29, 2021
Anchorage’s Anti-Homeless Movement May Elect the City’s Next Mayor
One of the leading candidates for Anchorage’s mayoral race is backed by a far-right Facebook group tied to the U.S. Capitol riot.
Jerry Iannelli Mar 23, 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
How Chesa Boudin Is Pursuing His Promise to Reduce Incarceration
After more than a year in office—and despite pushback—the San Francisco DA’s policies have kept people out of jails and prisons.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 18, 2021
How Tenants’ Right to Counsel Can End Inequality in the Eviction System—and Save Lives
Ensuring renters have representation in housing court would help close a “justice gap” and be a life-saving intervention for those at risk of losing their homes.
Emily Benfer Mar 10, 2021
State and Local Leaders Want More COVID-19 Relief
It’s time for congressional Republicans to listen.
Sarah Godlewski Mar 02, 2021
COVID-19 is Spreading Faster Than Ever. Jail Populations are Surging, Too
In many of America’s major cities, the early efforts to reduce incarceration during the pandemic have been reversed.
Jerry Iannelli Feb 03, 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
Why The Biden Administration’s Choice To Lead The Bureau of Prisons Matters
The attorney general could pick a new head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. That person should have public health experience, formerly incarcerated activists say.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jan 26, 2021
‘No Beds Left’: Houston’s Jail is a COVID-19 Superspreader
On Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners will decide if the D.A. and Sheriff will get more money to continue their neglect in the face of a public-health crisis.
Jerry Iannelli Jan 25, 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
Illinois State Lawmakers Vote To Eliminate Cash Bail
The move is part of a broader criminal justice reform bill that also ends prison gerrymandering, and mandates body cameras for all police departments.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Jan 14, 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
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
What Prosecutors Should Learn from 2020’s Pandemic and Protests
In the new year, every prosecutor’s office should commit to protecting victims and workers, holding police accountable, and keeping families together.
Chesa Boudin Dec 17, 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
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
Kyle Rittenhouse Bought His Freedom. Kalief Browder Could Not.
The Rittenhouse case raises particularly pointed questions about what we are really talking about when we talk about bail.
Cori Bush Nov 24, 2020
It’s Time To Lower The Voting Age To 16
Grown adults have voted their way into the current morass in this country. Now is the time for a younger generation to lead the way.
David A. Love Nov 03, 2020