A New Class of Candidates Seeks to Transform L.A.’s Approach to Housing, Justice After a scandal engulfed some of L.A.’s most powerful politicians, a slate of progressive candidates is running on new approaches for tackling homelessness and mass incarceration. Francisco Aviles Pino
“It’s like a slow war, like a slow burn. Like a slow, quiet form of torture.” Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
California’s New Attorney General Has A Reputation As A Criminal Justice Reformer. But His Biggest Test Is Yet To Come Rob Bonta’s career has hinged on the idea that the law can be used to engender social justice. His elevation to California’s “top cop” position, where he will become responsible for the vast bureaucracy of the state’s criminal legal system, will be a crucible for that belief. Piper French
Five Times Miami’s New Police Chief Got It Wrong on Public Safety Art Acevedo’s recent comments reveal an official who, despite his “good cop” veneer, has played fast and loose with the facts when it comes to addressing public safety. Eoin Higgins
Activists Who Helped Elect Birmingham Mayor Balk at Police Expansion Plans Mayor Randall Woodfin is increasing police funding and ignoring calls for non-law enforcement public safety alternatives. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Phoenix Wants To Shift Crisis Response Away From Police—While Also Increasing The Police Budget The trial budget includes a proposal to expand a crisis response program under the fire department, but also includes a $3.7 million increase to the Phoenix Police Department’s $745 million budget. Meg O'Connor
Choosing Adam Schiff For California Attorney General Would Be Ignoring What Californians Want The U.S. representative has been a chief architect of mass incarceration in the state and an instigator of racial injustice. Jody David Armour
Trump Turned the Justice System Into a Black Box. Biden Could Fix It The Bureau of Justice Statistics has suffered from years of poor funding and political interference by the Trump administration. Fixing it could be one of the most important tasks on Biden’s criminal justice reform agenda. Ethan Corey
The Prosecutors’ Union That’s Suing George Gascón Has A History Of Zealous Opposition To Reform A look at the organization’s past actions suggests that this lawsuit is part of a longstanding pattern of ideologically motivated advocacy and commitment to tough-on-crime policies, rather than a show of blind allegiance to the law. Piper French
Why Goodwin Liu Should Be California’s Next Attorney General The California Supreme Court Justice is motivated not by politics but by making equal justice under the law a reality for all Californians. Earlonne Woods
Gavin Newsom’s High-Stakes Choice For California Attorney General By appointing a reformer to replace the outgoing Xavier Becerra, Newsom has the chance to begin dismantling a sprawling, bloated system of prisons and jails that incarcerated nearly a quarter-million people as of 2018. Jay Willis
What Traffic Enforcement Without Police Could Look Like Because traffic stops all too often escalate into deadly incidents, calls have grown to disentangle traffic enforcement from police—and a measure to do so has already passed in Berkeley, California. Meg O'Connor
D.C. May Give People Convicted As Young Adults A Chance At Resentencing The D.C. Council is set to vote on a bill aimed at giving people who committed serious crimes before their 25th birthday an opportunity to petition a judge for resentencing. Meg O'Connor
Terry McAuliffe’s Record on the Death Penalty Is Out of Step With National Trends McAuliffe is running to become Virginia governor a second time. If he wins, he would be the only active Democratic governor to have carried out executions in office. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Resentencing Units Can Rectify, Rehabilitate, and Restore A concerted effort to review, resentence, and release is the right thing to do for those who have been unjustly sentenced. It is also the right thing to do for our community. George Gascón, Marilyn Mosby
Two Rising Democratic Stars May Be Vying for Pennsylvania Governor. On Criminal Justice, They’re Very Different Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman has jumpstarted the state’s pardons process, while Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s self-styled progressivism isn’t winning over advocates. Joshua Vaughn
Some Texas Elections Suggest Voters Aren’t Afraid of Defunding Police None of the Austin City Council members who voted to cut police funding lost their elections, but a police union vice president who fearmongered about the defund movement did. Meg O'Connor
Report Finds Bail Reform in Chicago Reduced Pretrial Incarceration Without Hurting Public Safety A growing body of evidence suggests that it’s possible to reduce or even eliminate the use of money bail without increasing crime. Ethan Corey
Americans Are Getting Tired of Willie Horton-Style Fearmongering In North Carolina, Attorney General Josh Stein’s Republican opponent painted him as soft on crime. Voters re-elected him anyway. Jay Willis
In a Blow to the Progressive Prosecutor Movement, Allister Adel Wins the Maricopa County Attorney Race Voters decided to keep Adel in charge of the third-largest prosecuting agency in the country. She is recovering from emergency surgery for bleeding in her brain. Meg O'Connor
Police Unions Are Losing The War on Criminal Justice Reform Law enforcement organizations have long treated mass incarceration as a job creation program. In 2020, the tide began turning against them. Jay Willis
George Gascón Wins Race for Los Angeles D.A. in Major Victory for Progressive Prosecutor Movement Los Angeles County, with the country’s largest jail system and largest local prosecutor office, is considered a crown jewel in a nationwide push for criminal justice reform. Eliyahu Kamisher
Holly Mitchell Wins Supervisors Race With Big Implications For Criminal Justice Reform In Los Angeles County The LA County supervisors are poised to tackle a wide range of criminal justice reforms, including moving children and people struggling with mental health issues out of the criminal legal system, and redirecting millions of dollars away from law enforcement and back into communities. Piper French
Mondaire Jones Is Bringing the Fight Against Systemic Racism to Congress Jones has vowed to support expansion of the Supreme Court, back the Green New Deal, and push for criminal justice reform. Lauren Gill
Esther Agbaje, Fighting For Affordable Housing And Prison Reform, Becomes Minnesota’s First Nigerian-American Legislator “I have always had a focus on public service, always a desire to make sure that I’m using my skills and talents to help people and to make the community around me a little bit better,” she said. Dawn R. Wolfe
Athena Hollins Wins Seat In Minnesota State House, Pledging To Fight For Broad Police Reforms Hollins’s ‘very personal’ decision to run was sparked in part by the Trump administration ‘catching everything on fire.’ Now she wants to advocate for subsidized child care, police reform, and more. Dawn R. Wolfe
Reformer Ed Gonzalez Wins Second Term As Harris County Sheriff Houston area voters re-elected Gonzalez after he supported bail reform, cleaned up the county jail, and provided aid to incarcerated people living with opioid use disorder. Jerry Iannelli
California Voters Reject Regressive Measure That Would Have Rolled Back Years Of Successful Criminal Justice Reforms The ballot initiative would have bloated prisons and jails in the state and undone important criminal legal reforms, advocates say. Ray Levy Uyeda
Tarra Simmons Becomes First Person Formerly Convicted Of A Felony Elected To Washington State Legislature Simmons, an attorney, is fighting to give people “a first chance so they won’t need a second chance later on in life.” Eoin Higgins
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
Cori Bush Wins, Heads To Congress Committed To ‘Fighting For The Regular Person’ Bush’s victory in Missouri’s First Congressional District makes her the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress. Lauren Gill
The Senate Filibuster Is Hollowing Out American Democracy If Democrats win control of the Senate, allowing this archaic tradition to survive will make everything of significance the party hopes to accomplish virtually impossible. Jay Willis
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
As Arizona Politics Shift, Martín Quezada Hopes This Term Is His Most Significant Quezada has supported progressive policies since starting out in the state legislature in 2012. He’s now running for his final term, which could be his most important, given the state’s changing power dynamics. Meg O'Connor
How One Race Could Change Police Accountability in Arizona Incumbent Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel is backed by police unions and has declined to charge officers in high-profile killings. Challenger Julie Gunnigle says she wants to create an independent unit to review police use-of-force cases. Meg O'Connor
Amy Coney Barrett’s Record on Criminal Justice Is ‘Deeply Troubling,’ Reform Advocates Say In the midst of a national debate about changing the criminal legal system, Barrett is set to take a lifetime seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Advocates see her addition as a potential setback to creating a more fair system. Joshua Vaughn
This Los Angeles County Election Could Have A Big Effect On Criminal Justice Reform The Board of Supervisors wields enormous power over a county government apparatus that includes the DA’s office, probation department, and sheriffs. Piper French
Cori Bush Wants To Make Sure That Someone Is ‘Fighting For The Regular Person’ In Washington If she wins her bid for office in November, Bush will become the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress. Lauren Gill
Los Angeles D.A. Candidates Spar on Police Shootings, Death Penalty DA Jackie Lacey and challenger George Gascón outlined diverging visions for the top prosecutor’s office in the nation’s most populous county. Kira Lerner
California Voters Have An Opportunity To Chip Away At Jim Crow-Era Voting Law Proposition 17 would allow people with felony convictions to cast ballots while they are on parole. Kira Lerner
Maricopa County’s Top Prosecutor Releases Misleading Attack Ad Allister Adel paints herself as a reformer, but her record shows otherwise. Meg O'Connor
Policing Studies Measure Benefits To Crime Reduction—But Not Social Costs Research has shown only that police can be sufficient, not that they are necessary. John Pfaff
How Legislation Meant to Overhaul Probation And Parole In Pennsylvania Strayed From Its Roots Through a series of maneuvers, state legislators narrowed the ambitious scope of Senate Bill 14. Jonathan Ben-Menachem
A New Law To Help Formerly Incarcerated Firefighters Is Far More Limited Than It Seems California just made it a tiny bit easier for formerly incarcerated people to become civilian firefighters. But the law still leaves many obstacles in their path. Jay Willis
Thousands of Children On Probation Are Incarcerated Each Year for Nonviolent, Noncriminal Behaviors Experts say Black and Native children are disproportionately jailed either for status offenses or for technical violations of probation or parole—and that incarcerating them has far-reaching negative consequences. Dawn R. Wolfe
U.S. Executes Keith Dwayne Nelson, The Fifth Federal Prisoner Put To Death This Year Nelson’s attorneys had sought to have his death sentence reversed, citing critical errors by his original trial attorneys. Lauren Gill
NYPD Expands Use Of Controversial Subpoenas To Criminal Cases Administrative subpoenas—which do not require a judge’s approval—are typically used for the department’s internal investigations, but The Appeal has learned that they are being used in criminal cases. Ali Winston
A Life Sentence Couldn’t Defeat Their Love. Now They’re Working To Change The System That Kept Them Apart. Taewon Wilson and Candace Chavez-Wilson are part of a growing movement to end life without possibility of parole and other harsh sentences. Mara Kardas-Nelson
Criminal Justice Advocates Say New Law Undermines Georgia’s Efforts at Bail Reform The law, known as SB 402, eliminates the use of signature bonds for a number of felonies, putting poor people who might not be able to afford cash bail at a disadvantage. Victoria Law
New Jersey COVID-19 Bill Could Help Reduce The Harshness Of The Criminal System If the bill is signed into law later this month, about 20 percent of the state’s prison population could see their sentences reduced to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, including some people who have served lengthy sentences for violent crimes. Ellison Berryhill
In Arizona, a County Attorney Candidate’s Past Seems To Contradict Her Pro-Reform Stance Julie Gunnigle, who is running in Maricopa County, says she supports alternatives to incarceration. But a decade ago in Illinois, she prosecuted a woman for recording phone calls and helped put her in jail for 18 months. Meg O'Connor
Mississippi Teen Who Has Languished In Jail For 17 Months Without An Indictment Is Just ‘One Of Thousands’ Sixteen-year-old William Haymon has spent more than 500 days in an adult jail in rural Lexington, Mississippi. There are no state rules governing how long a person can be incarcerated without being formally charged with a crime. Lauren Gill
Racial Disparity Among Prosecutors and Trial Judges Translates to Unequal Justice, Activists Say Studies show that 95 percent of the nation’s prosecutors are white and that the lack of Black and brown representation in courts negatively affect outcomes for people of color. Dawn R. Wolfe
Minors Sentenced To Life Without Parole Deserve More Than Scare Tactics When Transitioning To Adult Prisons If the justice system’s goal is to produce healthy, safe, and productive members of society, then it must begin with support from corrections staff and healthy relationships with peers. Anthony Richardson
New York City’s Public Housing Rules Could Force Many Released Prisoners Into Homelessness As thousands of people are freed from local jails, a group of nonprofits and activist organizations says the city's housing authority must revamp its policies that banish the formerly incarcerated. Jerry Iannelli
U.S. Completes Second of Three Executions Set for This Week In a 5-4 ruling early today, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the lethal injection of Wesley Ira Purkey. Lawyers had argued that killing Purkey, who had dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease, would represent cruel and unusual punishment. Lauren Gill
Reimagining A Future With Less Policing Means Asking Tough Questions About the Powers We Assign To Law Enforcement As criminal justice reformers take steps to defund police departments and limit qualified immunity, it’s important to consider the role of universal and special duties in policing. Eric Kennedy
The Federal Death Penalty Has The Veneer Of Respectability. But It’s Just As Flawed As the States’ Killing Machines. Attorney General Bill Barr has scheduled executions for four people on federal death row in July and August. That’s more federal executions in one month than in the entire modern history of the federal death penalty. Ben Cohen
Will Maryland Lawmakers Come Back to Work? In a moment of crisis, the state Senate and House are slated to be in recess until January. Jay Willis
Nationwide Calls For Police Reform Put New Pressure On Atlanta To Close Its City Jail ‘As long as there’s a jail, there’s going to be police trying to put our poor folks in it,’ one activist said. Victoria Law
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Funds Clean Slate Policy. So Why Won’t Facebook Take Down Mugshots? Mark Zuckerberg could engage in criminal legal reform by bringing Facebook's policies in line with CZI's mission and allow people to request that their mugshot be taken down. Sarah Esther Lageson
Jails and Prisons Must Reduce Their Populations Now We did it in San Francisco. If we are smart about how we respond to COVID-19 in the criminal legal system, then we can simultaneously tackle two crises. Cristine Soto DeBerry
COVID-19 Is Creating a State of Emergency For Incoming Public Defenders. Diploma Privilege Is the Only Solution. Several states and the District of Columbia have postponed their bar exams because of the pandemic, creating a deadly delay for poor people in need of public defenders. Stefanie Mundhenk, Emily M. Croucher
As Major Cities Decarcerated During COVID-19’s Spread, Philadelphia’s Jail Population Barely Budged The city’s DA’s office and its public defender association urged judges to adopt video meetings to speed the release of incarcerated people. But emails obtained by The Appeal show that judges took a much more limited approach to decarceration. Jerry Iannelli
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
The Last Trial In California As the novel coronavirus spread in the state, a Solano County judge denied numerous motions to continue a troubled double kidnapping and rape case marred by allegations that a Vallejo police detective withheld exculpatory evidence. Brian Krans
Justice in America Episode 25: Conversation with Sherrilyn Ifill Josie Duffy Rice and guest co-host Darnell Moore talk with Sherrilyn Ifill about policing, civil rights, the criminal justice system, and more.
Curbing COVID-19 Means A Moratorium On Unnecessary Arrests In Boston, it’s worse than business as usual at the police department as the pandemic spreads. On a recent day, officers arrested people for charges the district attorney has publicly declined to prosecute. Will Isenberg
‘Is My Life Not As Valuable As Yours?’ Immigration Judges Want All Courts Shut Down As Coronavirus Cases Soar The Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies are intersecting with a highly contagious disease at a time when cities across the country are shutting down. Liz Robbins
As COVID-19 Spreads In South Florida, Miami-Dade Police Department Instructs Officers To Issue Citations For All Misdemeanor Offenses One of America’s largest police forces says it’s drastically reducing the number of people it arrests during the coronavirus pandemic. Jerry Iannelli
Coronavirus Derails Effort To Shorten Prison Terms In Oklahoma Organizers have been collecting signatures as part of a ballot initiative known as State Question 805, which calls for the end of sentencing enhancements for people convicted of nonviolent crimes. Lauren Gill
Washington, D.C. Continues Low-level Arrests Amid Pandemic The Metropolitan Police Department has discussed reducing arrests, but it has not formally announced any policy changes. Jon Campbell
Justice In America Episode 24: Death Penalty Josie Duffy Rice and guest co-host Darnell Moore focus on the death penalty as they talk with State Attorney Aramis Ayala of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
Critics Of Progressive Judges Find A Willing Ally In Local Newsrooms With few exceptions, news outlets in Harris County, Texas, spotlight singular instances of crime to allege that legal reform policy is a threat to the public. Jonathan Ben-Menachem
I Was a Child When The State Sentenced Me To Die In Prison. But I Found A Path To Redemption In A Community Of Lifers. I learned later than I should have what you probably already know: that it is strength not weakness to lean on somebody when you feel vulnerable and defeated and let them help you. Seth Koch
A Heroin Case With ‘Breaking Bad’ References Ensnares a Small-Time Dealer Dennis Sica struggled with substance use disorder and sold small amounts of heroin that prosecutors connected to overdose deaths. Because of an 1980s-era federal law, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Jon Campbell
Justice in America Episode 22: Probation and Parole Josie Duffy Rice and guest host Donovan X. Ramsey talk with LaTonya Tate, executive director and founder of the Alabama Justice Initiative, about probation and parole.
Remaking Our Legal System With More Compassion And Humanity Is Necessary And Urgent Work The Appeal and Oregon Justice Resource Center announce “Left Behind,” firsthand accounts of growing-up in prison from individuals sentenced as children. Bobbin Singh
In A Florida Courtroom, People Charged With Probation Violations Face Humiliation From Judge Probation officers in the state’s 13th Judicial Circuit file thousands of violations, and they’re heard by a judge known for his harsh, punitive style. Samantha Schuyler
Justice in America Episode 21: Police Accountability Josie Duffy and co-host Darnell Moore discuss police accountability and explain why it’s so hard for the criminal justice system to hold police accountable.
Alabama Prepares To Execute A Man Whose Case Is Haunted By Claims Of Police Misconduct Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted in connection with the deaths of three Birmingham police officers in 2004, is ‘100 percent innocent,’ the man who shot the officers told The Appeal. Lauren Gill
Stop-And-Frisk Made Michael Bloomberg A Big Target In The Presidential Debate. His Opponents Still Missed. Advocates say the narrowing field of Democratic candidates did not seize an opportunity to lay out clear visions on criminal justice reform to contrast the former New York City mayor’s record on policing. Aaron Morrison
A Lack Of Evidence Doesn’t Keep The New York Times From Declaring a ‘Spike In Crime’ In two articles, the Times asserts a ‘spike’ in crime since the passage of bail reform in New York, an increase that the articles themselves note they can’t prove. Adam H. Johnson
New Data Suggests Risk Assessment Tools Have Little Impact on Pretrial Incarceration Around one-third of counties in the United States use the tools when making release decisions, but few monitor whether they work as intended. Ethan Corey
Delaware Lawmakers Push Bill That Could Pay Reparations To The Wrongfully Incarcerated Elmer Daniels served nearly 40 years in prison before he was exonerated in 2018. He's one of at least three people who could receive $50,000 for every year spent behind bars. Lauren Gill
The Appeal Podcast: Substandard Healthcare in American Prisons With Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge, a Type Investigations Ida B. Wells Fellow and Appeal contributor. Adam H. Johnson
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. Adam H. Johnson
Harris County D.A. Candidate Audia Jones Says She Won’t Prosecute Sex Work The incumbent in the race, Jones’s former boss Kim Ogg, will not support a blanket refusal to prosecute sex workers, her office says. Kira Lerner
As Support For Capital Punishment Wanes, An Ohio D.A. Continues To Push For Death In Franklin County, experts say Ron O’Brien’s capital cases—which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars— amount to ‘just taxpayer money being lit on fire.’ Joshua Vaughn
Longtime Louisiana Prisoner Who Maintained Her Innocence Dies Less Than Two Years After Her Release The poor healthcare that Bobbie Jean Johnson received during her more than 40 years in prison contributed to her death, family members say. Roxanna Asgarian
Orange County Judge Rules That Sheriff’s ‘Blanket’ Shackling Practice Violates Prisoners’ Rights People held in courthouse cells were shackled for up to 15 hours a day, and some were unable to eat, change menstrual pads, or use the bathroom, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
A Life Sentence in Arkansas. And a Lifetime of Pain. The state’s parole board has recommended that Willie Mae Harris, convicted of killing her husband in 1985, be freed five times. Now 72 and completely blind, her fate lies with Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Lauren Gill
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. Nora McCarthy
The Appeal Podcast: When Criminal Justice Reform Preserves The Status Quo With Civil Rights Corps founder Alec Karakatsanis Adam H. Johnson
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
Who Gets To Proclaim The Progressive Prosecutor Mantle? Interim San Francisco D.A. Suzy Loftus claims to be a "progressive," but her long record as a prosecutor reveals an all-too-familiar path chosen by establishment-types who have little interest in disrupting the status quo. Patrisse Cullors
California Court Destroys Files In Historic Police Corruption Case Criminal case files from Oakland’s seminal Riders scandal were among documents shredded by the Alameda County Superior Court in 2015. Ali Winston, Darwin BondGraham
Louisiana To Build New Prison For Women Displaced By 2016 Storm More than three years after heavy rains and flooding devastated the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, officials have reached an agreement to build a new facility. Lauren Gill
Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg Releases Criminal Justice Reform Plan The South Bend, Indiana, mayor says his plan—which includes cutting the incarcerated population by half—will "rebalance" a system that is "unfair and racist in many ways." Aaron Morrison
North Carolina Judge Rules That Prosecuting 16-year-old As An Adult Violates His Constitutional Rights Two years ago, the state passed ‘raise the age’ legislation that goes into effect in December. A judge’s decision regarding a teen charged in 2015 raises the possibility of relief for other young people charged since the law’s passage. Roxanna Asgarian
Philadelphia Man Begins Rebuilding His Life After His Wrongful Conviction After more than two decades, Terrance Lewis was exonerated and released from prison earlier this year. He is now an advocate for other innocent people caught up in the criminal legal system. Joshua Vaughn
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. John Pfaff
An Alabama Man Faces The Death Penalty For Two Murders. Could The Police Be Involved? In March, Coley McCraney was arrested and charged with capital murder in the 1999 killings of two teenage girls. But his attorneys say he’s innocent, and are now seeking information related to alleged police involvement in the homicides. Lauren Gill
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
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. Alex S. Vitale
A Historic Day May Mark The Beginning Of The End Of Death By Incarceration In Pennsylvania This month, nine people received commutations from life sentences, and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is calling for changes to the commutations process to give more people second chances. Joshua Vaughn
DNA Testing Could Save This Texas Man’s Life. But Prosecutors Are Opposing It. Rodney Reed, set to be executed on Nov. 20, is innocent of a rape and murder, his lawyers say, and untested evidence will prove it. But prosecutors have pushed back, arguing the evidence is contaminated. Lauren Gill
Their Juvenile Records Were Sealed. Decades Later, They’ve Reappeared. The Washington State Patrol has added thousands of old sealed juvenile records to a database it shares with law enforcement agencies across the country—erasing for many their chance of a clean slate. Tori Marlan
This Louisiana Gulf War Veteran Is Serving Life For Selling $30 Worth Of Marijuana Derek Harris awaits arguments in the state Supreme Court about the sentencing, which one judge called ‘unconscionable.’ Aaron Morrison
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. Alexandra Natapoff
Missouri Is Set To Execute Russell Bucklew. His Lawyers Say His Case Was Mishandled. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his execution, which experts have said will be bloody and gruesome, does not amount to cruel and unusual punishment. But problems with his case started long before that, his attorneys say. Lauren Gill
Alabama Sex Offender Registry Is Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teenagers, Lawsuit Argues Young people convicted as adults face a ‘life sentence’ of registry restrictions, attorneys say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
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. Kyle C. Barry
When Prosecutors Bury Police Lies Court records and interviews with former prosecutors show that internal assessments of police dishonesty are rarely memorialized, potentially violating the rights of people charged in criminal cases and sometimes keeping the records of bad cops clean. George Joseph, Ali Winston
In Third Debate, Democratic Presidential Candidates Condemn Mass Incarceration Without Naming Its Main Driver Candidates offered reforms for people accused of low-level, nonviolent offenses, but more than half of U.S. prisoners have committed a violent crime. Aaron Morrison
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. Adam H. Johnson
Louisiana Prosecutors Use The ‘Habitual Offender’ Statute To Jail People For Life. Attorneys For Lifers Are Fighting Back. Henri Lyles is challenging his life sentence under a statute that penalizes people for prior convictions. A favorable decision by the state Supreme Court would mean that he and a dozen people sentenced to life could one day be freed. Aaron Morrison
Hundreds of Alabama Prisoners See Opportunity For Freedom Delayed After Parole Hearings Canceled The parole board failed to comply with a new law about notifying victims, the board’s director said. Lauren Gill
Harris County D.A. Seeks Execution of Intellectually Disabled Man, Lawyer Says Kim Ogg ran as a reform-minded district attorney candidate, but her office has sought two death warrants for Dexter Johnson, whose lawyer says cannot name everyday objects and has an IQ of 70. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
An Indiana Woman’s Long Fight for Justice In a rare move, a federal court vacated Anastazia Schmid’s murder conviction, saying she’d received ineffective assistance of counsel and had been mentally unfit to stand trial. But Schmid, who’d spent 18 years in prison, remained locked up for three months more. Victoria Law
‘No Knock’ Warrants Spur Wave Of Civil Rights Lawsuits In Little Rock Police are accused of lying to obtain the warrants to conduct military-style raids on the homes of poor people and people of color. Joshua Vaughn
Meet the Latinx 19-Year-Old Running for Sheriff in a Majority-White Louisiana Parish Jose ‘Lil Joe’ Chapa says one way to make Beauregard Parish ‘great again’ is to stop construction of a new jail and divert resources to services that keep people out of lockup altogether. Aaron Morrison
New Lawsuit Claims a Sacramento Deputy Unlawfully Arrested Activist Who Protested Clearing Of Homeless Encampment Advocates and homeless people are suing Sacramento County over its treatment of homeless—and the city responded by filing a lawsuit against seven men for being a ‘public nuisance.‘ Meg O'Connor
New York Law Removes ‘Unnecessary’ Step for Children Charged With Felonies 16-year-olds won’t have to reappear in adult criminal court if they’re arrested when youth court isn’t in session. Lauren Gill
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
Number Of Young People Charged In Philadelphia’s Adult Court Drops Sharply The decline under DA Larry Krasner, who took office in 2018, marks a significant change in juvenile justice in Pennsylvania. Joshua Vaughn
San Francisco Deserves Restorative Justice Our response to crime should focus on healing and accountability, not punishment and retribution. Chesa Boudin
A Pennsylvania Police Department Is Accused Of Klan Involvement and Discrimination In a civil rights lawsuit, an officer in Allentown claims he was subjected to racial discrimination before he was fired. Joshua Vaughn
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. Adam H. Johnson
‘You Don’t Own Me’ At 16, Larry Rosser was imprisoned for killing a woman who sexually and physically abused him. He served 22 years in the California prison system before being released in 2017, after parole commissioners became convinced he was a rehabilitated victim. Aaron Morrison
The Persistent History of Excluding Black Jurors in North Carolina A statewide pattern of discrimination in jury selection has gone largely uncorrected, while lives remain in the balance, advocates say. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Sanders And Warren Just Released the Most Decarceral Criminal Justice Platforms Ever The 2020 presidential candidates recently unveiled national criminal justice agendas that reimagine public safety and punishment. Aaron Morrison
In One Arizona County, Pay For Your Ankle Monitor Or Go To Jail A lawsuit is challenging Mohave County’s practice of charging certain people for mandatory GPS monitoring before trial. Kira Lerner
An Alabama Man On Death Row Says He Is Innocent. Will He Get a New Trial? In 1998, prosecutors failed to tell the defense that a key witness in Toforest Johnson’s capital murder trial would receive thousands of dollars in reward money for her testimony, Johnson’s attorneys say. Now a Birmingham judge must decide whether their argument has merit. Lauren Gill
Alabama’s Prisons Are the Most Crowded—If You Look at the Right Data The Bureau of Justice Statistics relies in part on states to self-report prison capacity numbers, which can result in a misleading snapshot of overcrowding in the U.S. Corin Faife
‘Is This The Guy?’ Police and prosecutors claimed facial recognition technology wasn’t at the center of a shoplifting case, but defense attorneys say it was the sole basis for probable cause to arrest. Mike Hayes
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
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
A New Mexico Man Accused a Deputy of ‘Gestapo’-like Training. Then He Was Arrested. In Valencia County, a sheriff’s deputy who once faced allegations of excessive force in Albuquerque is accused of assaulting an elderly man. Joshua Vaughn
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
Chicago Police Pointed Guns At And Traumatized Children in Botched Raids, Lawsuits Allege Children as young as 4 years old are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result, the complaints say. Lauren Gill
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
Oakland Police Have Been Systematically Underreporting Use Of Force A new internal audit shows that officers disproportionately strike, tussle with, and draw guns on Black people but then fail to disclose the incidents in their reports. Darwin BondGraham
LA County Supervisors to Vote on Canceling Jail Contract Black Lives Matter and other advocates have pushed county officials to abandon the $2.2 billion project with McCarthy Builders. Lauren Gill
‘See How Quickly They Behave Once We Put Our Foot Down?’ A federal lawsuit claims that Palo Alto, California, police falsely detained, arrested, and beat a gay Latinx man—then boasted about their brutality. Joshua Vaughn
Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17 and Denied Freedom at 52 Richard Kinder thought he would die in an Alabama prison until the Supreme Court ruled mandatory juvenile life without parole unconstitutional. But last year, despite a judge concluding there was “uncontradicted evidence” that Kinder had worked to rehabilitate himself, the state parole board refused him release. Lauren Gill
Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Life for Attempting to Rob Grocery Store With Toy Gun Seeks Mercy Gloria Williams was in her 20s when she was sent to prison for her part in a robbery that turned deadly. After serving nearly five decades, including one decade in solitary confinement, Williams now has a chance at freedom. Victoria Law
California Man Charged With Murder Even Though He Didn’t Fire A Shot Last year, lawmakers repealed the felony murder rule, which allowed prosecutors to charge defendants with murders they didn‘t commit. Prosecutors are trying to overturn the new law, but AG Xavier Becerra believes that the reform should stand. Darwin BondGraham
Pennsylvania’s Top Cop Says He Supports Criminal Justice Reform. His Record Suggests Otherwise. When it comes to criminal justice, advocates say, Attorney General Josh Shapiro seems intent on maintaining the status quo. Joshua Vaughn
Utah Jail Nurse Faces Negligent Homicide Charge in Death of 21-Year-Old Woman In 2016, Madison Jensen died from opiate withdrawal at the Duchesne County jail. New court filings allege that jail staff, including its nurse, ignored her rapidly deteriorating health. Lauren Gill
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. Adam H. Johnson
In Queens D.A. Race, Criminal Justice Reform Is The Real Winner Establishment candidate Melinda Katz declared a narrow victory in the New York City borough’s district attorney primary, but progressive Tiffany Cabán pushed the race to the left on issues like marijuana and sex work. Aaron Morrison
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. Matthew Nesvet
‘We’ve Got One In The Sweep’ Three Bronx friends recount their 2012 arrests in the NYPD’s ‘Operation Crew Cut,’ along with their experiences with the court system and incarceration, and reflect on their lives seven years later. Olivia Heffernan
When Cops Lie, Should Prosecutors Rely Upon Their Testimony At Trial? In California, Texas and Florida, advocates sent letters to district attorneys, demanding that they refuse to work with officers with histories of misconduct. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Florida Sheriffs Arrest Hundreds In ‘Trafficking’ Stings Offices across the state conduct operations under the guise of saving victims of human trafficking. But the vast majority of people detained, including sex workers, are charged with prostitution. Molly Minta
In Alabama, Decades-Delayed Justice In A Double Homicide—Or A Brand New Injustice? Police in Ozark said they solved the 1999 murders of two teenage girls using a genealogy database. But Coley McCraney‘s attorneys say that the case against their client is far from certain. Lauren Gill
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. Jonathan Ben-Menachem
Decarceration Activist Janos Marton Launches Run For Manhattan D.A. An organizer in the effort to close New York City’s Rikers Island jails is challenging Cyrus Vance Jr., whom he calls ‘the city’s leading jailer.’ Aaron Morrison
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. Adam H. Johnson
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. Stefanie Mundhenk
Oakland Police Conducted An Illegal Search And Then Lied About It. But They May Be Spared From Discipline. A California Superior Court ruling gives officers accused of misconduct access to investigator notes and files while cases are in progress. Darwin BondGraham
Media Frame: Fentanyl Panic Is Worsening the Overdose Crisis Sensational and false news reports about the drug are pushing lawmakers to enact harmful policies. Zachary A. Siegel, Maia Szalavitz
The Struggle to Be Trans in Minnesota’s Sex Offender Program Four transgender women say clinicians and staff deny them gender-affirming care and see their identity as in conflict with sex offender treatment. Sessi Kuwabara Blanchard
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
Alaska Passed Sweeping Criminal Justice Reforms. Its New Governor Just Unraveled Them. Republican Mike Dunleavy was elected on a platform to ‘Make Alaska Safe Again’ and has rolled back recent changes. Zachary A. Siegel
Media Frame: A ‘War on Cops’ Narrative Without Evidence ABC News claims anti-police violence is on the rise but offers no data. Adam H. Johnson
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. Kyle C. Barry
New Orleans Youth Crime: The Epidemic That Wasn’t In rhetoric reminiscent of the ‘superpredator‘ scare of the 1990s, the New Orleans District Attorney warned of ‘a brazen population of delinquent teens.‘ But advocates and crime analysts alike say the data doesn't support his fearmongering claims about kids and crime. Mike Hayes
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
Fremont Police Said a Man Wielded a Deadly Weapon When They Shot Him. But Records Reveal He Waved a Tent Pole. The police union’s newly elected vice president led the investigation into the shooting that cleared Officer William Gourley of any wrongdoing. Darwin BondGraham
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. Meaghan Ybos
Spotlight: Prosecuting Lifesavers Exposes Deep Problems With Laws and Their Enforcement Sarah Lustbader
A Troubled Virginia Jail Looks To Add Guards, But Advocates Push For Decarceration As the Hampton Roads Regional Jail proposes spending $7 million for 113 new guards, advocates renew calls for officials to improve conditions—and an Appeal analysis suggests that the jail could save millions by incarcerating fewer people with mental illness. Aaron Morrison, Jonathan Ben-Menachem
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
Data Raises Questions About Harris County D.A.’s Push for More Lawyers Records show Kim Ogg’s office appeared to misrepresent felony prosecutor caseloads in its $21 million budget request. Keri Blakinger
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. Adam H. Johnson
Pleading Guilty to Get Out of Jail The criminalization of poverty in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, has led to a staggering increase in incarcerated people, all at a huge cost for defendants and taxpayers alike. Joshua Vaughn
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. Joshua Manson
New Orleans Police Appear to Use Surveillance to Initiate Investigations City officials say its vast network of cameras are simply a tool when responding to 911 calls and complaints of criminal activity. But several cases suggest the system serves an additional purpose. Mike Hayes
An Alabama Woman Got Pregnant While In Jail. She Has No Memory of Having Sex. Since 2017, LaToni Daniel has been incarcerated pretrial in a capital murder case. During that time, Daniel became pregnant, and she just delivered a baby boy. But as she brings in new life, she also faces the death penalty. Lauren Gill
The Appeal Podcast: Criminal Justice Reform Hits Roadblock in Arizona With Caroline Isaacs of the American Friends Service Committee Adam H. Johnson
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
Commander Of Major California Narcotics Task Force Fired For A String Of Thefts And Lies Newly released records show that task force members faced allegations of theft and questionable overtime, all under the watch of a commander later fired for lying as the misconduct was investigated. Darwin BondGraham
D.C. Shows Mercy For People Who Committed Crimes As Children, But Prosecutors Are Fighting Back U.S. attorneys in D.C. have opposed the resentencing of all 14 people who have petitioned for early release under a local law. Kira Lerner
New Data Reveals the Racial Disparities in Pennsylvania’s Money Bail Industry Despite accounting for less than 12 percent of the state’s adult population, roughly 40 percent of all bail bonds were issued in cases involving a Black defendant. Joshua Vaughn
New York Prisons Offer ‘Tough Love’ Boot Camp Programs. But Prisoners Say They’re ‘Torture’ And ‘Hell.’ Prisoners can shave time off their sentences by participating in shock incarceration programs. More than a dozen former shock prisoners say that comes at a steep cost. Keri Blakinger
State Trooper Said Man Took Bag From Fentanyl Supplier, But Video Demonstrated That The Deal Never Went Down Trooper testimony inconsistent with video and misconduct among state and local law enforcement in New Hampshire and Massachusetts have caused at least 15 drug cases to unravel. Zachary A. Siegel
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
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
Bronx Cops Celebrated A Copwatcher’s Arrest. They Had No Idea They Were Caught On Tape. New York City just paid Jose LaSalle of the Copwatch Patrol Unit nearly $900,000 over claims of false arrest related to the 2016 incident, but his fight for justice is far from over. Ashoka Jegroo
A White Woman Was Caught On Tape Selling Heroin, But Police Arrested A Black Woman Instead In a case of mistaken identity, Jada Noone was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police, spent 15 days in jail and faced a felony drug case before charges were dismissed. She’s now suing over her false arrest. Joshua Vaughn
Police In California Are Killing Sleeping People The fatal shooting by Oakland police of an unconscious man as he woke is putting pressure on the California department to rethink its deployment of force. Darwin BondGraham
‘They Sent Him to His Cell to Die’ Rashad McNulty entered a guilty plea in a series of federal gang indictments in New York that have been criticized as racist and overly punitive. But before McNulty was even sentenced, he died in jail. Now, his family is seeking justice. Aaron Morrison
Deputies ‘Tortured, Then Killed’ Man At Georgia Jail On ‘Taser Tuesday,’ Attorneys Say Antonio May, a 32 year-old father of three, died in the Fulton County Jail in September after deputies pepper-sprayed and shot him with a Taser. Aaron Morrison
Houston Cop Who Led Botched Drug Raid Overwhelmingly Arrested Black People After a drug bust involving Houston narcotics officer Gerald Goines turned deadly, questions are being raised about how he operated during his time on the force. Mike Hayes
‘It Was Almost Worse Than The Incident Itself’ New NYPD data show that in 2018 the department closed nearly 500 rape cases due to an alleged lack of participation from victims and had a declining clearance rate for rape, raising questions over its handling of sexual assault. Meg O'Connor
California Cities Have Shredded Decades of Police Misconduct Records Police union lawsuits delayed many local governments from complying with a new transparency law. In the meantime, some cities have destroyed files. Darwin BondGraham
‘They’re Trying To Kill Us In Here’ At Virginia’s Hampton Roads Regional Jail, reform has been slow even after high-profile tragedies including the death of mentally disabled man incarcerated who allegedly stole $5 worth of snacks. Aaron Morrison
‘Cage The Bastards’ Former prosecutor and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro inspires Trump’s rhetoric of dehumanization and incarceration. Kyle C. Barry
Alabama Woman Faces Life Sentence For Killing Man Who Allegedly Raped Her In 2018, Brittany Smith killed a man who she said brutally raped her. Smith was charged with murder and she now faces life in prison as well as challenges getting adequate treatment at a state psychiatric hospital. Lauren Gill
‘Please Help Me, Sir’ In September, Marcus Smith experienced a mental health crisis and begged Greensboro, North Carolina police for help. Instead, they tied him with restraints. Moments later, his body went lifeless. William C. Anderson
Houston Homicide Under New Scrutiny After Misconduct Allegations About DEA Agent Emerge In 2000, Lamar Burks was convicted of murder and given a 70-year sentence. But the federal indictment of a DEA agent and witnesses who say Burks is innocent have raised new questions about his case. Mike Hayes
Did Baltimore Cops ‘Conspire’ To Suppress Evidence, Leading to a Wrongful Murder Conviction? Attorneys for a man exonerated in a Baltimore murder say detectives suppressed exculpatory evidence and that the police’s homicide unit has a pattern and practice of similar conduct in decades of cases. Amelia McDonell-Parry
Black Mississippians Say Sheriff’s Office Deputies ‘Terrorize The Community Like A Gang Would’ Attorneys and advocates call for change in Madison County after the deaths of three Black people at its jail and because of what they allege is a system of roadblocks targeting Black residents. Aaron Morrison
Florida Woman Faced 10 Years For ‘Meth’ That Was ‘Just a Rock’ A scandal of falsified drug arrests is spreading at a Florida sheriff’s office that has also spent more than $1.33 million settling excessive force lawsuits and is at the center of the increasingly troubled Robert Kraft case. Meg O'Connor
In El Paso Jails, Immigrants Are Incarcerated Far Past Their Release Dates In the deep blue home of Beto O’Rourke, attorneys and advocates are questioning the county’s multi-million-dollar contract to detain migrants and refugees. Debbie Nathan
Women Say Pennsylvania Cop Committed Sexual Assaults, Recorded Them on Body Camera Their claims are part of a federal lawsuit; other women say they, too, were assaulted and the officer now faces a raft of criminal charges. Joshua Vaughn
Miami Police Arrest Thousands of Homeless But Leave Rapes, Robberies Unsolved In 2017, over 2,000 homeless people were arrested on charges including drinking in public and panhandling. That same year, roughly 1,400 people were arrested in Miami-Dade County for rape, murder, and robbery. Meg O'Connor
Federal Prisons Official Used Prison Labor For Work On His Church The Bureau of Prisons’ South Central regional director utilized incarcerated people from a Texas prison to work on a landscaping project at his church. Lauren Gill
In Texas, D.A. Who Promised Reform Now Faces Challenge From The Left Audia Jones pledges to tackle ‘brokenness in the system’ by unseating Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Roxanna Asgarian
Confession Throws Prison Uprising Trials Into Chaos A judge excluded a confession that exonerated defendants in one trial related to a Delaware prison uprising, but a pair of defendants were nonetheless acquitted, promising further problems for prosecutors. Ella Fassler
Police Unions Fight To Rescind Parole For Former Black Panther In April 2018, Herman Bell was paroled after spending 45 years in prison in a case involving the shooting deaths of two police officers. Now, New York police unions and the widow of one of the slain officers are challenging the decision in court. Victoria Law
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
Inside ‘The Stop-And-Frisk Capital of America’ Claims including sexual assault of a woman with mental illness to lying in reports haunt the Miami Gardens police; payouts in federal lawsuits have cost the city's taxpayers at least $3.5 million. Meg O'Connor
California Police Unions Fight New State Law Promising Transparency on Misconduct Records Senate Bill 1421 requires law enforcement agencies to make public investigative records of officer-involved shootings and uses of force resulting in great bodily harm. But law enforcement unions argue that the law threatens the privacy of their members. Darwin BondGraham
Justice in America Episode 16: A Conversation with Kim Foxx Josie and Clint talk to Cook County's head prosecutor. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
Man Exonerated In Murder, But Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer As He Awaited Freedom William J. Richards was cleared in the death of his wife. But he says he was the victim of medical neglect while he was behind bars, which led to a cancer diagnosis becoming terminal. Now he's suing. Erika Stallings
Justice in America Episode 15: Crime, Justice, and the Media Josie and Clint discuss the power and pitfalls of crime reporting with Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
Bail Activist Jailed For Trying To Help When Cops Confronted Man In Mental Health Crisis Colorado-based attorney and bail activist Elisabeth Epps was just released after serving a short jail stint related to a 2015 encounter with Aurora Police. The experience gave her a new understanding of the experiences of the people she has bailed out. Aaron Morrison
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
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. Josie Duffy Rice
Cops Claimed She Set Up A Drug Deal. Now She’s Being Prosecuted For Manslaughter. A Florida woman with substance use disorder allegedly brokered a drug sale that ended in a fatal overdose; she faces 15 years in prison. Zachary A. Siegel
‘I’ve Made My Share Of Wrongs, But I Haven’t Killed No One’ California amended its felony murder law, which holds accomplices responsible for murder. But reform won’t reach a man sentenced to death in a deadly robbery—even though he was never accused of firing a shot. Maura Ewing
‘I Feel The Oxygen Going Out Of My Mouth’ In October 2018, Marshall Miles was taken into custody by Sacramento County sheriff‘s deputies outside a convenience store. About 14 hours later, he was dead. Aaron Morrison
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
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. Patrisse Cullors, Lex Steppling
Man Charged With Homicide For Sharing Drugs With Woman Who Later Died Under Pennsylvania’s drug delivery resulting in death statute, a man faces up to 40 years in prison for sharing heroin with a woman who overdosed. Joshua Vaughn
The ‘Failure to Appear’ Fallacy Prosecutors denounce bail reform efforts when people miss court dates, but ‘failure to appear’ rates obscure the fact that many who miss court aren’t on the run. Puck Lo, Ethan Corey
Disabled Prisoners Decry Treatment in New York’s Prison System Prisoners in the state’s Regional Medical Units allege that they are being denied access to essential programs and services like law libraries. Keri Blakinger
Overdoses, Riots, And Escapes Roil A Rural Kentucky Jail The Boyd County Detention Center has been consumed in chaos, even as the DOJ investigates it. Now, the community is pinning hopes for reform on a new jailer. Zachary A. Siegel
In 2018, Activists Transformed ‘Tough on Crime’ from Asset to Liability A series of electoral victories signals a nationwide shift. Daniel Nichanian
Back-to-Back Jail Deaths Rock Small Utah County Two women died at the Duchesne County Jail in the span of about one week in 2016. Now their families are suing in federal court. Lauren Gill
Oklahoma Governor Releases 21 Prisoners Shut Out Of Drug Sentencing Reform But more than 1,100 others are still serving sentences that voters decided were too harsh. Kira Lerner
Is The NYPD’s Special Victims Division Prematurely Closing Sexual Assault Cases? Advocates say victims are being pressured to sign ‘withdrawal’ forms to quickly close investigations and protect the department from legal liability. Meg O'Connor
Pennsylvania Man Charged With Homicide Wasn’t Even Present When Victim Was Killed Darius Jacob Taylor wasn’t in the state when a robbery he was allegedly involved with ended in murder. But because of the felony murder rule, he’s charged with criminal homicide and faces life imprisonment. Joshua Vaughn
Black Lives Matter DC’s Battle to End Stop-and-Frisk In The Nation’s Capital Advocates say the city has dragged its feet on legislation meant to ensure transparency on the police practice, and that data released so far—from 2010 to 2016, nearly 82 percent of stops involved Black people—signals that it’s time to end stop-and-frisk entirely. Ella Fassler
Immigrant Who Fled Gangs and Torture Challenges ICE Detainers Attorneys for a Honduran woman are suing over the widespread jailhouse practice of honoring ICE requests to hold incarcerated immigrants for pickup. Debbie Nathan
Georgia Woman Endured Arrest, Million-Dollar Bond, and Months of Jail Over ‘Meth’ That Was Actually Cotton Candy A notoriously unreliable roadside drug test administered by Monroe County sheriff's deputies led to Dasha Fincher being charged with methamphetamine trafficking. Lauren Gill
In a Pennsylvania County, Black Children Are Disproportionately Charged in Adult Court In 2016 and 2017, more than 80 percent of children charged as adults by the Allegheny County district attorney were Black. Joshua Vaughn
Black Men Disproportionately Represented On Sex Offender Registries Even though it’s unlikely that they commit sexual assault at higher rates than other ethnic or racial groups, nearly one of every 100 Black men is on a sex offender registry, a rate double that of white men. Debbie Nathan
The Appeal Podcast: Real Reform vs. Faux Reform With Appeal senior staff reporter, and co-host of the Justice in America podcast, Josie Duffy Rice. Adam H. Johnson
Is A Philadelphia Agency’s Seizure Of Vehicles A New Form of Civil Asset Forfeiture? The city’s experiment with civil asset forfeiture was supposed to end, but the practices of its parking agency and some in state law enforcement suggest that police may be turning to other forms of property confiscation. Ryan Briggs
Boston’s New D.A. Pushes Back Against Prosecutors’ ‘Punishment-centric’ Point of View Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins’s promise to decline to prosecute several offenses is a rejection of the punitive tradition of prosecutors and perhaps signals a new kind of reform that spurns criminal justice as a solution to public health problems. John Pfaff
North Carolina Sheriff Criticized For Unleashing K-9 Dogs On Black People Faces Re-Election Advocates say that Sheriff Donnie Harrison is unfit for a fifth term because of such abusive practices as well as his office's cooperation with ICE. George Joseph
A Trump Favorite For His Hardline Anti-Immigration Stance, Maryland Sheriff Now Faces Re-Election Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins seeks a fourth term as critics blast him for a record that includes poor jail conditions, in-custody suicides, and the deaths of two young people at the hands of his deputies. Raven Rakia
Solitary Confinement, Jail Deaths Rock Race For Sheriff in California In Santa Clara County, incarcerated people, and a former undersheriff challenging six-term sheriff Laurie Smith, have turned conditions of confinement into a potent electoral issue. Victoria Law
Advocates Say Brooklyn D.A.’s Office Is Prosecuting Transgender People In Self-Defense Cases Decision-making by prosecutors in such cases, says one attorney, ‘compounds, entrenches, and ultimately authorizes the initial act of violence by prosecuting the victim.’ Aviva Stahl
Secretive Campus Cops Patrol Already Overpoliced Neighborhoods Campus police forces have become more professionalized, but critics say they operate behind a veil of secrecy and often exceed their jurisdiction. Ryan Briggs
Cash Bail Yields A New Casualty A Texas jail suicide involving a woman who couldn’t make bail in a shoplifting case highlights of the plight of pretrial detainees with mental illness. Lauren Gill
The Appeal Podcast: The Cruelty of Felony Murder Laws With Appeal contributor Katie Rose Quandt. Adam H. Johnson
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Won’t Seek A Third Term. These Movements Are A Big Reason. Protesters blasting everything from punitive prosecutors to police brutality should be remembered for their role in upsetting the Windy City's political status quo. Kelly Hayes
‘Worse Than Guantánamo’ Dozens of former detainees at the Gwinnett County jail in Georgia claim they were subjected to brutality at the hands of its Rapid Response Team. Kira Lerner
Claims of Racism and Brutality Dog Los Angeles County Sheriff ‘Deputy Gangs’ A lawsuit brought by a Compton resident detailing an alleged beating by deputies is just one of nearly three dozen federal civil rights lawsuits alleging brutality and racial bias at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. George Joseph, Raven Rakia, Ethan Corey
House of Cards ‘Cold case’ playing cards were just introduced into Delaware prisons in hopes of producing tips on unsolved homicides—but critics warn that informants cultivated behind bars can be dangerously unreliable. Lauren Gill
In One Pennsylvania County, Rape Victims Rarely Find Justice Since 2015, police in Adams County have taken dozens of reports of rape, yet charges were filed in just two cases. Joshua Vaughn
In Washington State, It’s Nearly Impossible To Prosecute Police Killings This fall, however, an initiative goes to voters that would change the law on deadly force by the police, which has led to no officer there being convicted of wrongfully killing someone in the line of duty in more than 30 years. Mike Faulk
The Incalculable Costs of Mass Incarceration Prisons carry enormous, perhaps impossible to measure social costs—but when assessing the system fiscally, reformers should focus on staffing salaries instead of the number of incarcerated people. John Pfaff
The Appeal Podcast Episode 14: The Prison-to-School Pipeline With activist and scholar Danny Murillo. Adam H. Johnson
A Grand Jury Indicted An Alabama Police Officer For Murder. Then A Mayor Came To His Defense. Jeffery Parker was shot to death by a police officer in his Huntsville home. A grand jury handed up an indictment for murder, but the mayor and City Council appear to be throwing their support behind the officer. Lauren Gill
A New Power for Prosecutors is on the Horizon—Reducing Harsh Sentences Legislation in California would provide a direct route to resentencing, and a new tool for activists. Kyle C. Barry
Louisiana Attorney General May Run For Governor By Fearmongering Over Criminal Justice Attorney General Jeff Landry has taken a number of extreme positions on policing and sentencing in response to reform. Kira Lerner
New York Woman Imprisoned For Defending Herself From Abuser Seeks Mercy Jacqueline Smalls was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing a boyfriend whose ‘hands were his weapons.’ She now joins the ranks of criminalized survivors seeking clemency from Governor Cuomo. Victoria Law
Pennsylvania Prosecutors Pursue Charges For People Who Fall Behind On Rent-To-Own Payments The state’s “theft of leased property” statute allows prosecutors to seek felony charges for Pennsylvanians who miss payments on rental items. Joshua Vaughn
Justice In America Episode 7: The New Progressive Prosecutors? After Tuesday’s primary victories for reform candidates, defining a progressive agenda for prosecutors is more pressing than ever. Rashad Robinson joins Josie and Clint. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
The Endless Punishment of Civil Commitment Prosecutors can subject those convicted of sexual offenses—and sometimes, those with no conviction at all—to an indefinite period of civil punishment at the end of their criminal sentence. Guy Hamilton-Smith
As National Prison Strike Continues, Incarcerated People Face Retaliation Now in its second week, a strike staged by prisoners over poor conditions, low wages, and other issues is resulting in consequences, including harsh conduct reports and placements in solitary confinement. Raven Rakia
In Pennsylvania, Defendants Pay A Fee Just To Plead Guilty The ‘plea fee’ stems from a state law passed in the 1980s and can cost nearly $200, depending on the county. Joshua Vaughn
Case Of Intellectually Disabled Teen Falsely Accused of Sex Offense Reveals Registry Flaws Before Edgar Coker was exonerated in a rape case, he underwent therapy meant to prevent sexual reoffenses. Thousands of kids involved in sexual offenses are forced into therapies like “relapse prevention” that experts say are ineffective. Joseph Darius Jaafari
Prosecutor Pursues Murder Charge For Woman Who Defended Herself From Abuser Jacqueline Dixon shot her husband to death in Alabama, "Stand Your Ground" state, after she said he charged at her. He had a history of domestic violence. William C. Anderson
Notoriously Brutal, Racist Plainclothes Policing Makes A Return In Baltimore After the Gun Trace Task Force scandal rocked the police department, plainclothes policing was spurned. But a recently resigned commissioner championed plainclothes units, a decision the department seems to be sticking with. Larry Smith
A Troubled Federal Prison Unit Gets New Life In A Different State Instead of changing its conditions and practices, The Bureau of Prisons is simply moving a problem-plagued federal prison unit in Pennsylvania to Illinois. Victoria Law
Defund The Baltimore Police A former Baltimore cop questions how a department with a nearly half-billion-dollar budget that is riven by rampant corruption and brutality, bloated overtime spending, and unaccounted for patrol officers can continue to justify its existence Larry Smith
Milwaukee Candidates Clash In Race to Succeed The Infamous Sheriff Clarke Several candidates are vying to become Milwaukee Sheriff in the wake of Sheriff David Clarke's resignation last fall. But will they truly spurn his legacy of jail deaths and cooperation with ICE? Raven Rakia
St. Louis County Could Oust The Prosecutor Who Helped Ignite Ferguson Protests His opponent in Tuesday’s primary helped establish new police accountability and court reforms in Ferguson after the police shooting of Michael Brown. Amanda Sakuma
Failure-to-Comply Arrests Reveal Flaws in Sex Offender Registries In one Pennsylvania county, more than three times as many people on the registry were charged in 2016 with failing to follow registry requirements than were charged with a new sexual offense Joshua Vaughn
Justice in America Episode 2: The 94% — Plea Deals A podcast from The Appeal, featuring Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
After Hearing Concerns about ICE, Texas Sheriff Ran Apparent Traffic Sting That Led to Deportation Proceedings A community group met with the Bastrop County sheriff in an effort to build trust between the sheriff’s office and the immigrant community. Then, the sheriff ran a sting that led to more than one dozen arrestees being handed over to ICE. Michael Arria
US Attorney’s Office That Prosecuted Inauguration Day Protesters Has History of Misconduct Findings Prosecutors on the "J20" case faced grave allegations of misconduct after withholding exculpatory evidence contained in videos from defense attorneys. But this is far from the first time that this office has found itself in hot water. Jessica Brand, Ethan Brown
New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Life In Prison For Killing Abusive Husband Is Granted New Trial Catina Curley suffered physical abuse at the hands of her husband for more than a decade. When she turned a revolver on him, she was charged with murder and sentenced to life. Now, thanks to a court ruling, she has a chance at freedom. Josie Duffy Rice
Drug Testing Organizations Save Lives, So Why Haven’t Rave and Concert Organizers Embraced Them? Groups like the Loop and DanceSafe test drugs like Ecstasy and warn users of high dosages and adulterants, but federal legislation from the early 2000s has live music promoters wary of their brand of harm reduction. Zachary A. Siegel
Justice in America Episode 1: Justice for the Rich, Money Bail Introducing a new podcast from The Appeal, featuring Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III. Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith
A Pennsylvania Man Survived An Overdose Only To Be Charged With Homicide York County resident Aaron Hinds overdosed on heroin with a friend. The friend died, and Hinds now faces a 'drug delivery resulting in death' charge and a 40-year prison sentence. Joshua Vaughn
Former Baltimore Police Officer Criticizes The Department’s Gang Database A onetime gang liaison for the Baltimore Police Department writes that its database is racist and error-ridden. Larry Smith
Pretrial Detainees Are Being Billed For Their Stay in Jail In jurisdictions across the country, people incarcerated before they've ever been convicted of a crime are charged a daily fee just for sitting in jail—and several courts have ruled that the practice is legal. Steven Hale
California Bill Would Deem Children Under 12 Too Young for Court Legislation passed in Massachusetts and pending in California would set a minimum age for children to enter the juvenile justice system. Jeremy Loudenback
The Appeal Podcast Episode 7: What Abolitionists Mean When They Talk About Abolition With William C. Anderson, journalist and co-author of As Black As Resistance. Adam H. Johnson
Prosecutors and Judges in Pennsylvania County Hammer Defendants in Low-Level Drug Cases In overdose-wracked Franklin County, Pennsylvania, a small-time dealer is denied bail, while the number of drug induced homicide cases has skyrocketed. Joshua Vaughn
The Baltimore Police’s ‘Summer Surge’ Scam A former Baltimore Police officer says that a plan to flood the streets with local and federal law enforcement is likely to yield more of the same ineffective 'broken windows'-style arrests. Larry Smith
A Black Man Called The Cops Nazis–And Was Charged With A Hate Crime A Pennsylvania hate crime statute is being used by law enforcement to punish angry arrestees. Joshua Vaughn
Cuomo the Merciless New York's Democratic governor has granted only a trickle of commutations, fewer than many of his Democratic and Republican predecessors. Victoria Law
Responses to Violence Must Move Beyond Policing The solution to problems like unsolved homicides, especially in communities of color, cannot be reinvestment in institutions that wage violence against them. William C. Anderson
Eric Holder May Be Considering a Presidential Run. But Has His Time Passed? As voters begin to realize that prosecutors in the world's most incarcerated nation may not be the best people to run the government, the era of the prosecutor politician could be on its way out. Chase Madar
The Appeal Podcast Episode 4: How Prison Reform Was Co-Opted to Sell More Prisons With journalists Raven Rakia and Ashoka Jegroo. Adam H. Johnson
Alice Marie Johnson is free. Now it’s time to free thousands more prisoners with unjustly long sentences. Kim Kardashian's successful campaign to free a 63-year-old grandmother serving a life sentence in a drug case is a reminder that we need to go big on clemency. A 52-year-old grandfather named Euka Wadlington, also doing life in a drug case, would be a great place to start. Shaun King
Louisiana’s Love Affair With Locking Up Kids For Life Years after two landmark Supreme Court rulings, prosecutors in Louisiana are still overwhelmingly seeking life sentences for children. Victoria Law
Santa Clara County Public Defender Explains What Judge Persky’s Recall Means For His Clients The judge who sentenced Brock Turner brought much-needed compassion to the bench, says public defender Sajid Khan. Paul DeBenedetto
A Melee Broke Out On The Subway—and then the Bronx DA Prosecuted One Of Its Victims Walliris Velez thought the worst was behind her after she was slashed in a subway car, but then came an arrest and an attempted murder charge by the Bronx DA. George Joseph, Simon Davis-Cohen
Criminal Justice Reformers Get A Chilly Reception In California Across the state, most incumbents successfully fended off progressive challengers during the June 5 primary. Max Rivlin-Nadler
The Appeal Podcast Episode 1: District Attorneys Are The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of With Josie Duffy Rice, senior staff reporter at The Appeal. Adam H. Johnson
Bill Challenging ‘Safekeeping’ of Tennessee Teens in Adult Prisons Could Soon Become Law Victoria Law
Crime Victims Backing Philly DA Larry Krasner Don’t Want Tougher Sentences — They Want Fair Ones Maura Ewing
Rhode Island Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Faces an Unusual Foe: A Democratic Attorney General Daniel Denvir
Law Enforcement Takes Unearned Victory Lap for Capture of One of Their Own — The Golden State Killer Amelia McDonell-Parry
Lawyer for Pedro Hernandez Says Bronx DA’s Office Is Still Withholding Key Evidence Max Rivlin-Nadler
How Naming a Drug Operation for a Fallen Trooper Endangers His Alleged Killer’s Fair Trial Jessica Brand, Ethan Brown
Data Shows Police Brutality in America is Getting Worse — 2018 Could Be the Most Deadly in Years Shaun King
In Louisiana, Threatening to File a Complaint Against Police Can Lead to a Five-Year Prison Sentence Michael Stein
Advocates Fight Texas Statute Delaying Transgender Prisoners’ Ability to Change Their Names Aviva Stahl
Cascade of Overturned Cases May Emerge In Wake of Philly DA’s ‘Bad Cop’ List Maura Ewing, Daniel Denvir
As Reform Stalls in New York, Defendants Plead Out Because They Can’t Afford Cash Bail Max Rivlin-Nadler
As Deadline Approaches for Homeless Ex-Offenders in Florida, County Threatens to Jail Them Steven Yoder
‘You’re Breaking the Law As Soon as You Stop Walking’: How Colorado Cities Criminalize Homelessness Bryce Covert
Houston Police Chief Who Called Michael Bennett ‘Morally Corrupt’ is Quiet on Police Brutality Jessica Brand
In an Upstate New York Community Wracked by Overdoses, Prosecutor Pursues Users in Homicides Cases Zachary A. Siegel
Despite Leaders’ Progressive Promises, NYC Remains ’Marijuana Arrest Capital of the World’ Shaun King
Texas’s First Death Sentence of 2018 Crystallizes the State’s Longstanding Capital Case Crisis Lauren Gill
Anti-Online Trafficking Bills Advance in Congress, Despite Opposition from Survivors Themselves Melissa Gira Grant
A National Push For Victims’ Rights is Now Hitting Florida. But Critics Are Fighting Back. Meaghan Ybos
Eyewitness to Bronx Murder Alleges Prosecutorial Misconduct, Makes Eleventh-Hour Recantation But the witness may have flipped again, leaving the future of the conviction up in the air. Simon Davis-Cohen, George Joseph
Kim Foxx Just Released Six Years of Data — Most Prosecutors’ Offices Remain Black Boxes Josie Duffy Rice
San Antonio DA Nico LaHood, an Anti-Islam, Pro-Death Penalty Democrat, Faces Former Pal in Primary Alex Hannaford
As Bail Reform Moves Forward in California, Defendant Who Advanced It Remains Incarcerated Max Rivlin-Nadler
How Zombie Crime Stats, Phantom Stats and Frankenstats Paint a Misleading Picture on Crime John Pfaff
Court Watch NYC Is Here To Hold New York City’s ‘Reformer’ District Attorneys Accountable Max Rivlin-Nadler
Activists Fed Up with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Silence on Safe Injection Sites Zachary A. Siegel
NYC Transgender Activist Says She Was Criminalized For Defending Herself Against Abuser Her former partner assaulted her in her home. When the police arrived, she was arrested and he walked free. Emma Whitford
A National Campaign to Crack Down on Massage Businesses May Harm the Women it Wants to Help Melissa Gira Grant, Emma Whitford
Protesting ICE Courthouse Arrests Doesn’t Get NYC Prosecutors Off the Hook for Everyday Injustice Nick Encalada-Malinowski
Louisiana Denies Parole to Man Behind a Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Life Sentences for Children Aviva Shen
Over 100 Pennsylvania Prisoners are Held in Solitary Confinement — With No End in Sight Maura Ewing, Matt Stroud
Louisiana Denies Parole to Man Behind a Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Life Sentences for Children Aviva Shen
New Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner Hits Reset on the Office’s Troubled Conviction Review Unit Christopher Moraff
Tennessee Sheriff: Solitary Confinement for 16 year-old Girl is No Different Than a ‘Private Room’ Meaghan Ybos
Police Accountability and Public Defender Groups Demand Transparency on NYPD Gang Policing Max Rivlin-Nadler
Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office Has A New Interim Leader — And She’s Never Represented Indigent Clients Emma Whitford
How a Case of ‘Restorative Justice’ Was Actually Just Business As Usual For the New Orleans DA Victoria Law
The False Promise of Bail Reform in Dallas County: Debate Continues While People Languish in Jail Rebecca McCray
Why Prosecutors Keep Cheating: The Catherine Fuller Murder and the Failure of the Brady Rule Thomas Dybdahl
The Sentencing of Larry Nassar Was Not ‘Transformative Justice.’ Here’s Why. For those of us who believe our “justice” system must be transformed, moments such as this one are a test of conviction. Kelly Hayes, Mariame Kaba
Pennsylvania Man Dies In Jail After Guards Allegedly Ignored His Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms Zachary A. Siegel
The Misguided Call for Harsher Punishments at the Heart of the Judge Persky Recall Effort Shon Hopwood
Florida Prisoners are on Strike to Protest Price Gouging and Their ‘Current Slave Arrangement’ Bryce Covert
Pennsylvania’s Death Row Prisoners Argue That the Right to Execute Does Not Include the Right to Isolate Maura Ewing
Did Prosecutorial Misconduct Result in the Indictment of an African-American Louisiana Couple in a Federal Drug Case? Max Rivlin-Nadler
After New York Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Drug Policy Experts Warn That Legal Action Won’t Save Lives Zachary A. Siegel
Proposed Federal Trafficking Legislation Has Surprising Opponents: Advocates Who Work With Trafficking Victims Melissa Gira Grant
Federal Court Hears Constitutional Challenge to a New York Statute that Incarcerates Working Class People of Color Jon Campbell
Death by Prosecution: Was There a Bigger Player in Drug Case Involving Man Who Killed Himself After Federal Indictment? Zachary A. Siegel
Broken Covenant: A Homeless Youth Organization’s Assault on Trafficking Is Making Women More Vulnerable Melissa Gira Grant
How Philadelphia’s Social Media-Driven Gang Policing Is Stealing Years From Young People Max Rivlin-Nadler
Even With A Governor’s Pardon, Jesus Aguirre, Jr. Is Still a Gang Member According to Orange County Jessica Pishko
New DOJ Report Demonstrates Stunning Disingenuity on Cases Involving Sexual Exploitation of Children Guy Hamilton-Smith
Philadelphia Media Slam Newly Elected DA Krasner for Firings but House Cleaning Advances His Promise of Equal Justice Daniel Denvir
Stop and Frisk Apologies Prove that the Mic Must be Passed to People Most Affected by the Police Josmar Trujillo
For New York Prisoners, a Package Policy that Effectively Pits TV Against Books A little-known New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision policy has limited access to books in at least nine prisons for years. Rebecca McCray
“Murder Every Day but the Spotlight on Bike Life”: Amid 343 Homicides, Baltimore Police Crack Down on Dirt Bikes Brandon Soderberg
Disrupting and Re-imagining the Role of Prosecutors: A New Focus on Re-entry and Rehabilitation Courtney Oliva
In Justice Today: Justice system predictions for 2018 In Justice Today invited leading thinkers in criminal justice reform to answer the question, “2018 is the year….” This is what they said. In Justice Today
Philly’s Gang Violence Strategy Doesn’t Work. Here’s Why. Philadelphia implemented the “focused deterrence” model of gang policing, which includes the promise of critical social services. The reality is much different. Maura Ewing
How a Dallas District Attorney Reached Her ‘Nixon in China’ Moment Faith Johnson’s recent indictment of a Mesquite police officer for shooting an innocent man follows years of work by community activists. Rebecca McCray
These NBA and NFL Stars Want Prosecutors To Stop Seeking Life Without Parole For Kids Anquan Boldin, DeAndre Levy, Tobias Harris, Anthony Tolliver, Stan Van Gundy In Justice Today
Jail Policies Restrict Legal Representation in North Carolina Public defenders in Charlotte say restrictions on communication hinder their ability to help jailed clients. Jessica Brand
Kentucky’s Heroin Bill Was Meant to Ease the State’s Opioids Crisis; Instead It’s Increasing the State’s Prison Population Michael Arria
Sex Registries as Modern-Day Witch Pyres: Why Criminal Justice Reform Advocates Need to Address the Treatment of People on the Sex Offender Registry Guy Hamilton-Smith
The Trials of Keith Davis, Jr: How Baltimore Prosecutors Pursued a Police Shooting Victim Brandon Soderberg
America Had Fewer Executions In 2017 Than In 23 Of The Last 25 Years Why Execution Numbers Continue To Fall Off A Cliff Lee Kovarsky
Jay-Z, Meek Mill Friends to 21,000 Concert Fans: Vote for Judges, Prosecutors, and Councilmen Who Want CJ Reform “We have the power to replace these people.” Maura Ewing
Discredited Shaken Baby Science Sent This Father to Jail for 15 Years. His Ordeal Could End This Week. Vince Beiser
More Than 50,000 Californians Can Get ‘Back on the Road’ Alameda County Superior Court reversed license suspensions for 54,000 people who were punished for their inability to pay fines. Rebecca McCray
Meet The Prosecutor Turned Reality TV Star Who Runs One Of The Worst Offices In America. Under District Attorney Steve Wolfson, prosecutors in Las Vegas have led the nation in new death sentences, repeatedly engaged in racist jury selection, and maintained a secret bank account to pay witnesses for their testimony in criminal cases.
Cyntoia Brown Case Reveals Entrenched Problems with Tennessee Juvenile Justice State law makes it easier to throw Brown away than consider traumas youth face and offer them hope of rehabilitation. Demetria D. Frank
For Victims of Corrupt Chicago Police, An Unusual Taste of Justice Fifteen men had their tainted convictions vacated by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office, but this isn’t the norm when it comes to prosecutors. Rebecca McCray
As Incidents of Police Misconduct and Abuse Pile up Nationwide, Justice for their Victims Remains Fleeting Shaun King
Tennessee Sheriff Launches ‘Busted Bingo’ To Round Up People With Warrants “Kiss your boyfriend goodbye.” Carimah Townes
Ditching the Bondsman is Only Part of the Battle for Bail Reform The five states that have done away with commercial bond outlets still struggle with inequity when it comes to cash bail. Rebecca McCray
Memphis Police Failed to Properly Investigate “Hundreds” of Rape Cases, Says Former Memphis Police Sex Crimes Detective Melissa Gira Grant
Is Mark Gonzalez The Reformer He Promised To Be? So far, the report card on the “Mexican Biker” prosecutor is mixed. Carimah Townes
Cryptocurrency is the Next Frontier in the Quest to Abolish Cash Bail A new app seeks to liberate people from more than “liberal malaise.” Rebecca McCray
Free Meek Mill, Philly cops panic over their new DA, LAPD caught planting drugs, 14 year old boy killed on reservation In Justice Roundup is my weekly debrief rounding up the justice news you need to know. Shaun King
Commentary: Cy Vance was Re-Elected. Here are Some Ways You Can Hold him Accountable. Josie Duffy Rice
What’s Said Is Not What’s Done: How Reagan-Era Drug Warrior Politics Dominate in Progressive Massachusetts — and What We Can Do About It. Kade Crockford
Commentary: Meek Mill’s Sentence Reveals Problems with Pennsylvania’s Extreme Use of Court Supervision Reggie Shuford
Despite ‘Public Health’ Messaging, Law Enforcement Increasingly Prosecutes Overdoses as Homicides Zachary A. Siegel
Can a Prosecutor-Led Program Tackle Recidivism? Community members are cautiously optimistic, but wary of the program’s emergence during election season. Rebecca McCray
New Data Throws Fuel on the Fire for Nashville Bail Reform The majority of people who face misdemeanor charges remain behind bars just because they are poor Larry Hannan
Oklahoma Sheriffs Prepare for a Showdown Over Criminal Justice Reform Will the state with the second highest incarceration rate get its act together? Carimah Townes
New Study Supports Larry Krasner’s Pledge to End Cash Bail in Philly The City Controller’s report calls on the DA’s office to “dismantle the current cash bail system” Larry Hannan
Cuomo Talks Justice Reform, But Clings to Archaic Knife Law A law that results in disproportionate arrests and prosecutions of black and Latino New Yorkers will stand. Rebecca McCray
California jail hunger strikers: “We’re seeking humanity” Alameda and Santa Clara County jail detainees round out the first week of a hunger strike for better conditions. Rebecca McCray
NYPD is one delete button away from losing its civil forfeiture records Criminal charges are absent from 85 percent of all forfeiture cases in the city. Carimah Townes
#ByeCy: Organizers call for embattled Manhattan D.A.’s resignation A movement to oust Cyrus Vance gains steam.
Chicago Activists Say #NoCopAcademy; Hospital Says No Kidney For Son of Justice-Involved Dad … and more Rory Fleming
A county in North Carolina wants to give its bail system a serious makeover A local solution to a national problem. Carimah Townes
Injustice Roundup: My Weekly Roundup of Stories on Abusive Police Officers, Prison Guards, and Prosecutors Shaun King
No Backlog: Why the Epidemic of Untested Rape Kits Is Not a Symbol of Insufficient Police Budgets But Instead a Failure to Investigate Rape Meaghan Ybos
Federal monitors go where they’re not wanted: Juvenile Court Memphis critic says Juvenile Court Judge’s resistance to reforms has ‘emasculated’ Department of Justice Wendi C. Thomas
Contra Costa County will stop forcing families to pay for incarcerated kids The decision was unanimous. Carimah Townes
#SwipeItForward & the Decriminalization of Farebeating in New York City Activists in New York City are engaging in profound acts of resistance against over-policing in the subways. Politicians are listening, but are they really hearing them? Jocelyn Simonson
California’s district attorneys at odds with voters over criminal justice reform District attorneys want to keep an outdated system alive. Carimah Townes
Life sentence for Louisiana man convicted for juvenile crime found to be unconstitutional Larry Hannan
Life sentence for Louisiana man convicted for juvenile crime found to be unconstitutional Larry Hannan
Why is the Bronx District Attorney holding Pedro Hernandez at Rikers Island? Nick Encalada-Malinowski
Manhattan D.A. pledges to curtail prosecutions of subway fare jumpers, but it’s complicated Larry Hannan
California Supreme Court finds “discriminatory bias” in prosecution’s use of peremptory jury strikes Larry Hannan
In Mississippi, a Lost Second Chance for Gerome Moore “You look like a cold-blooded monster.” Rebecca McCray
Michigan man’s exoneration after decades in prison shows importance of holding prosecutors accountable Larry Hannan
