To Understand Gun Violence, Talk to People in the Trenches
Mainstream discussions about gun violence have largely excluded the voices of survivors and perpetrators.
Joseph Richardson, Che Bullock Dec 09, 2021
The Recent Rise in Violence Should Be a Rallying Cry for Reform
Acknowledging the increase in homicides doesn’t mean giving in to the clamor for punitive responses. Instead, it should be a rallying cry for reform.
Nick Wing Oct 05, 2021
Philly Cops Are Solving Fewer Homicides. The City Keeps Paying Them Millions
Community members and advocates question why Mayor Jim Kenney and the City Council continue to fund the police department at record levels, despite the department’s low murder solve rate.
Joshua Vaughn Mar 01, 2021
‘Hand of One, Hand of All’: 50 Years for a Teen Who Didn’t Pull the Trigger
At 15, Kenneth Lamont Robinson was convicted for murder under South Carolina’s accomplice liability law, despite not committing the shooting that killed Kedena Brown.
Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein Jan 07, 2021
Philadelphia Trauma Center Closure Could Mean More Shooting Deaths—And Tough-on-Crime Talk
Research shows access to a trauma center is critical after a shooting. But as gun deaths are rising in Philly, one trauma center has closed. Experts say a rise in homicides may prompt more policing.
Joshua Vaughn Nov 12, 2019
Inequality, Not Violence, Is Killing Americans At Record Rates
Media coverage obsessively focuses on homicides, which are at historical lows. Meanwhile, suicides and overdoses skyrocket, quietly driving record declines in American life expectancy.
Jonathan Ben-Menachem Aug 20, 2019
‘You Want to Get Them While the Teardrops are Warm’: Prosecutors Swap Strategies for Turning Overdose Deaths into Homicides
Ocean County New Jersey Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said the best way to prosecute a drug overdose as a homicide is to find a witness close to the victim who may have used or bought drugs with them. “You want to get them in an emotional state,” Coronato said. “You want to get them while the […]
Zachary A. Siegel Nov 21, 2017
Despite “Public Health” Messaging, Law Enforcement Increasingly Prosecutes Overdoses as Homicides
In response to a surging overdose crisis, prosecutors are doubling down on draconian drug induced homicide statutes. On November 28, 2014, 28-year-old Edward Martin was found dead inside a Quiznos bathroom in Littleton, New Hampshire. Next to his body was a syringe and spoon with which he used to inject a potent batch of heroin […]
Zachary A. Siegel Nov 08, 2017