Unlocking the Black Box of In-Custody Deaths
Despite the frequency of in-custody deaths, their exact scope remains unknown and data is often intentionally obfuscated.
Christopher Blackwell Sep 06, 2023
In Spite of the Consequences: Prison Letters on Exoneration, Abolition, and Freedom
Lacino Hamilton spent 26 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit before being exonerated in 2020 after DNA evidence cleared him.
Lacino Hamilton Jul 12, 2023
How Toxic Masculinity Drives Homophobia in Prison
The phrase “toxic masculinity” is ubiquitous these days, but there are few places where it’s more all-consuming than in a men’s prison
Christopher Blackwell Jul 05, 2023
Cops and Republicans Are Criminalizing Pregnant People Without Roe
Lawmakers in seven states proposed bills to make abortion murder punishable by death. Cops arrested three women for their pregnancy outcomes.
Meg O'Connor Jun 21, 2023
The First Pride Was a Riot. Maybe It’s Time to Return to Those Radical Roots.
As the saying goes, the first Pride was a riot. The only way queer people have won anything is by fighting—in the courts and in the streets.
Adam M. Rhodes Jun 14, 2023
To Cut Down on Shoplifting, Let’s Arrest Some CEOs
Online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay make billions from shoplifted products. Why are police and lawmakers focusing on small-time thieves?
Ethan Corey May 31, 2023
Brooke Jenkins’ Voters Got The Dead People They Wanted
Jenkins won’t charge the security guard who shot Banko Brown to death. That’s precisely why San Franciscans elected her in the first place.
Jerry Iannelli May 24, 2023
‘This Is How Easy It Is For Someone To Be Wrongfully Convicted’
Uriah Courtney was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. His conviction was overturned due to DNA evidence.
Meg O'Connor May 17, 2023
I Couldn’t Afford to Call My Mother Before She Died. Georgia Forbids Imprisoned People from Working.
JShawn Guess recounts how being unable to earn money while in prison led to him missing out on his final moments with his mom.
JShawn Guess May 10, 2023
Trans Women Report Self-Harm At New Jersey Men’s Prison
A trans woman mutilated herself in a New Jersey men’s prison after officials refused to transfer her to a women’s facility.
Adam M. Rhodes Apr 19, 2023
Book Explores How Child Protective Services’ Failures Led to Murder-Suicide
Long before the murder-suicide, there had been numerous reports to CPS about suspected abuse in the Hart household.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Apr 12, 2023
Georgia’s Backslide Into a Carceral Hellscape
A wave of bills threatens to channel more people toward incarceration, mete out longer prison terms, and limit prosecutors’ discretion.
Anna Simonton Mar 29, 2023
Police Surveillance Firms Are Just Data-Brokers by Another Name
ShotSpotter, Flock Safety, and Fog Data Science pitch themselves as third-party public-safety platforms, but they really are are “data brokers”—companies that profit by selling bulk information to others.
Edward Vogel Feb 01, 2023
Some Good News and Ways to Give Back
For millions of families, this time of year is yet another reminder of all that is missed when a loved one is incarcerated
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Dec 21, 2022
Over-Reliance on Plea Deals is Damaging the Criminal Legal System
gorodenkoff / iStock by Getty Images Over-Reliance on Plea Deals is Damaging the Criminal Legal System by Nneka Ewulonu It’s easy for the average American to envision a courtroom trial. Shows like “Law and Order” inundate us with fictional depictions of trials—from the thud of a gavel to the inquisitive eyes of a jury—with an […]
Nneka Ewulonu Dec 14, 2022
Can Closed Prisons Be Repurposed to Mend the Harm They’ve Done?
Some recent redevelopment projects show how the work of reforming and dismantling the prison system can move us towards a society centered around restorative justice and social wellness.
Prince Shakur Nov 30, 2022
Youth Curfews Feed Kids into the Criminal System. But Cities Keep Expanding Them.
Youth curfews don’t work. Over 11,500 kids were arrested in 2019 for curfew violations or loitering, per FBI data. Nearly 30% were Black.
Tara Francis Chan Nov 23, 2022
Riots Work: An interview with Alex Mingus
Police gave Alex Mingus an award for saving a shooting victim’s life. Mingus showed up wearing a shirt that said “Smash white supremacy”.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Nov 16, 2022
Midterm Elections Deliver Some Good News for Criminal Legal Reform
Midterm election results show the bad-faith “crime wave” narrative failed to con a critical mass of voters, who instead want a less draconian police state.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Nick Wing, Meg O'Connor Nov 09, 2022
A Big Milestone for The Appeal
One year of worker-led publishing! But our at The Appeal work is just beginning. Thanks to NewsMatch, your donation will be tripled.
Nick Wing Nov 02, 2022
“The Media Emboldens a Police State”: A conversation with movement lawyer Olayemi Olurin
Olayemi Olurin spoke with The Appeal about abolition, living in a police state, Rikers Island, and the media.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 26, 2022
A Star Witness Recanted. But Tasha Shelby is Still Imprisoned for ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Junk-Science.
The medical examiner who helped put Tasha Shelby in prison has since said her son’s death was not a homicide.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 19, 2022
An Innocent Man May Die Because of Illogical Deadlines
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon be hearing a case that will impact whether Texas executes Rodney Reed for capital murder— though another man has confessed to the crime.
Molly Greene Oct 05, 2022
How American Public Spaces Became so Criminalized—and How We Can Win Them Back
On September 23, 2020, a Black man died for the alleged crime of crossing the street the wrong way. His death was due in large part to America’s long history of criminalizing public spaces and our existence in them.
Nneka Ewulonu Sep 21, 2022
Intergenerational Partnerships are Critical to Curb Youth Violence
Intergenerational partnerships must be prioritized amid the youth gun violence epidemic — not more police and prisons.
Rashni Stanford Sep 07, 2022
Stop Letting Politicians Trick You About Abortion
The stakes for getting reporting on abortion right are very high, but it costs nothing to call out politicians on their BS.
Meg O'Connor Aug 24, 2022
Calls for Action After Reports of Inedible Food at Virginia Prison
Politicians are demanding greater oversight over the Virginia Department of Corrections, after women at one state prison said they’re served spoiled food.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Aug 17, 2022
How to Get an Abortion by Mail in Your State
States will have a hard time stopping medication abortion. Abortion pills are safer than Tylenol and have been approved by the FDA since 2000.
Meg O'Connor Aug 02, 2022
Stacey Abrams’ Bold New Idea is to Tack to the Center
Stacey Abrams wants to give police officers raises. Time and again, Democrats have reacted to calls for racial justice by giving more money to cops.
Nneka Ewulonu Jul 20, 2022
To Fight Gun Violence, Kids Need Places to Play
When I was 19, I worked in an emotional support classroom in a North Philadelphia elementary school. I saw children as young as five get treated like prisoners.
Rashni Stanford Jul 13, 2022
Democrats Would Rather Become Republicans Than Make the Case for Justice Reform
If the Democratic Party wants to run away from those candidates, it will only be running towards its own demise.
Jerry Iannelli Jun 22, 2022
Without Roe, Prosecutors Will Be The Abortion Police
Prosecutors across the country could soon be tasked with enforcing abortion laws that require people to reproduce against their will.
Meg O'Connor Jun 01, 2022
Don’t Let Cops Co-Opt Denim Day
Her jeans were so tight, she couldn’t have been raped, the judges said.
Meg O'Connor Apr 27, 2022
The New Law Enforcement Spending Spree Is Already Underway
Billions of dollars of federal COVID relief aid are flowing to police, prisons, and jails in jurisdictions across the nation.
Nick Wing Mar 29, 2022
A Coalition Led by Philly’s Homeless Youth Wants to Change How Cities Help the Unhoused
Every Thursday morning, the Philly Homes 4 Youth (PH4Y) Coalition hosts a weekly virtual workspace for its members. The coalition of young advocates, youth workers, and non-profit administrators have been strategizing together since at least 2016 to improve care for young people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. But lately, the group’s meetings have taken on a more urgent tone: Tens of millions in federal COVID-19 relief funding is currently up for grabs in Philadelphia, and the coalition wants to ensure at least 20 percent of the money goes to youth services.
Rashni Stanford Mar 22, 2022
Private Tech Surveillance Companies Are Taking Over Prisons
Barbed wire and a surveillance cameraUser 652243 via Pixabay Private Tech Surveillance Companies Are Taking Over Prisons by Nneka Ewulonu Incarcerated Americans are being watched like never before. Private American companies are rapidly digitizing prison mail. Some ankle-monitors can record whole conversations without people’s knowledge or consent. Most recently, at the end of last month, […]
Nneka Ewulonu Mar 08, 2022
Thinking Of Those Who Can’t Be Home For The Holidays
It’s been quite a year for us, to say the least. In May, we unionized. Then our former bosses shut The Appeal down. But we, the workers, resolved to save The Appeal and continue the important work we do covering the criminal legal system. Since then, we succeeded in becoming a worker-led nonprofit newsroom. We […]
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg, Meg O'Connor Dec 21, 2021
Police Disinformation Is Still Disinformation
It’s Giving Tuesday! And a generous donor has pledged to match the first $5,000 we receive today. If you love this newsletter and The Appeal’s reporting, now is the best time to give. With your help we can make major headway toward funding more vital journalism in 2022. Photo by Joseph Ngabo at Unsplash Police […]
Jerry Iannelli Nov 30, 2021
Lots to be thankful for. Plus a reality check.
The Appeal team has a lot to be thankful for this year, including the fact that we can spend time with our families again. We know not everyone is as fortunate, and we’re thinking of community members, especially those behind bars, who can’t be with their loved ones. In the midst of Thanksgiving travel and […]
Nick Wing Nov 23, 2021