In Oklahoma, Private Companies Run Pretrial Services, Driving People Into Debt
A company in Cleveland County exemplifies how for-profit legal services affect poor and vulnerable individuals.
Parole
Kira Lerner
A Case That Pushed Tiffany Cabán To Run For Queens D.A.
The public defender has garnered big-name endorsements and gained momentum heading into Tuesday’s primary.
This Grandfather Was Granted Parole in 2018. Why Is He Still in Prison?
Imprisoned as a teen, Amer Zada is now eligible for release but can’t find approved housing—and a proposed law could make the problem worse.
Queens D.A.’s Office Blasted for ‘Spiteful’ Treatment of People on Probation or Parole
As the borough’s district attorney race takes shape, advocates press for changes to the office’s approach to people who reoffend.
‘I Had Nothing’: How Parole Perpetuates a Cycle of Incarceration and Instability
Richard Cannon was making gains after being released from prison. Then one arrest changed the course of his life.
The Appeal Podcast: The Risks of Risk Assessment
With Hannah Sassaman and Matt Henry
Risk Assessment: Explained
The reality of risk assessment algorithms is complicated. Critics say bias can creep in at every stage, from development to implementation to application.
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.
When Handing Out Candy To Trick-or-Treaters Means Risking Arrest
Lawyer seeks end to Halloween restrictions that target people convicted of sex offenses.
Illinois Prisoners Speak Out—and Then Lose a Cherished Debate Program
Debate coach Katrina Burlet says she was banned from state’s prisons after prisoners in her program argued for parole.
Houston Is Forcing Its Parolees Out of City Center and into ‘the Boonies’
Houston has come up with a new way to make life harder for people leaving prison on parole: by forcing the programs that provide them with housing, often paired with job placement and other services, to move outside the city limits. At the end of March, the city council approved an ordinance that imposes new regulations and […]
Did Gov. Cuomo Grant New York Parolees the Right to Vote? Not Exactly.
When Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that he would restore voting rights to New Yorkers on parole, he won instant praise from organizers who had long pushed for criminal justice reform. “This executive order will mean thousands more will be welcomed back into our democracy and assured that in 21st century America, the right to vote is […]
To fix the justice system, shrink and reform community supervision
Over the past decade, the U.S. embarked on an unprecedented jail and prison building campaign, reaching a peak of 2.3 million people incarcerated in adult facilities in 2008. While this meteoric rise of mass imprisonment has been increasingly scrutinized, it is less well known that the number of individuals under supervision on community supervision rose […]