How Imprisoned People Forced to Pick Cotton Got ‘Prison Slavery’ Bans on the Ballot On Election Day, voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont will decide whether to close loopholes in their state constitutions allowing the forced labor of incarcerated people. Bryce Covert
A Vermont Judge Had Plans to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Prisons. Lawmakers Scrapped Them. Political concerns are slowing efforts to depopulate prisons in the state, advocates say. Adam Willems
Drug Treatment Is Reaching More Prisons and Jails Recent legal victories have spurred counties and states to provide medication-assisted treatment to prisoners struggling with substance use. JB Nicholas
How a D.C. Lawmaker is Challenging the Racist Roots of Prison Voting Restrictions Right now, only the whitest states—Maine and Vermont—allow prisoners to vote. Washington, D.C., could change that. Kira Lerner
ICE Is Using Driver’s License Applications To Arrest Immigrants More states are giving undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses, but many DMVs are sharing their information with ICE. Debbie Nathan
