Prison Can Be A Hostile Place. Then the Birds Came.
The birds quickly became the talk of the unit. Suddenly, everyone an ornithologist, claiming to know whether barn swallows were endangered.
Christopher Blackwell Aug 09, 2023
I Spent Over a Year in Solitary Because of One Man’s Imagination
The conditions I faced were outrageous. But the prison administration’s justification for keeping me in the hole was even worse.
Kevin Light-Roth Jul 13, 2023
Prison Labor: Where ‘Dead-End’ Jobs Meet 21st Century Slavery
Inside the towering walls and razor wire fences of U.S. prisons, slavery remains legal—and it is carried out with little oversight, often under horrific conditions.
Christopher Blackwell May 03, 2023
Washington State Bill Would Undo ‘Superpredator’-Era Sentencing Scheme
Under state law, adult prison sentences are automatically enhanced based on prior youth adjudications. New legislation would rein in the practice and allow for reconsideration of extreme sentences.
Chelsea Moore, Christopher Blackwell Mar 27, 2023
Washington Prison Mishandled Court Mail, Impeded Access to Justice
Officials delayed the delivery of critical documents for months, leading to the premature dismissal of at least two appeals filed by incarcerated men. The mistakes underscore much deeper challenges for indigent prisoners.
Christopher Blackwell Feb 15, 2023
What It Means to Spend the Holidays Behind Bars
Incarcerated writers reflect on the pain, joy, and other complicated emotions associated with getting in the so-called “holiday spirit” in prison.
Chris Blackwell, Antoine E. Davis, Jonathan Kirkpatrick, Aaron Edward Olson & Raymond Williams Dec 22, 2022
Amid Fears of Crime and Mental Illness, States Move to Expand Forced Treatment
Advocates of assisted outpatient treatment say it could reduce homelessness and mass shootings. Critics call it incarceration by another name.
Caleb Brennan Aug 04, 2022
The Movement That Is Upending Landlords’ Power Over Tenants
There has been a ‘parabolic increase’ in cities and states giving tenants a right to counsel to help fight evictions.
Abigail Savitch-Lew Jun 01, 2021
The Movement to Guarantee Legal Help for Struggling Renters Is ‘Taking Root’ in Connecticut
Only 7 percent of tenants in the state have legal representation in eviction proceedings. A bill in the Connecticut house is trying to change that.
Bryce Covert May 03, 2021
Children Can Be On Their Own When Grilled By Police. The Push for Protection is Growing
Several states, including Maryland, are considering bills to protect minors from abusive police interrogations.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Mar 25, 2021
Most Tenants Facing Eviction Don’t Have a Right to an Attorney. Lawmakers Want to Change That
Numerous city councils and state legislatures are debating giving renters a right to counsel, which can make the difference between stability and catastrophe.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Feb 18, 2021
Tarra Simmons, Candidate for Washington State Legislature, Is Fighting To Give People A First Chance
The attorney, who is a person formerly convicted of a felony, has attracted support and praise from people around the country.
Eoin Higgins Oct 20, 2020
Coalition’s Efforts Amid Coronavirus Derail Plans For New Women’s Prison
The onset of COVID-19—and the need for social distancing—gave an unexpected boost to efforts against plans for a new prison in Washington.
Victoria Law May 04, 2020
What Sheriffs Can Do To Slow the Coronavirus Outbreak
Sheriffs wield enormous power, and they can direct it in ways that will help contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect incarcerated people.
Jessica Pishko Mar 18, 2020
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 Sep 24, 2019
Chicago’s Top Prosecutor: Clearing Marijuana Records Will Be ‘Life-Changing’
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is partnering with a technology nonprofit to expunge tens of thousands of minor marijuana convictions. Other jurisdictions could follow.
Kira Lerner Aug 30, 2019
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 Jun 12, 2019
When Running Away From Home Means Getting Locked Up
Washington detains more children for status offenses such as truancy and running away than any other state in the country. State lawmakers want to change that.
Charlotte West Mar 19, 2019
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 Dec 21, 2018
Man Convicted Of Obstruction For Refusing To Open His Door For Police
If his conviction stands, it could criminalize people who refuse to do things like unlock their phones or garages at police request.
Levi Pulkkinen Oct 17, 2018
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 Sep 20, 2018
Man Sentenced As ‘Career Criminal’ Gets His First Chance At Freedom In 48 Years
Despite a 2015 Supreme Court ruling limiting the mandatory minimum law, few people are seeing relief.
Levi Pulkkinen Sep 11, 2018
The Family Of An Unarmed High Schooler Shot By Police Begs For ‘Real Change’
The King County Sheriff’s Office told reporters Tommy Le had a knife. He was actually holding a pen.
Levi Pulkkinen Jun 18, 2018
Washington DA faces discipline over television appearance
Pierce County, Washington Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist will likely face a disciplinary hearing for comments he made during a television interview on the Nancy Grace Show. Lindquist could face disbarment, as well as suspension from his elected position. Lindquist appeared on Grace’s show in February 2016 to discuss the murder trial of Skylar Nemetz, which was […]
Sep 29, 2017
A victory for racially inclusive juries in Washington
The transcript calls him Mr. Meyer, or Juror №5. In October 2014, he arrived at Seattle Municipal Court, which handles misdemeanors, for the trial of Matthew Erickson. Mr. Erickson had been charged with unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. The judge told the prospective jurors that the lawyers would question them to see […]
Anna Roberts Sep 05, 2017
Does childhood end at 18?
If someone commits a crime days after turning 18, should he be treated like an adult or a child? In two recent cases — Miller v. Alabama and Montgomery v. Louisiana — the U.S. Supreme Court held that life-without-parole should be reserved for the rare kid (defined as someone under 18) “whose crime reflects irreparable corruption,” citing the ability of youth […]
Jessica Pishko Aug 17, 2017