Larry Hoover, founder of a notorious Chicago street gang who has spent the past three decades in solitary confinement in federal prison, was granted clemency by President Donald Trump on Wednesday — but his legal troubles are far from over. Hoover’s six life-term federal sentences have been commuted to time served, but he will serve […]
Christina Carrega
Christina Carrega is the criminal justice reporter at Capital B. Follow her on Bluesky @chriscarrega.bsky.social.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
DOJ Under Trump Shuts Down Police Reform Cases Sparked by Floyd, Taylor Deaths
Just days before the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the Justice Department said they will dismiss police investigations launched during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Harmeet Dhillon, the leader of the department’s Civil Rights Division, announced Wednesday plans to withdraw pending federal lawsuits against police departments in Louisville, Kentucky, following the death of Breonna […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Tyre Nichols Died. A Tennessee Jury Didn’t Convict Three Ex-Officers for His Death.
Just days after the controversial acquittal of three former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers in the death of Tyre Nichols, his family is condemning the “wanted” posters showing the men involved in his brutal beating that are appearing across the city. Since the verdict, the family has been “made aware of posters in public places around […]
Posted inGun Violence, Politics & Policy
Years After Tragedy Gripped Buffalo, Its Black Community Waits for Change
As the month of May approaches each year, Marnetta Malcolm is brought to tears — mourning alongside former neighbors still reeling from the racist massacre that attempted to shatter her childhood community in Buffalo, New York. “It starts now,” Malcolm told Capital B in an interview nine days before the third anniversary of the murder […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
The Case of Brittany Martin: Punished Twice for the Same Incident
After spending more than two years in two different prisons in two different states, Brittany Martin believed her fight with the criminal legal system was finally over. She walked out of a South Carolina prison just before Thanksgiving, reunited with her family, and began to rebuild her life. But just three weeks later, the 37-year-old […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
They Got Life in Prison at 17. Now They’re Helping Others Avoid That Fate.
As a teenager, John Pace dreamed of playing football or becoming a police officer. But growing up in Philadelphia, he found himself drawn to older people in the neighborhood — especially those with negative habits who always seemed to have the freshest clothes and the most respect. In 1985, Pace learned exactly how some of […]
Posted inGun Violence, Policing, Public Safety
Family of Texas College Student Killed by Police Launches Their Own Investigation
This story has been updated. Sharon Jenkins received a late-night call at home in The Woodlands, Texas, from a Lubbock County officer the week of Thanksgiving 2024. She was told there had been a “horrible accident” involving her son. The words hit hard. Although she understood them, she couldn’t quite process the reality. She never […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
A New York Man is Released After 25 Years. Now Begins His Next Chapter.
Kenneth Hogan is moments away from enjoying his first slice of New York City pizza in nearly 25 years. But before he can savor the moment, he has a long to-do list — starting with registering with the New York State Board of Parole. Staying focused is imperative, Hogan said over the phone from prison […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Calls to Free George Floyd’s Murderer Grow. This Is Why It’s Unlikely to Happen
As calls for a pardon for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin are growing in right-wing circles, the real question: is it even possible? The short answer: not quite. Since March, right-wing conservatives have been calling for President Donald Trump to extend clemency for Chauvin’s convictions related to the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Less […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
What a ‘Pardon Czar’ Could Accomplish During a Trump Administration
Newly appointed “pardon czar” Alice Marie Johnson’s role has been met with cautious optimism from decarceration advocates, given President Donald Trump’s unpredictable stance on criminal justice reform. Johnson, a prominent figure in efforts to reform federal mandatory minimum sentences, will advise Trump on clemency decisions, multiple media outlets have reported. “I am deeply grateful for […]