Five years ago, when Kamala Harris was running for president, she labeled herself the “top cop” and “progressive prosecutor” that was “tough on crime.” With that came backlash from some criminal justice reform advocates and even those in law enforcement. In 2024, it’s unclear where she stands ideologically as vice president. Yet in her first […]
Christina Carrega
Christina Carrega is the criminal justice reporter at Capital B. Follow her on Bluesky @chriscarrega.bsky.social.
Posted inIncarceration
Alabama Outlawed Slavery in Prisons. Is It Still Happening?
The day after Trayveka Stanley’s mother died, she was devastated. She was having trouble coping with her loss and needed time to grieve, but her plea for a day off from her prison job at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama, didn’t persuade its officials. The 32-year-old was still required to show up […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Will Another’s Written Confession Be Enough to Set This Man Free?
This fall will mark 18 years since a New York judge sat at her bench with a clear view of two Black families whose lives had been ravaged by gun violence. On her right of the full courtroom sat supporters of Ronnie Wright, who faced being separated from his young daughter for the rest of […]
Posted inMental Health
Morgan Farley’s Family Never Stopped Looking For Her. Now She’s Back Home.
Morgan Farley is home. For two months, her father, sister, and friends were relentless in their search. They took to the streets of Chicago, social media, and locator apps to find her. And earlier this month, Morgan safely returned to the home she shares with her father. “Morgan made it home a couple weeks ago. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Maryland Governor’s Marijuana Pardons a Win for Justice, But Is It Enough?
Stephanie Shepard has had unsettling feelings in the pit of her stomach ever since she was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. She couldn’t believe that a drug sentence’s mandatory minimum carried more weight than a homicide-related offense. Before Shepard was transferred from New York to a […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Acquitted of Murder Decades Ago, Virginia Man Serving Life Fights for His Freedom
This story originally published in 2024, but has been updated to reflect former President Joe Biden’s final clemency action in the days before he left the White House. The “Waverly Two” are among those set to be released this week. Terence Jerome Richardson and Ferrone Claibone were in the midst of an evidentiary hearing to […]
Posted inCourts
As Marilyn Mosby Faced Crucial Day In Court, Her Family and Faith Were Front and Center
It’s been a long time since Marilyn Mosby has fully relaxed and spent enough quality time with her beloved grandmother and two daughters. Having a federal conviction has forced the former Baltimore City state’s attorney to reflect on a lot lately. Mosby was convicted after two separate federal trials on two counts of perjury in […]
Posted inCourts
Former Prosecutor Avoids Prison, But How Did She Get Here?
A federal court judge spared Marilyn Mosby from spending a minute behind bars for mortgage fraud and perjury. Throughout the nearly six-hour hearing inside a Greenbelt, Maryland, courthouse were three rooms reserved for the former Baltimore City state’s attorney’s supporters who traveled from across the country. Statements were read by nearly a dozen people, including […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
The Mysterious Death of Jaylen Griffin and the Search for Answers
After nearly four years of searching for Jaylen Griffin in upstate New York, his family was given 90 minutes to process and prepare for a press conference that would reveal their everlasting grief to the world. Ten days before what would have been Jaylen’s 16th birthday, his body was found in an attic 5 miles […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Alabama Family Sues Officer Who Mayor Says Failed to ‘Know The Law’
Light from the sun beamed down onto Twyla Stallworth’s black sunglasses as she approached microphones on a podium in front of an Alabama federal courthouse. Tears instantly rolled down the Andalusia native’s cheeks as she thought about that day in February when she and her son could have lost their lives because of an arrogant […]
