The effort to improve conditions for pregnant people in federal prisons took a step forward Thursday when the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would expand resources and restrict solitary confinement before, during, and after labor. The Pregnant Women in Custody Act, first introduced by California Rep. Karen Bass four years ago, would provide […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
Racist Buffalo Shooter Pleads Guilty, but Healing for Families Is Uncertain
Buffalo, New York, residents expressed relief that justice will be served in state court after a self-proclaimed white supremacist pleaded guilty Monday to killing 10 Black people in a neighborhood grocery store this spring. But some are concerned that the many lingering questions about the horrendous attack will remain unanswered without a public trial. The […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Justice For Sex Assault Survivors Expands Behind Bars and Across the U.S.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Adult Survivor Act will go into effect in New York, allowing over 750 formerly incarcerated individuals to file civil lawsuits against the state for failing to protect them from sexual violence they say they experienced while in prison. The new law is part of a wave of reforms across the country […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
The Push to Expand Voting Access for Incarcerated People
Colie Levar Long was just 18 years old when he committed one of the most “horrendous” crimes. At an age when many are preparing to start their lives, Long was starting a life sentence for the murder of a 14-year-old boy. He grew up in Washington, D.C., when many residents were in “survival mode,” he […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Groundbreaking Legislation Would Seal Criminal Convictions for Many Californians
Millions of Californians with criminal records will receive a second chance at normal lives after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a historic bill that seals their criminal convictions from the eyes of potential employers, landlords, and licensing agencies. The legislation, which eliminates certain felony convictions from background checks, could be revolutionary for California’s Black communities, which […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Homicides Committed by Black Women Are Rare. So What’s Going On?
This year has been marked by tragic moments of public violence, from a grocery store massacre in New York to a small-town school shooting in Texas. But three incidents this summer have stood out for an unusual similarity. In July, a shooter opened fire in a Dallas airport after threatening to blow up the facility. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Police Keep Failing to Report How Often They Use Force Against Citizens
For generations, Black families have passed down cautionary tales about harmful encounters with police — stories of racial profiling, planted evidence and excessive force that goes unchecked. The warnings are largely rooted in the anecdotes and life experience of elders. But solid data on American law enforcement’s racial biases has remained elusive. The Federal Bureau […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
The Buffalo Tops Supermarket Reopens 60 Days Later Despite Community Pushback
Tops Friendly Markets has reopened its Buffalo, New York, grocery store where 10 people were killed in a racist massacre in May, a decision that has outraged residents who hoped the location would be turned into a memorial. The predominantly Black community also has expressed dismay that the tragedy has not prompted officials to fulfill […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Do Police Really Treat White Mass Shooters With Kid Gloves?
The memes show up on social media whenever a white mass shooter is taken into custody. On one side of the image is the face of a Black person who was gunned down by police after being stopped on suspicion of a minor crime. On the other side is the face of a young white […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
The Mass Casualty Crime No One Is Talking About
A few hours of celebration turned into mourning at a high school graduation party in South Carolina in June when two vehicles pulled up and as many as 70 bullets were fired into the crowd, police said. Audrionna Kind, 32, was killed, and eight others — mostly teenagers — were injured. Kind, a mother of […]