Criminal justice advocates warn that President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail policies will disproportionately impact low-income communities. Black and brown people, who are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, will suffer the most, they say. Black Americans are already over 25% more likely to be held in jail pretrial with bail […]
Criminal Justice
Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy
The History of National Guard Deployments in Black Cities, and Why D.C. Is Different
Omar Wasow was studying race and politics at Stanford University when on April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted the police officers who beat Rodney King of almost all charges. For nearly a week, Los Angeles was on fire, as people raged against a verdict they viewed as unjust. Within a day of the decision, President […]
Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy
What Federal Control of D.C. Police Could Mean for Overpolicing in Black Communities
Once known as “Chocolate City” for its historically large Black population, Washington remains under partial federal control. The federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department under President Donald Trump marks the first time a commander-in-chief has seized control. Some 800 National Guard members were deployed to the city last week. Additionally, six Republican-led states — […]
Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy
Black D.C. Residents Say Trump’s Tactics Bring More Fear, Not Safety
WASHINGTON — As a young Black woman, Kaylei Thomas has always been urged by her parents to be careful when out in public. The 18-year-old has learned to avoid causing “unnecessary problems” that might attract the attention of the police. Thomas, a student at Howard University, was reminded of this warning earlier this week, after President […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Largest ICE Facility Planned at Georgia Private Prison With Deadly Record
While much of the outrage over the rising number of immigration detention facilities is focused on Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” Georgia is quietly working on building the largest ICE facility in the country, thanks to the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Charlton County, located 10 miles from the Florida border and 274 miles […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sade Robinson’s Killer Gets Life as Family Demands Missing Persons Reform
Adrianna Reams was forced to grow up faster than she’d ever imagined. Now 17, Reams is the sister of Sade Robinson, a 19-year-old college student who was murdered while on a date in 2024. At the Aug. 1 sentencing of Robinson’s convicted killer, Maxwell Anderson, Reams told a Milwaukee County judge how the murder upended […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy, Violence Against Women
New York’s Sexual Assault Law Excludes the Intoxicated. This Bill Aims to Fix It.
After surviving rape twice, calling 911 for help wasn’t Akia Nyrie Smith’s first instinct. As a Black nonbinary person, they knew all too well how law enforcement might respond, especially when alcohol was involved, as it had been both nights in Michigan. When Smith moved to New York in 2020, in the depths of the […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Policing
Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case Sentenced to 33 Months
A former Louisville, Kentucky, officer was sentenced Monday to 33 months in prison for violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a no-knock raid in 2020. The officer, Brett Hankison, fired 10 bullets that did not strike or kill Taylor, who was a 26-year-old first responder. Yet, he was indicted in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Saniyah Cheatham’s Family Demands Answers in Her Death
The Fourth of July was the last time family and friends saw or heard from Saniyah Cheatham. Just hours before the 18-year-old was arrested in connection with a fight involving a friend, her mother said she was “happy” at their family barbecue. A close friend who texted with her that day agreed that she was […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Jabari Peoples Was Killed by Police. His Family Wants The Truth.
Jabari Latrell Peoples is described by his parents as a college student who “wanted to do too many things,” and was “dedicated to all his friends and all his family.” But it has been more than two weeks since his parents last heard his voice. The 18-year-old was killed by a Homewood, Alabama, police officer. […]