Gun Sales Are Up Across Appalachia. Here’s Why
Historically we know current events tend to effect gun sales—and this influx is coming from first-time firearm buyers.
Criminal justice reform
Policing During the Pandemic Shows That a Hands-Off Approach Works
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, a less invasive model of policing is being employed. Here’s why we should consider this approach even after the pandemic.
Social Distancing Is Not an Option for People in Prison and ICE Detention
Families recount painful conversations with loved ones inside detention centers and join advocates demanding action that detainees be protected against spread of the coronavirus.
Harvard Students Connect the Dots Between Slavery and Prison
Students suing the Ivy League say rather than helping to dismantle the system of “human caging,” the school is profiting from it.
Making Space for Restorative Justice
Some prosecutors and policymakers are beginning to work toward a legal system designed to benefit all people.
For Returning Citizens, Success Begins with a Ride Home
A California-based program provides newly released long-term prisoners with a chance at a new life.
Minneapolis Activists Ask Local Leaders to Invest in Communities, Not Cops
In dramatic effect, a Minneapolis resident dumps a bag of money onto a podium during public comments at the final City Council meeting on the 2020 budget last month. The
For Veterans in Jail, This Anti-Violence Workshop Provides Support
Some inmates are doing the chicken dance in the Pierce County Jail in Washington. They’re standing in a circle, so as they lift their arms to flap their wings, they
What a 19th-Century Prison Can Teach Us About Criminal Justice
A 190-year-old prison complex in Philadelphia, once the largest and most modern prison in the world, is finding new life in the 21st century’s criminal justice reform movement. The last
Making the Gun Violence Epidemic Visible Through Art and Activism
Two art projects explore the impact of gun violence, with a focus on mass shootings and police brutality.
After Incarceration: The Truth About a Loved One’s Return from Prison
Author Ebony Roberts gives voice to the unspoken struggle many women face when a loved one comes home.
How This Database Is Tracking and Exposing Officers’ Bigoted Facebook Posts
It’s found more than 5,000 racist, sexist, and Islamophobic Facebook posts and comments by law enforcement.
“When They See Us” Is Triggering. That’s Why You Should Watch It
Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries pulls back the layers of a corrupt, barbaric system that devalues Black and Brown lives.
“What Does the World Beyond Jails and Prisons Look Like?”
Detroit Justice Center helps returning citizens navigate the red tape that comes with re-entry and avoid landing back in jail.
By Forgiving Warrants and Fines, Communities Give People a Fresh Start
Sometimes a suspended driver’s license stands in the way of a desperately needed job.
New York Exhibit Shows the Prison Crisis Through the Eyes of Formerly Incarcerated Artists
One piece of art is a tapestry of 39 bedsheets that the artist smuggled from prison over the course of three years.
Finding Reparations in an Unlikely Industry
Portland is directing grants to weed shop owners in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
What the Arrest of a Model Teacher Says About Education “Reform”
With a corporate agenda driving standardized testing in Atlanta schools, young educator Shani Robinson found herself facing prison.
What Is the Real Cost of Mass Incarceration?
The documentary ‘Milwaukee 53206’ depicts the toll of the prison epidemic on families and entire communities.
4 Black Female Judges Use Their Courtrooms to Break the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Inspired by Ava DuVernay’s documentary ‘13th,’ and their own experiences, these women mentor youth to keep them out of the criminal justice system.
If They Die of an Overdose, Drug Users Have a Last Request
Thousands of drug users across the country signed their names to a sort of last will and testament, requesting that prosecutors not file homicide charges against their loved ones.
The Black and the Blue: Tackling Police Racism and Abuse on a Systemic Level
An African American law enforcement expert finds hope in the firing of a racist police chief.
Lawyers Turn to Activism as Civil Liberties Come Under Attack
A new generation of social justice attorneys has risen to defend against the hard-line policies of the Trump administration, from immigration and abortion access to voting and gender rights.
“I Have No Need of an Enemy”
A prisoner’s story of finding a third way—of finding meaning, truth, hope, and wholeness.
Compassionate Mental Health Reform Began With Taking Off the Handcuffs
Rural Virginia in particular has implemented policies that try to treat people with more dignity.
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