Discussions about prison conditions are in the media now more than ever. But, for the most part, they haven’t led to any action. Why?
New York officials are trying to fix the crisis at Rikers Island, but women and transgender detainees are suffering in the process.
You’re going to see headlines about how SCOTUS gutted Miranda rights in Vega v Tekoh. It’s true. And it comes at the cost of public safety.
The role of judges is to say what the law is, but interpreting a statute as written looks quite a bit different than you’d expect.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees everyone the right to a fair trial and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. But these constitutional rights are meaningless if prosecutors, judges and prisons aren’t held accountable for wrongdoing.
With 25% of the world’s prison population, the U.S. has one of the world’s worst mass-incarceration problems. There are many ways to end mass incarceration. But taking steps to end the unfair sentencing practices that created the problem is crucial.
More than half a million people are released from prison every year. But three-quarters of them end up back in prison. Ending this cycle means creating and supporting in-prison programs that focus on the skills necessary for a successful reentry.
“EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW.” That phrase is engraved above the front entrance to the United States Supreme Court. But the concept is often missing from U.S. criminal justice system. Equal access to justice is essential to a fair and just legal system.
