Criminal Justice

Brown gavel on brown table.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 31, 2019 1:55PM EDT

Black Woman Judge Under Attack for Calling Out Racism

Lori Landry, the first Black woman elected to Louisiana’s 16th Judicial District, is being called unfit to judge for saying that Black people are unfairly treated in the legal system. But her supporters aren’t having it.
Inside of a prison showing cells.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 28, 2019 5:13PM EDT

Formerly Incarcerated Leaders Host Historic Presidential Town Hall

The Marshall Project and Voters Organized to Educate host first-ever town hall led by formerly incarcerated activists.
Courtroom. Empty courtroom showing judge and juror benches.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 25, 2019 1:20PM EDT

Study Says When Women of Color Enter Prosecutor Races, They Win

A new study from the Reflective Democracy Campaign showed that while White men still dominate as elected prosecutors, women of all races and men of color are winning at higher rates when they compete for the same seats.
Naomie Harris. Black woman with braids wearing police uniform.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 24, 2019 2:31PM EDT

'Black and Blue' Star Naomie Harris Talks Race and Policing

“The aim of this film is also to reignite dialogue and get people outraged again and hopefully get them active.”
Project Reset. Older Black man with bald hand standing in front of colorful artwork.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Oct 23, 2019 10:13AM EDT

Arts-Based Diversion Program Expands to Combat Incarceration In New York City

Project Reset, a diversion program for teenagers accused of low-level offenses, will now be offered to adults in more parts of the city.
Atatiana Jefferson. A 28-year-old Black woman killed by white police officer Aaron Dean
Shanii Saxon  Oct 15, 2019 5:46PM EDT

Officer Who Killed Atatiana Jefferson Charged With Murder

The city’s police chief apologized for the shooting death, but the victim’s relatives say the former officer’s arrest is just the beginning of their fight for justice.
Large white and orange Amazon logo beside a building
Shani Saxon  Oct 8, 2019 4:33PM EDT

Activists Urge Lawmakers to End Amazon Ring Partnerships With Police

More than 30 organizations published a joint letter that details how the app threatens civil liberties and puts people of color at disproportionate risk.
White writing on black chalkboard reads "vote"
Shani Saxon  Oct 7, 2019 5:23PM EDT

ACLU Fights to Secure Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated in Florida

The civil rights group seeks to remove wealth-based hurdles to voting.
View of the U.S. Supreme Court
Shani Saxon  Oct 2, 2019 6:00PM EDT

Civil Rights Leaders Urge Supreme Court to Uphold One of the Nation's Oldest Anti-Discrimination Statutes

The activists say that Comcast v. National Association of African American-Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc. is the most important civil rights case that the SCOTUS will hear this term.
Black hands poke through orange sleeves, handcuffed around metal bars
DeAnna Hoskins, Andrea C. James, Kumar Rao  Sep 30, 2019 11:40AM EDT

The '94 Crime Bill 25 Years Later: It's Time for a Reckoning [Op-Ed]

Justice advocates say we must address the harm caused by the legislation and create a new vision for safety and freedom.
A young Black person wearing a gray shirt sits in a classroom chair and holds their head in their hands.
Shani Saxon  Sep 23, 2019 5:41PM EDT

Study Links High-Suspension Schools With Incarceration Later in Life

A working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research adds to the body of research surrounding the school to prison pipeline and its impact on students of color.
White Lives Matter rally. Black woman stares down White man.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Sep 23, 2019 5:15PM EDT

Department of Homeland Security Finally Calls White Supremacy a Threat to the Nation

A new report from the agency calls out White supremacists as drivers of domestic terror.
A group of Black women and men hold signs protesting the death of death of Walter Scott, who was killed by police in a shooting, outside City Hall in North Charleston, South Carolina, on April 8, 2015.
Shani Saxon  Sep 6, 2019 6:21PM EDT

117 Civil Rights Advocacy Groups Commit to Justice Platform for 2020 Election

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Civil Rights Corps and 115 other groups propose a unified plan for “transforming our criminal-legal system into one that respects the humanity, dignity and rights of all people.”
Michael B. Jordan. Black man with short dark hair wearing dark gray suit jacket, dark tie and white shirt.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Sep 5, 2019 11:29AM EDT

Watch Michael B. Jordan in Dramatic Trailer for 'Just Mercy'

The movie brings the real life story of criminal justice reform advocate Bryan Stevenson to the big screen.
Black person's hand shown through prison cell bars.
Shani Saxon  Sep 4, 2019 5:12PM EDT

Harvard Students Push for University to Divest From Prisons

The young activists say their school should not invest in companies that profit from mass incarceration.
Ice cream. Vanilla and chocolate scoops on a cone.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Sep 4, 2019 10:52AM EDT

Ben & Jerry's Remixes Ice Cream for Social Justice

The brand’s newest flavor, Justice ReMix’d, was created “to spotlight structural racism in a broken criminal legal system.”
Dark green statue of Justice magnified through black camera lens on red brick and brown stone walkway in front of brown building and white car
Shani Saxon  Aug 26, 2019 5:45PM EDT

Landmark Case Set to Expose Racial Bias In Capital Punishment

“They feared that breaking the link between the death penalty and race would remove too many people from death row. They decided they were willing to accept racial bias to keep the death penalty.”
Large group of black-uniformed police officers gather on a sidewalk.
Shani Saxon  Aug 20, 2019 3:55PM EDT

California Passes One of Nation's Strictest Deadly Force Guidelines

The legislation says law enforcement officers can only use deadly force “when necessary to defend against an immediate, deadly threat to themselves or others.”
Colin Kaepernick. Black man with cornrows and facial hair wearing white fitted jersey.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 20, 2019 2:42PM EDT

Colin Kaepernick Guest Edits Paper Magazine

The activist takes over the latest issue to keep the conversation—and the work—going around the fight for justice for Black and Brown people.
Eric Garner protest. Person holds pink flowers and white sign that reads, "We are Eric Garner."
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 19, 2019 2:37PM EDT

NYPD Finally Fires Cop Who Killed Eric Garner

Emerald Snipes-Garner to New York Police Department Commissioner James P. O’Neill: “I thank you for firing the officer. But we will go after the rest of the officers involved. It’s not over.”