Criminal Justice

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.”
Black Millennial Survey. Six Black women wearing pants and dresses, all dressed in white.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 16, 2019 5:08PM EDT

Millennials Overwhelmingly Support Criminal Justice Reform

The latest survey from the GenForward Project says even across lines of race and ethnicity, millennials are deeply concerned about the relationship between police and the people they are supposed to serve and protect.
Black man wearing brightly colored daishiki holds his arms out as he stands before a large group of police officers wearing riot gear.
Shani Saxon  Aug 13, 2019 3:29PM EDT

How Can Rethinking Policing Reverse the Mass Incarceration Epidemic?

A new report from the Vera Institute of Justice breaks down how a single negative interaction with a police officer can alter a life forever—and how a shift in how the nation approaches justice can prevent the criminalization of people of color.
A Black man wearing a t-shirt that says "Ferguson is everywhere" protests at night.
As told to Bakari Kitwana  Aug 9, 2019 6:51PM EDT

Message From the Ferguson Grassroots, 5 Years After Michael Brown's Death

Five years after the Michael Brown Rebellion, key activists and organizers weigh in on the impact of their local movement. 
Melissa McKinnies and Danye Jones. Black woman and Black boy sit next to each other and smile.
Melissa McKinnies as told to Bakari Kitwana  Aug 9, 2019 2:48PM EDT

Activist Melissa McKinnies on the Mike Brown Rebellion—And the Lynching of Her Son Danye

Melissa McKinnies was a Ferguson uprising fixture. It’s for this reason that the St. Louis mother believes that one of her sons was lynched in their backyard. Here are her words.
Meek Mill. Black man with short dark hair wearing gray suit jacket and white collared shirt.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 9, 2019 2:23PM EDT

'Free Meek' Docuseries Illustrates Plight of Black Men in Criminal Justice System

The five-part series explores racial injustice in the judicial system through the all too common case of rapper Meek Mill.
Michael Brown Jr. A drawing of a Black boy wearing headphones on a brown background
Michael Brown Sr. as told to Bakari Kitwana  Aug 9, 2019 9:42AM EDT

Missing Mike-Mike: Michael Brown Sr. Reflects on the 5 Years Since His Son Became a Political Symbol

Before Michael Brown Jr. became an international symbol of racialized police violence, he was an 18-year-old who cracked jokes, made music and planned for his future. Here, a deeply personal reflection by his dad on the fifth anniversary of his killing.
White police officer stands in front of a store at night with police car visible in the background.
Shani Saxon  Aug 6, 2019 5:15PM EDT

It's Still Dangerous to Drive While Black in Ferguson

Black drivers in Missouri continue to be stopped by police at a much higher rate than White drivers.
Three people wearing black-rimmed glasses, bow their heads and cry as they stand arm-in-arm.
Shani Saxon  Aug 5, 2019 5:48PM EDT

Trump Links Call for Background Checks With Immigration Reform in Wake of Mass Shootings

The president took to Twitter to suggest “marrying” the two unrelated and politically divisive issues.
Daniel Pantaleo protest.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Aug 2, 2019 11:10AM EDT

NYPD Judge Says Eric Garner’s Killer, Daniel Pantaleo, Should be Fired

The fate of Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who used the fatal chokehold on the Staten Island father, is now in the hands of the police commissioner.
Marijuana decriminalization. Black woman with long braids lighting a pipe.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 30, 2019 3:19PM EDT

New York Becomes the 15th State to Decriminalize Marijuana

The new law is designed to issue fines instead of jail time and to create a path for people to expunge possession convictions from their records. 
Christopher Remmey. Man in profile with mustache and beard sitting in low light looks past the camera.
Kenrya Rankin  Jul 26, 2019 1:31PM EDT

WATCH: Doc Explores How Criminal Justice System Fails People With Mental Illnesses

“Forty hours of mental health training in a police academy that’s seven-and-a-half months long isn’t long enough.”
A black and white photo of Frantz Fanon
Sharda Sekeran  Jul 26, 2019 10:12AM EDT

Frantz Fanon's Daughter to Michigan Prisons: Take 'Black Skin, White Masks' Off the Banned Book List

The Michigan state prison system has banned Frantz Fanon’s seminal race theory book “Black Skin, White Masks” from its libraries. Here’s how legal experts and his daughter, Mireille Fanon-Mendès, are fighting to get the classic back into prisoners’ hands. 
New York State Supreme Court building in Manhattan showing the words "The True Administration of Justice" on its facade.
Shani Saxon  Jul 24, 2019 2:35PM EDT

Report Says State Supreme Court Justices Are Overwhelmingly White, Male

State courts wield a lot of power; the justices “hear 95 percent of all cases filed in the United States.”
long shot inside prison that shows prison bars and men's arms peeking through some of the bars.
Shani Saxon  Jul 17, 2019 6:22PM EDT

Private Prisons Ask ICE to Pay Multi-Million Dollar Human Trafficking Lawsuit Costs

Private immigration detention center operator GEO Group faces lawsuits alleging human rights violations.
Eric Garner protest.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jul 16, 2019 11:17AM EDT

Feds Won't Charge NYC Officer in Eric Garner's Death

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of Garner’s death at the hands of a New York Police Department officer, the Department of Justice says it will not bring civil rights charges against his killer.
Bryan Stevenson. Black man in gray jacket suit, black pants and tie, white shirt, standing on the steps of a courthouse.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 20, 2019 10:00AM EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Powerful Clip From HBO Doc on Bryan Stevenson's Liberatory Work

In “True Justice,” the Equal Justice Initiative founder connects the dots between enslavement and death sentences for Black people—and breaks down why he is committed to ending mass incarceration.
New York State Capitol Building
Ayana Byrd  Jun 12, 2019 12:59PM EDT

New York State Prepares to Decriminalize Sex Work

A new bill aims to protect sex workers, particularly immigrant and trans workers of color.
Black man in dark shit sits on couch with teen daughter as they work on a black laptop
Shani Saxon  Jun 11, 2019 3:31PM EDT

Q&A: Meet the Formerly Incarcerated Dad Who Created an App to Connect Families

Colorlines talks to Antoine Patton about Photo Patch, the app he created with his daughter after teaching himself to code behind bars.
Lonnie Morris and Richard Lathan. Two middle-aged Black men in prison uniforms, blue and yellow, in front of a gate.
N. Jamiyla Chisholm  Jun 6, 2019 10:26AM EDT

LISTEN: San Quentin State Prison Podcast 'Ear Hustle' Returns for New Season

Season four introduces listeners to a new host and a segment about learning the ropes in the prison.