Nov 04 More than 400 inmates released from Oklahoma prisons By Associated Press State officials say it is the largest single-day mass commutation in U.S. history. Continue reading
Oct 29 Broken Justice By Vika Aronson, Emily Carpeaux, Amna Nawaz, Frank Carlson, Erica R. Hendry In 1997, Ricky Kidd was sentenced to life without parole for a double homicide he says he didn’t commit. And he says his court-appointed lawyer is the reason. In the U.S. justice system, everyone has the right to an attorney,… Continue reading
Jul 30 Watch 7:07 In Dallas, how art and culinary skills are helping juvenile offenders stay out of jail By John Yang In Dallas, two programs aim to shift the conversation around juvenile justice -- one by bringing young people into the kitchen, and the other by using art to address trauma. Creative Solutions and Cafe Momentum offer juvenile offenders the chance… Continue watching
Nov 27 Pence and Kushner make push for criminal justice rewrite on Capitol Hill By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Senators announced a bipartisan agreement on the legislation earlier this month, but McConnell has yet to say whether he will hold a vote on the bill. Vice President Kike Pence and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner are expected to… Continue reading
Aug 31 Watch 11:15 How ‘the incarceration capital of America’ embraced criminal justice reform By William Brangham, Frank Carlson For decades, the state of Louisiana has been known as the incarceration capital of America. But over the past year, the state has been trying to shed that reputation with new reforms that decrease the prison population and save money. Continue watching
May 30 Watch 10:19 Why defendants plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit By John Yang Two brothers wrongly convicted of murder were granted a new trial, but then they faced an excruciating decision: plead guilty to a lesser crime and go home as convicted felons, or risk trial and the chance of going back to… Continue watching
May 02 Watch 10:00 Missouri public defenders are overloaded with hundreds of cases while defendants wait in jail By John Yang, Frank Carlson The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees every American facing trial the right to a lawyer, even if they cannot afford one. But across the country, the public defender system is being stretched to the breaking point, and Missouri may… Continue watching
Apr 09 Watch 10:06 Giving vulnerable residents help before mental health issues land them in jail By PBS News Hour, Frank Carlson Each year, an estimated 2 million people suffering from mental illness are booked into county jails. In Kansas City, Missouri, like other places around the country, officials are looking for a better way to get those people the help they… Continue watching
Sep 14 How diverting mothers from prison may break the cycle of incarceration By Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline With the number of incarcerated women — and the cost of imprisoning them — on the rise in some states, the programs are drawing new attention. Continue reading
Jul 27 How states are working to reduce recidivism among ex-offenders By Rebecca Beitsch, Stateline To ease prison crowding and rein in corrections spending, state legislatures are trying to help ex-offenders re-enter society with the goal of ensuring they don’t return to prison. Continue reading