Chicago Judge Says His Bail Reforms Were a Success. But Independent Reviews Show Flaws and More Crimes.
Did Cook County overdo it and let too many dangerous defendants free?
Jail
Lawsuit Targets Nashville Courts for Treating Bail Money Like Down Payments for Fines, Fees
ACLU argues the practice violates the Eighth Amendment.
A Colorado Woman Was Tased After Being Arrested For Smoking and Allowing Her Dog Off-Leash
Body camera videos show a woman being tased into compliance after being placed on suicide watch.
Will Prosecutors Attempt to Neuter New York's Bail Reforms?
Reformers worry that district attorneys will subvert new rules, but prosecutors worry about those who refuse to show up for court.
Prison Guard Who Hid While Inmate Raped a Nurse Cannot Be Sued, Federal Court Rules
The 7th Circuit said the guard is protected by qualified immunity.
Should You Boycott Your $42 SoulCycle Bike Ride To Stick It to Trump?
The end of political privacy and the politicization of everything
24-Year-Old Booked on Drug Possession Charges Found Dead in Texas Jail
The inmate's death is the most recent in a string of fatalities at the Bexar County Jail.
To Hold but Not to Have: California's Marijuana Laws Get Weird When You're in Jail
It's not illegal for inmates to have marijuana, but it's still a felony if they try to smoke it.
St. Louis Ordered to Stop Keeping People Imprisoned Just Because They Cannot Afford Bail
People charged—but not convicted—of crimes often have to wait weeks to see a judge if they’re too poor to pay for their freedom.
$6.75 Million Awarded to the Family of a Milwaukee Jail Inmate Who Died From Dehydration
The jail, which saw several deaths, was overseen by former Sheriff David Clarke at the time.
Her Ex Was the Wanted Man. So Why Did This Mom Spend Easter Weekend in Jail?
"What started out as a clerical error magnified into a very regrettable and Kafkaesque mistake."
How Even Legal Marijuana Use Can Land You in Jail
Failed drug tests can send people on probation or parole back into prison cells.
ACLU Sues Detroit for Bail System that Punishes the Poor
Magistrates don’t care whether defendants can pay, leaving the indigent stuck in jail before they’re ever convicted.
New Jersey Is Keeping More and More People Out of Jail, and That's Great
New Jersey is detaining almost half as many people pretrial, and the state is not seeing a big crime wave.
Supreme Court Turns Away Georgia Cash Bail Challenge
Justices leave intact a ruling allowing detention for 48 hours of those who cannot immediately pay for their release.
Supreme Court Gives Feds a Long Leash To Detain Immigrants With Criminal Records
Conservative majority declines to consider constitutional concerns of holding noncitizens without hearings.
The Majority of an Oklahoma Sheriff's Office Just Quit Over Unsafe Jail Conditions
It's encouraging to see police stand up for inmates' rights.
Will Utah Ban the Shackling of Inmates in Labor?
A bill to stop the dangerous practice reaches the next step.
ACLU Sues Philadelphia Over Cash Bail Demands That Keep Poor Defendants in Jail
Magistrates are supposed to consider the financial concerns of people who come before them. Instead they're tossing them behind bars.
Federal Judge Orders San Francisco To Fix Bail System that Keeps Poor People Trapped Behind Bars
Very high cash demands disrupt defendants' lives without improving public safety.
Philadelphia Reduced Use of Cash Bail and the Sky Didn't Fall
Defendants aren't being ordered to pay for their freedom, and they're still coming back for court appearances.
Federal Public Defenders Sue Over Terrible State of Brooklyn Detention Center
Inmates were left in the dark and frigid cold for a week, while families and lawyers were denied access.
Man Jailed Over a Marijuana Cookie Died After Seizure in Prison
Family files lawsuit after surveillance footage shows staff failing to get him medical help.
Florida Man Jailed 41 Days Over 92 Grams of…Laundry Detergent
Spoiler alert: It wasn't heroin.
Lawsuit Challenges St. Louis Bail System That Keeps Poor People Trapped Behind Bars
Class action claim contends 85 percent of people jailed before trial simply cannot afford to pay and aren't offered alternatives.
Harris County, Texas, Flashpoint of Bail Reform Battles, Will Mostly Eliminate Cash Demands in Minor Cases
Lawsuits playing out for three years spotlight how poor people end up trapped in jail even before being convicted.
California Voters to Decide the Future of Their State's Bail System
Industry representatives succeed in forcing a referendum on reforms passed by lawmakers.
'Monkey Business': Chris Brown Might Go to Jail Over His Adorable Pet
The punishment would certainly not fit the crime.
Report: Imprisoning People Who Can't Pay Bail Costs America $15 Billion a Year
Taxpayers shell out big time to keep poor folks who haven't even been convicted of crimes behind bars.
Texas Woman, 61, Dies in Jail After Sitting There for Months over $300 Bail Order
She had a history of mental illness, and was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing in July.
New Orleans D.A. Complains About Community Bail Funds Releasing Low-Level Offenders
Organization helps poor people cover costs to get out of jail before their trials. Why is this a problem?
Rapper Meek Mill Is Attempting a 1-Million-Person Jail Break
Some people don't belong behind bars. This celebrity-launched criminal justice reform group wants to free them.
Bail Bond Industry Attempting to Force California Jail Reforms to the Ballot Box
A law signed in August will eliminate cash bail entirely in the Golden State, and quite a few jobs in the process.
An Alabama County Votes to End Sheriff Abuse of Jail Food Funds
A sheriff in Etowah County purchased a $740,000 beach house with money intended to feed inmates.
Virginia's Attorney General Wants To Stop Jailing People Just Because They Can't Afford Bail
The number of people being detained prior to trial has tripled over the course of three decades.
A Video Showing Deputies Laughing While a Prisoner Overdoses Leads to Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Rather than seeking medical attention for an inmate, 3 sheriff's deputies made jokes at his expense.
Cleveland Judge Says He'll Stop Sending People to Jail After 6 Inmates Die in 4 Months
Headlines like this are appallingly common.
Netflix Jail Documentary Misses the Big Question: Why Is This Happening?
First and Last ignores the absurdity that many of its subjects are imprisoned, not to mention Gwinnett County Jail's own troubled record.
Timothy Diaz Sues Police Who Confused Him with Another Timothy Diaz
There are hardly any similarities between the 26-year-old suspect and the 53-year-old man who got arrested.
California Eliminated Cash Bail. Now Activists and Defenders Have to Make Sure the Replacement Isn't Worse.
The Golden State has a year to implement a new pretrial system, and there's a fear it could lead to more detentions.
2 Hours in Jail for Cop Who Killed Botham Jean. 2 Nights for People Protesting His Death.
The protesters may have broken the law, but two nights behind bars is a bit much.
