If You Support the Death Penalty for Hate-Motivated Murders, You Support the Death Penalty
Georgia D.A. reverses her previous position when faced with a mass shooting she sees as a hate crime.
Sentencing
Why Is the Justice Department Trying To Punish Derek Chauvin Twice?
The federal charges against Chauvin and three other officers involved in George Floyd's death are more about making a statement than seeking justice.
SCOTUS Hears a Crack Sentencing Case That Shows How the Drug War Piles One Cruel Absurdity on Top of Another
Tarahrick Terry was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison after he was caught with less than four grams.
Biden Hedges on His Promise To Free Pot Prisoners
The president still has not caught up with most Americans on marijuana policy.
The Biden Administration's Obfuscation on Using Clemency To Free Pot Prisoners Is Not a Hopeful Sign
Press Secretary Jen Psaki repeatedly tried to muddy the issue by changing the subject to reclassifying marijuana.
Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Fight Over Boston Bomber's Death Sentence
President Joe Biden campaigned on ending the federal death penalty, but he’s been quiet about it since taking office.
This Florida Drug Smuggler Escaped 7 Life Sentences—Twice
Dickie Lynn's story shows how the drug war warped the criminal justice system.
What Happened When Life Sentences Got Out of Control
The prisons are filled with aging inmates who no longer pose a public threat.
Derek Chauvin May Get a Sentence Much Shorter Than the One William Barr Thought Would Be Seen As Too Lenient
The former attorney general reportedly nixed a plea deal that involved a sentence of more than 10 years but would have precluded a federal prosecution.
This Draconian Bill Would Turn Millions of Peaceful Gun Owners Into Felons
Sheila Jackson Lee's sweeping licensing and registration scheme suggests what Democrats would do if they didn't have to worry about the Second Amendment.
Justice Department Rescinds Trump-Era Memo Ordering Prosecutors To Seek Harshest Sentences
The memo reverses a directive from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions that ordered federal prosecutors to throw the book at low-level drug offenders.
Presidential Mercy Is a Woefully Inadequate Remedy for Injustice
The controversy over Trump’s pardons and commutations highlights longstanding problems with clemency.
Freeing People Who Don't Belong in Prison Is Praiseworthy, No Matter Trump's Motives
The president's final batch of clemency actions includes commutations for dozens of nonviolent drug offenders.
District Attorney Candidates Win Big Against 'Tough on Crime'
During the last few election cycles, a wave of well-funded progressive candidates have run for prosecutor's offices in major cities. This time, quite a few reform-minded D.A.s won.
The Risk of Arrest for Cannabis Consumers Is Shrinking
Nationwide, marijuana arrests peaked at nearly 873,000 in 2007; the 2019 number was 37 percent lower.
In 2020, the Feds Have Executed More Inmates Than All States Combined
An annual report on the death penalty shows its use declining everywhere except in the federal government.
Time
This documentary reminds us that the time people lose while "doing time" can never be replaced or relived.
California Voters Declined To End Cash Bail. L.A.'s New District Attorney Says He'll Do It Anyway.
Cash bail is as unjust as it is arbitrary.
Dems Ask Trump Administration to Stop Executing Inmates Ahead of Biden Transition
The incoming administration opposes the death penalty, but the Justice Department has three more executions planned this year.
Oregon Becomes the First State to Decriminalize Use of All Drugs
The initiative makes noncommercial possession of controlled substances a citable offense punishable by a $100 fine.
Trump Grants Clemency to 5 More Federal Prisoners
All five cases were recommended to the White House by commutation recipient Alice Marie Johnson.
Biden Tries To Gloss Over His Long History of Supporting the Drug War and Draconian Criminal Penalties
The Democratic presidential nominee cannot escape one of his major legacies.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Policing, Probation, Juvenile Justice Reforms
Limits on probation length, a ban on chokeholds, and a plan to dismantle a state juvenile prison system
SCOTUS Could Use More Skeptics Like Amy Coney Barrett
The 7th Circuit judge’s track record suggests she would frequently be a friend of civil liberties.
SCOTUS Contender Amy Coney Barrett's Mixed Record in Criminal Cases
While the 7th Circuit judge is often skeptical of the government's position, some of her conclusions will give pause to civil libertarians.
The FIRST STEP Act Has Reduced Prison Terms for More Than 7,000 People
While that's nothing to sneeze at, it is a modest accomplishment in the context of a federal prison system that keeps more than 150,000 Americans behind bars.
Trump's Vague Commitment to Criminal Justice Reform
The president's daughter says "we’re just getting started." Some details would be nice.
The Trump Administration Executes Its Fourth Federal Prisoner in Two Months
A new modern record for putting inmates to death
The Shaky Foundation of Trump's Pose As a Criminal Justice Reformer
The president's case rests on two accomplishments, while his plans for a second term echo the mindless toughness he intermittently condemns.
Kamala Harris Is So 'Radical,' Trump's Campaign Says, That She Criticized Joe Biden's Criminal Justice Record. So Does Trump.
Harris and Trump are both right that the Democratic nominee has a long record of championing draconian penalties.
Kamala Harris: Drug Warrior, Vice Cop, Draconian Prosecutor
Biden picked a V.P. candidate whose record on police and criminal justice reform is as terrible as his own.
Boston Bomber May Dodge Death Penalty as Justice Department Preps for More Executions
Court panel rules judge didn't properly evaluate juror bias against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
RIP Arnold Trebach, Who Helped Make Opposition to the Drug War Respectable
The American University professor called for "drug peace" at a time when both major parties were committed to ever-escalating violence.
Supreme Court Won't Stop Pending Federal Executions
The federal government hasn’t executed a prisoner since 2003. We may see three killed in July.
Some of the Charges Stemming From George Floyd's Death Should Trouble Criminal Justice Reformers
The criminal complaints against Derek Chauvin and three other officers rely on expansive liability principles that reformers usually oppose.
At Angola, Coronavirus Turns Life Without Parole for Selling Weed Into a Potential Death Sentence
Fate Vincent Winslow, who has never committed a violent crime, fears catching coronavirus in prison.
Serving 12 Years for Possessing a Cellphone—Unless the Coronavirus Gets to Him First
Some places are releasing nonviolent offenders during the COVID-19 outbreak. Mississippi won't free a man who failed to hand in his phone.
The Prison Coronavirus Disaster Everybody Warned About Is Unfolding in New York City
Jail officials urge more and faster releases as the virus spreads between staff and inmates.
Trump Attacks Biden on Drug Policy From the Left
It's an interesting strategy for a president who ran in 2016 on a Nixonian "law and order" platform.
Elizabeth Warren Adopts Cory Booker's Plan for a Better Presidential Clemency System
Shifting the process from the Justice Department to the White House can help eliminate bureaucracy and meddling from prosecutors.
Stone Cold Justice
The problems with federal sentencing guidelines are real and troubling, even in cases that do not involve the president’s pals.
Even Without Trump's Tweets, the Attorney General's Intervention on Roger Stone's Behalf Would Have Looked Bad
If Barr is so concerned about the appearance of integrity, why did he insert himself into a high-profile case involving a presidential pal?
Thousands of Old Los Angeles County Marijuana Convictions Will Be Expunged
Nearly 66,000 cases are covered, dating back to 1961.
Roger Stone Deserves a Lighter Sentence, but Not Because He Is Trump's Buddy
A prison sentence of seven to nine years is excessive for nonviolent process crimes aimed at concealing legal behavior.
Tackling 'Very Unfair' Drug Penalties Could Help Trump Win
If the president wants voters to take him seriously, he should stop pretending the problem has been solved.
