This Woman Served 11 Years in Prison on a Marijuana Charge. She's Been Sent Back Over a Clerical Error.
Raquel Esquivel, convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 2009, was put on home confinement during COVID-19.
Sentencing
The Minnesota Supreme Court Rejects the Legal Theory Underlying a Murder Charge Against Derek Chauvin
The ruling won't help him much, because he also was convicted of a more serious charge, based on a "particularly weird" form of the felony murder doctrine.
Federal Judges Are Increasingly Rebelling Against 'Overly Severe' Penalties for Nonviolent Sex Offenders
People convicted of possessing child pornography receive long sentences, but new data suggest they are rarely arrested for contact offenses after their release.
Missouri's Governor Rejects Pope's Request To Spare Death Row Inmate
Ernest Johnson is scheduled to be executed today.
185 Americans Wrongly Sentenced to Death Have Been Freed in the Last Half-Century
For every 8.3 executions in the United States, one innocent person on death row has been exonerated.
New York City's Jails See Two Deaths in Single Week
One at Rikers, one at a nearby jail barge, marking 12 deaths this year
Some Ohio Judges Are Mandating Vaccinations as a Condition of Probation. That's an Abuse of Power.
Threatening somebody with prison for refusing a shot is no way to end a pandemic.
A Philly Man Who Spent 37 Years of a 50-Year Prison Sentence in Solitary Confinement Has Been Freed
Arthur Johnson spent his entire adult life in jail for a murder he says he was coerced to confess to by police.
Daniel Hale Revealed America's Drone Assassinations to the Public. He's Been Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison.
Federal espionage laws are used once again to punish a whistleblower.
Only Biden or Congress Can Prevent 4,000 Inmates From Being Forced Back Into Federal Prison Post-COVID
The CARES Act allowed home release of nonviolent inmates during the pandemic. But after it's over, many will have to go back unless their sentences are commuted.
He Sold $20 Worth of Drugs. Prosecutors Want Him in Jail for Almost 10 Years—and More if He Refuses the Plea Deal.
That's illegal, says a new lawsuit.
The Department of Justice's Moratorium on Executions Is Not What Biden Promised
Nevertheless, it will at least temporarily stop the federal death penalty.
Derek Chauvin Receives a 22.5-Year Sentence for Killing George Floyd
A jury convicted the former Minneapolis police officer of murder and manslaughter in April, nearly a year after Floyd's death set off nationwide protests.
Biden Administration Endorses Legislation to End Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity
The EQUAL Act would finally end one of the worst legacies of the 1980s drug war and clean up one of the biggest stains on Joe Biden's record.
Biden Campaigned on Ending the Death Penalty. His Justice Department Wants To Execute the Boston Marathon Bomber Anyway.
A new brief asks the Supreme Court to reinstate Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence.
She Was Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Handing Drugs to a Friend Who Overdosed. A Federal Court Wasn't Having It.
The case is a good reminder of the far-reaching effects of the war on drugs.
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.
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
