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.
Sentencing
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.
Does Trump's Super Bowl Ad Signal More Progress on Sentencing Reform?
While the president seems sincerely concerned about "very unfair" drug penalties, it's not clear whether he thinks his work in that area is done.
DOJ Intervention Dramatically, Irrationally, and Unconstitutionally Increases the Penalty Faced by a Woman Accused of Slapping Jews
How can prosecuting a black woman for slapping Jews in 2020 be authorized by the constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in 1865?
Why Do Critics of Harsh Drug Penalties Support Them When the Drug Is Fentanyl?
A new Drug Policy Alliance report highlights this puzzling and dangerous inconsistency.
Mississippi Court Upholds 12-Year Sentence for a Man Who Unwittingly Had a Phone in Jail
The court says 12 years was "obviously harsh," but hey, at least it wasn't 15.
An NYPD Cop Was Sentenced to a Day in Jail for a Lie That Nearly Doomed a Man to 15 Years in Prison
The judge said six months in jail for the cop's perjury would be "unduly harsh."
Why Is the Chief Justice of Ohio's Supreme Court Lobbying Against Sentencing Reforms?
Justice Maureen O'Connor has intervened repeatedly in the legislative process.
A 15-Year Sentence for Burning a Stolen Gay Pride Flag Is Not Justice
Hate crime enhancements meet three-strikes laws, and the consequences are terrible.
PATRIOT Act Clause Invoked to Keep Man Imprisoned Even After He Served His Sentence
A part of the law intended to hold suspected terrorists for deportation is being twisted to justify indefinite detention.
Reminder: Jeff Sessions Is a Drug War Dinosaur and Should Be Nowhere Near Government Power
Sessions has spent his career fighting to maintain draconian drug sentences.
The Largest Single-Day Commutation in History
Oklahoma frees 527 low-level offenders—and saves nearly $12 million.
An Illinois Lawmaker Wants to Reinstate the Death Penalty to Deter Shootings
Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011.
21-Year-Old Oversleeps, Misses Jury Duty, and Goes to Jail for 10 Days
The case is yet another example of our excessively penal criminal justice system.
Brandt Jean Has Every Right To Forgive Amber Guyger, the Ex-Cop Who Killed His Brother
America's justice system should leave more room for mercy.
Trump Might Not Support Criminal Justice Reforms Anymore. That Doesn't Erase His Past Success.
We probably won’t see a follow up to the FIRST STEP Act. But it’s still been a boon to federal prisoners.
Alabama's 'Three Strikes' Law Sent Alvin Kennard to Prison for 36 Years. He Stole $50.
The man will finally be released from prison.
Rapper Meek Mill's 12-Year Probation Nightmare Finally Comes to an End
Mill's legal problems are now over, but he remains involved in efforts to push for important probation reforms.
After Spending 23 Years in Prison for a Murder He Didn't Commit, Ricky Kidd Is Going Home
Reason previously shared the story of Ricky Kidd's wrongful conviction in April.
Attorney General Barr Does Not Approve of Your Kinder, Gentler Elected District Attorneys
In a speech to police, Barr called for citizens to shut up and do what officers tell them to.
Aaron Sandusky Has Spent 7 Years in Prison for Selling Medical Marijuana
Obama denied him clemency. Will Trump set him free?
Trump Mulls Commutation for Disgraced Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich
While the president's mercy might be self-serving, it's not necessarily wrong.
No Jail Time for 79-Year-Old Woman Who Fed Stray Cats
But Nancy Segula will still need to rein in her "compassion for cats."
Police Shot Her Boyfriend During a Robbery. She Was Charged With His Murder.
The felony murder rule allows police to charge someone with a killing if they were an accomplice in a related crime.
A 79-Year-Old Woman Receives a Jail Sentence for Feeding Stray Cats
"I'm an animal lover, and I feel guilty that they're wandering around out there and they have nothing to eat."
