Showcasing stories from Jason Motlagh, Rhaina Cohen, Lydia C. Buchanan, Molly Young, and Forrest Wickman.
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Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration and Me
“Many progressives mistrust her for her past as a prosecutor. As an ex-convict — and also the son of a crime victim — I can tell you it’s not that simple.”
Trusting Your Gut and This Week’s Top 5
“I study the pinch pot in my hands. It seems suddenly urgent not to see them seeing me. Heat crawls from my cheeks to my hairline. I hear the furious thrum of blood in my ears. With my fingers I smooth down the walls of my pot. To my utter relief, no more questions follow.” […]
Donovan Deaths: Families Kept in Dark While Inmates Die of COVID-19
“Their stories had one thing in common: No prison officials alerted them their loved ones were seriously ill until after their deaths.”
The Meaning of Tattoos and Our Top 5 of the Week
“When my father-in-law was growing up in Baltimore and misbehaved in Hebrew school with his friends, their teachers would calmly unbutton their cuffs and roll up their sleeves, revealing their tattoos from Auschwitz. I’ve seen worse, the tattoos said. Or perhaps, This could happen to you.” What does your tattoo mean? It’s a question often asked of […]
Reporter’s Notebook: The Power of Proximity
“A behind-the-scenes look at a year-long investigation into Mississippi’s laws that automatically put some kids as young as 13 into adult prisons and jails.”
Qualified Immunity: How ‘Ordinary Police Work’ Tramples Civil Rights
“There is little to no accountability behind the closed doors of police work.”
Why Do Detainees Keep Dying in This Baton Rouge Jail?
“In one decade, 45 people died in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Most were charged with nonviolent misdemeanors. Most didn’t have their day in court. Most were Black. How did the system fail them?”
“Addiction is a thief of your goodbyes”
“I got angry, my mother cried, the addicts got high. That became a holiday theme for years to come.”
The Unseen in a Pandemic without Technology
“It’s been more than a year that we haven’t been able to see him…We’re getting old. We don’t know how much time we have left.


