What we're reading
Bloomberg CityLab
Covid Was Supposed to Cut Jail Time. Not for Those Awaiting Trial.
04/29/2021
An uprising this month showed how Covid-related delays to court proceedings have kept people in jail longer, even amid efforts to reduce the incarcerated population.
The Marshall Project
The Language Project
04/12/2021
Reporters and editors have long believed that terms such as “inmate,” “felon” and “offender” are clear, succinct and neutral. But a vocal segment of people affected by the criminal justice system argue that these words — and any other words that define human beings by their crimes and punishments — are dehumanizing.
USA Today
It’s working in Eugene, Olympia, Denver: More cities are sending civilian responders, not police, on mental health calls
04/05/2021
Associated Press
Amid outcry, states push mental health training for police
04/04/2021
In response to several high-profile deaths of people with mental health issues in police custody, lawmakers in at least eight states are introducing legislation to change how law enforcement agencies respond to those in crisis.
New York Times
Too Many People Are Locked Up for Small Thefts
03/29/2021
An estimated 45,000 Americans are behind bars for thefts of less than $10,000. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
The Appeal
Explainer: How ‘Technical Violations’ Drive Incarceration
03/23/2021
Incarcerating someone for a noncriminal rule violation doesn’t improve outcomes or safety; it does the opposite.
Washington Post
Opinion | Police reform is not enough. We need to rethink public safety.
03/16/2021
Over-reliance on police is preventing us from imagining and investing in other public safety tools — ones that could revitalize the struggling neighborhoods that experience the most crime.
NPR
How Illinois Eliminated Cash Bail
03/03/2021
What happens when people can't post cash bail? They're stuck in jail. For months. In some cases, years, before they ever get to trial. Recently, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail. What kind of system should states have instead?
NPR
All Things Considered interview with Laurie and Wesley Bell
02/13/2021
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Laurie Garduque of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, about efforts to reduce local jail populations.