criminal justice reform
-
Orange Is the New Black Tackles Criminal-Justice Reform With the Launch of ‘Poussey Washington Fund’
In a case of life imitating art, groundbreaking fan favorite Orange Is the New Black is looking to make an impact on criminal-justice reform in the real world with the launch of the Poussey Washington Fund. Named for the character Emmy winner Samira Wiley played in the long-running jailhouse series on Netflix, the fund aims…
-
Patrisse Cullors, Reform LA Jails Lead the Charge to Decriminalize Mental Health with #CancelMcCarthyContract Campaign
For years, activist and community organizer Patrisse Cullors has poured her passion for the people into cofounding movements and coalitions such as Black Lives Matter and Reform LA Jails. But with the announcement of her #CancelMcCarthyContract campaign comes one of her biggest challenges yet—the fight for the mental health and wellbeing of incarcerated individuals. As…
-
Biden Pushes Back on Civil Rights Critics by Playing Up His Obama Connects, While Booker Slams Biden as an ‘Architect of Mass Incarceration’
Joe Biden attempted to ward off doubts raised about his civil rights bona fides Wednesday by reminding attendees of the NAACP convention that he was Barack Obama’s pick to be his vice president. “I doubt he would have picked me if these accusations about my being wrong on civil rights is correct,” the Democratic presidential…
-
Meek Mill Keeps the Dream Going With Launch of Dream Chasers Records
It might be official: Meek Mill is better at catching the dreams he’s chasing than everyone else. Meek Mill (born Robert Williams) and RocNation announced in a pair of Instagram posts the launch of Dream Chasers Records, a joint venture label between the two in which Meek will serve as president and be responsible for…
-
It Looks Like Meek Mill May Get a New Trial: 'We Are One Step Closer to Justice'
Meek Mill, born Robert Rihmeek Williams, has spent the last 11 years of his life hounded by a drug and gun conviction that stole his freedom and served as a textbook example of our deeply flawed criminal justice system. But his nightmare might soon be coming to an end, as the possibility of a new…
-
NYC District Attorney Candidate Backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Claims Democratic Primary Victory
In what will be a major upset to the Democratic Party machine and old-guard Democrats if it holds, a progressive and openly queer Latina attorney appears to have narrowly defeated the party’s pick in the primary election to become the next district attorney for the borough of Queens in New York City. In overwhelmingly Democratic…
-
Manhattan District Attorney Refuses to Reopen Cases Handled by Central Park Five Prosecutor Linda Fairstein
Since the release of Netflix’s haunting masterpiece When They See Us, karma has been working overtime to derail the lives and careers of former prosecutor Linda Fairstein and attorney Elizabeth Lederer—two of the biggest beneficiaries of the Exonerated Five’s 1990 convictions. But despite calls to do otherwise, CNN reports that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance…
-
‘Appalled’ and ‘Disappointed’: Federal Judge Tells St. Louis to Stop Dragging Feet on Cash Bail Order
The city of St. Louis can no longer hold people in jail simply because they’re too poor to pay bail, a federal judge ruled last week. The decision was celebrated by the city’s civil rights advocates, who have argued for years that the city’s cash bail system was unconstitutional. But following the ruling—which gave city…
-
If Democratic Lawmakers Get Their Way, 1 Million Convictions in California Could Be Expunged
After being released from prison, those who were once incarcerated often experience tremendous difficulty getting re-acclimated to society, but if Democratic lawmakers get their way, California citizens still being punished for mistakes from their past will be able to get a new lease on life. The Associated Press reports that after moving to automatically expunge…