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Legislative Reform

The wood-paneled and red-carpeted inside of an empty courtroom.
Closing Argument March 18
New Scrutiny on Murder Charges Against People Who Don’t Actually Kill
The U.S. is the only country that still uses the “felony murder” legal doctrine.
By Jamiles Lartey
A Black woman and a White woman carried signs reading "DC Statehood is racial justice" during a protest.
Closing Argument March 11
How a Growing Political Fight Threatens Local Control of Criminal Justice
Anxiety about crime — and plain politics — are fueling efforts to supplant local rule, from Washington, D.C., to St. Louis and other localities.
By Jamiles Lartey
A woman enters a tan bricked building, with the signage "justice building" above the door.
Closing Argument January 7
How Two States Differ on the Injustice of Non-Unanimous Juries
Oregon and Louisiana eliminated the practice, which had white supremacist roots. But they differ on whether to retroactively overturn those convictions.
By Jamiles Lartey
News June 18, 2020
Which States Are Taking on Police Reform After George Floyd?
Lawmakers in 16 states have introduced bills to improve police oversight and accountability.
By Weihua Li and Humera Lodhi
Norris Henderson founded Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) to organize incarcerated people to engage in civic issues after he was released from Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Life Inside March 12, 2020
What I Learned About Voting Rights in the Fields of Angola
"We asked ourselves: Do we want to change our conditions, or do we want to change our circumstances?"
By Norris Henderson as told to Maurice Chammah
Henry T. Nicholas III, left, and his mother, Marcella Leach, with a photo of his sister, Marsy Nicholas, during the Orange County Victims' Rights March and Rally in 2013.
Feature May 22, 2018
The Billionaire's Crusade
Broadcom's Henry Nicholas is spending millions to give victims a bigger voice, but not everyone agrees.
By Beth Schwartzapfel
A classroom at the Thomson Correctional Center, a federal prison, in Thomson, Ill.
News May 22, 2018
Is The “First Step Act” Real Reform?
Congress and criminal justice, a scorecard
By Justin George
Prisoners in Angola, Louisiana, where the state prison population has dropped by 5.4 percent.
News May 18, 2018
Maryland Leads as Prison Populations Continue to Decline
Sentencing reforms still curbing mass incarceration, but some eye reversals.
By Nicole Lewis
News March 8, 2018
Convicted of a Drug Crime, Registered with Sex Offenders
In Kansas, even many minor drug offenders must appear on the state’s public registry. A new bill would change that.
By Maurice Chammah
Feature June 6, 2017
Can This Marriage Be Saved?
Left and right came together on criminal justice reform. Then Trump happened.
By Justin George
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