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The Lowdown

Breaking down the rituals and routines of the criminal justice system.

An officer stands in a control room with cells visible beyond the windows.
The Lowdown May 26, 2022
The 1990s Law That Keeps People in Prison on Technicalities
How the Supreme Court expanded the most important law you’ve never heard of.
By and
On May 4, 2021, President Joe Biden extended class-wide scheduling of fentanyl analogues through October, making it easier to go after low-level drug dealers. Critics say it will disproportionately affect communities of color.
The Lowdown June 16, 2021
Biden Could Have Taken the War on Drugs Down a Notch. He Didn’t.
A little-noticed law could make it easier to punish people for low-level drug crimes — and put them in prison for longer with less proof.
By
President Joe Biden signs an executive order at the White House in Washington, on Jan. 21.
The Lowdown January 22, 2021
How to Decode Biden’s Immigration Blitz
Ambitious promises run up against political and practical obstacles.
By
A pro-Trump mob clashes with law enforcement officers during the assault on the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on January 6.
The Lowdown January 8, 2021
A Civilian's Guide to Insurrection Legalese
Everyone's talking about sedition, treason and conspiracy. Here's what these terms actually mean and how they've been enforced.
By , and
In 1996, Walter Johnson became the first New Yorker put away on federal “three strikes” laws meant to stop habitual offenders.
The Lowdown December 12, 2019
Can We Fix Mass Incarceration Without Including Violent Offenders?
Half of America’s prisoners are in for violent crimes, but reforms often leave them behind.
By
Detainees make phone calls at a federal immigration detention center in California that is run by the private GEO Group.
The Lowdown September 12, 2019
Here's Why Abolishing Private Prisons Isn't a Silver Bullet
The vast majority of prisoners are held in publicly run prisons. But the private sector affects their incarceration in different ways.
By
Presidential hopefuls squared off at the second night of Democratic primary debates in Detroit in July, debating some criminal justice issues but overlooking many others.
The Lowdown August 1, 2019
Beyond One-Liners: A Guide to the Democratic Debate on Criminal Justice
By The Marshall Project
Central American immigrants walk along the border fence after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico in February in El Paso, Texas. The migrants later turned themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents, seeking political asylum in the United States.
The Lowdown June 27, 2019
Decoding the Border Law Democrats are Debating
A proposal by Julián Castro would make unauthorized border crossing a civil offense, not a crime.
By
Suspected undocumented immigrants are transferred out of the holding area after being processed in Tucson, Ariz., in August 2012.
The Lowdown September 25, 2016
What Trump and Others Get Wrong About ‘Sanctuary Cities’
Ahead of the presidential debate, setting the record straight on a hot-button immigration issue.
By
The Lowdown September 24, 2015
Charged With Murder Without Killing Anyone
The paradox of “felony murder” laws.
By
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