465 Search results for "criminal justice"

Reconciling ‘glorious healing’ & the ‘loving refusal’ of intracommunal violence in an era of disposability
By Tez Files Baptize me. Now that reconciliation is possible, if we’re gonna heal, let it be glorious. – Beyoncé, “Sandcastles” I must have heard Beyoncé’s “Sandcastles”a dozen times. I read all types of complexity into its lyrics. After having gone through a very difficult break-up, it was healing to sit with my emotions and […]
Canada becomes second country to legalize marijuana, and also creates pathway to pardon past drug offenders
The Canadian House of Commons and Senate approved the legalization of marijuana in June. On Oct. 18, the law finally went into effect and not only did stores start selling recreational marijuana, those with past pot convictions were also pardoned.
AP investigation of 2-year-old separated from mother at border exposes systemwide exploitation
A new investigation by the Associated Press, as reported by KHOU in Houston, is further revealing the extent of the burden faced by parents who are at risk of being deported by the United States. After being separated from her parents after they were arrested crossing the Texas border under the Obama administration, 2-year-old Alexa Ramos […]
Four suspected white supremacists charged for actions during Charlottesville riots
Four men suspected of being “members or associates” of the Rise Above Movement (RAM) have been charged in a criminal case stemming from the Charlottesville, Virginia “Unite the Right” rally in 2017. Cole White, Michael Miselis, Benjamin Daley and Thomas Gillen were each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal riots statute […]
More role models for Black boys in school won’t fix anything if we continue to overlook Black girls
By Brittani McNeill It is common knowledge that Black children are on the low end of an ever widening racial achievement gap in this country. It’s even becoming more widely acknowledged that systemic problems and institutional neglect, as opposed to simply personal or even parental shortcomings, lead to this problem. An examination of this achievement […]
Dallas cops still free & working after killing Black men while Dallas 9 spent 40 hours in jail for protests
A group of activists who stopped traffic ahead of the Dallas Cowboys game to protest police violence on Sunday night were arrested and hit with a misdemeanor obstructing traffic charge. The group, dubbed the Dallas 9, was originally part of a larger demonstration against recent episodes of police brutality in the Dallas area.
California becomes first state to abolish cash bail, but gives judges more discretion to jail defendants
Signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Tuesday, a new Californian reform bill, called the California Money Bail Reform Act, will abolish the cash bail system for all defendants awaiting a trial. Instead of cash bail, courts in different jurisdictions will create algorithms to decide who stays in custody and who leaves while they await trial.
Black educators and administrators, let’s remember to center and uplift Black children as they return to school
by Maximillian Matthews After arriving on the campus of Elon University in the fall of 2005, I instantly sought out the Black community in an effort to not feel isolated and misunderstood. I knew I would need Black folks in order to thrive at predominantly white institution. My need for kinship led me to Alpha […]
Court rules rapper’s lyrics, remake of N.W.A.’s “F– the Police”, is threat against cops on appeal
Jamal Knox, a 24-year-old Black rapper, was found guilty of making direct threats towards police in a new song by Pennsylvania’s highest court on Tuesday after an appeal.
The US is trying to force Facebook to decrypt messenger files in case with serious privacy implications
According to a report from Reuters, the United States government is attempting to force Facebook to decrypt its Messenger application when individuals are under a criminal probe so that they can listen to the suspect’s voice conversations in search of illegal activity. This brings forth the issue of whether or not companies can be forced […]
Homelessness among formerly incarcerated people is at a crisis point, according to the Prison Policy Initiative
According to a new report from the Prison Policy Initiative, homelessness among the 5 million formerly incarcerated people in America is ten times higher than it is for the rest of the country. Included in the report are statistics broken down by race and gender, and the report also notes those who are living in […]
John Legend calls for the end of racist non-unanimous jury convictions in Louisiana
Singer/songwriter/producer John Legend recently wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post calling for the removal of non-unanimous juries from the State of Louisiana’s Constitution. At present, Louisiana and Oregon are the only two states in America where a person can be sent to prison without the unanimous vote of a jury. Legend cites the constitutional […]