Commentary

May 10, 2024

New Laws Are Turning Police Into ‘Super Citizens’

By John Pfaff

A series of legislative and judicial efforts have removed police oversight from oversight boards and communities.

More in Archive

California Lets Defendants Challenge Racism In Court. Few Have Succeeded.

November 25, 2024 Investigations

A Garrison Project and CalMatters analysis of the Racial Justice Act found about a dozen successful cases in which judges took action on racial bias in the legal process.

By Sean Kevin Campbell

Baltimore Residents Held In Jail At Higher Rates Than Before Bail Reform

November 8, 2024 Investigations

A 2017 state bail reform effort led to a paradox: use of cash bail has plummeted, but most initial appearances end in a bail denial.

By Madeleine O'Neill

North Carolina Parole System Accused Of Blocking Release For People Who Committed Crimes As Children

September 25, 2024 Investigations

A lawsuit from a prisoner who been denied release more than 20 times claims that the state holds parole "perpetually out of realistic reach."

By Jacob Biba

Reports and Body-cam Video Raise Familiar Concerns About Baltimore Police Plainclothes Unit

September 20, 2024 Investigations

In May, a detective pointed his service weapon to the temple of a prone and restrained man.

By Brandon Soderberg

The COVID-19 Homicide Spike Has Vanished

August 28, 2024 Commentary

There's a story for politicians to tell of not just crime declines, but non-police interventions that made cities safer.

By John Pfaff

Claim of racial bias in Rowan County death penalty case cites U.S. Supreme Court decision

August 1, 2024 interviews

This story was produced in partnership with WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jacob Biba, a reporter based in Asheville,...

By Jacob Biba

Taking a hard look at Baltimore’s Gun Violence Reduction Strategy

July 26, 2024 Investigations

An analysis of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's key anti-violence strategy.

By Brandon Soderberg

Were Black jurors in North Carolina struck because of their race?

July 8, 2024 Investigations

The question looms over capital cases in the state.

By Jacob Biba

The Biggest Myth About the 1994 Crime Bill Still Haunts Joe Biden. It Shouldn’t.

June 22, 2024 Commentary

The law is routinely blamed for a very real problem it had nothing to do with.

By John Pfaff

Feds Closed a Prison Notorious for Abuse. Things Only Got Worse

June 8, 2024 Investigations

Dozens of women were assaulted at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, California, before it was shut down. Now, prisoners are facing “mass retaliation and bullying”

By Lisa Fernandez