Truthout
Prisons & Policing

In Brutal Summer Heat, Prisoners Say Their Cells Are Like “Stifling Hot Coffins”
Days of extreme heat without access to enough water and cooled air become deadlier for an aging prison population.

Chicago Is Building a Police Torture Memorial, But Police Violence Continues
Survivors hope the memorial will ensure the Chicago Police Department's crimes will never be justified nor forgotten.

Stop Cop City Week of Action Showed Movement’s Strength Amid Rampant Repression
Police sought to repress and intimidate protesters during the week of action, but the movement only emerged stronger.

The State Is Increasingly Weaponized Against the Most Marginalized
DOJ investigations into white supremacists fell dramatically as those targeting “abortion-related” activism grew.

As Movements Like Stop Cop City Gain Power, Police Treat Free Speech as a Crime
This playbook has been used and reused, depending on the political winds of the time.

Atlanta’s Attack on Cop City Protesters Should Be a Warning to Us All
The fight against the militarized police training center dubbed “Cop City” is one of the great struggles of our time.

Private Equity Influence Is at the Heart of Cop City, Report Reveals
“Private equity is fully part of and fully profiting from the prison-industrial complex,” says coauthor of the report.

Criminalized Survivors Face Judgement and Abuse From Their Own Defense Attorneys
Criminalized survivors routinely encounter defense lawyers who are dismissive at best and abusive at worst.

For Many Black People Behind Bars, Juneteenth Comes With Joy and Grief
The day serves as a reminder that while chattel slavery was abolished, a new form continues in the U.S. prison system.

Prison Has Robbed Me of Father’s Day 25 Times. All I Want Is to Be With My Sons.
For me, Father's Day is an unbearable reminder of everything that prison has stolen from my family.