Truthout
Prisons & Policing

How a History Teacher and Mumia Abu-Jamal Inspired a Political Coming of Age
Mumia showed me the web of oppression threaded through my life, ensnaring me, and how to begin to hack away at those threads.

Obama Isn’t Following Through on Pardons Promise, Says Former Pardons Attorney
The initiative to pardon thousands of federal prisoners barely made a dent, and a resignation letter tells why.

Woman Faces 60 Years in Prison for the Death of Her Abusive Ex
Black women are disproportionately imprisoned when they defend themselves against domestic abuse.

DOJ Resurrects Policing-for-Profit Program
A suspended policy that allowed local police to keep much of the assets they confiscate from fellow suspects was reinstated by the Department of Justice.

FBI Faces Criticism for Plan to Turn Muslim Community Leaders Into Snitches
The FBI will soon implement a new program to pressure teachers and religious leaders into serving as informants.

Rights Lab: Can I Film the Police?
Filming police is legal in all 50 states — so why are people still being arrested while doing it?

The GOP Response to Belgium? Torture and the “Patrolling and Securing” of Muslim Neighborhoods
Following the Belgium attacks, Republican presidential contenders spoke out in response.

Across Latin America, Governments Criminalize Social Movements to Silence Dissent
The story of criminalization reflects the lengths that the Guatemalan government will go to guarantee that leaders remain in prison.

Can the Fort Dix Five Channel the Power of the Camden 28?
Groups are working hard to make sure that those preemptively prosecuted are not scapegoated and receive real justice.

New Study Confirms Race Plays Role in Sentencing Nonviolent Offenders
The newest study on racial bias in the courtroom comes via South Carolina.