Prison
“Everyone Will Die in Prison”: How Louisiana’s Plan to Lock People Up Longer Imperils Its Sickest Inmates
Janice Parker has witnessed the failing medical care at Angola, the state’s largest prison, on her frequent visits to see her paralyzed son. Laws passed at the behest of Gov. Jeff Landry threaten to further strain that system.
Local Reporting Network
Why is Michigan Failing to Compensate the Wrongly Convicted?
The state can provide $50,000 for each year of incarceration, but the law’s narrow criteria and confusion over eligibility leave former prisoners facing another system that seems stacked against them.
He Fled a Traffic Stop in Louisiana. Now He’s in Prison for Life.
After 12 years behind bars, Markus Lanieux thought he had a deal for his release. Then Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a legal challenge that could derail hope for those imprisoned under the state's "three strikes" sentencing rules.
Local Reporting Network
Roadside Drug Tests Used to Convict People Aren’t Particularly Accurate. Courts Are Beginning to Prevent Their Use.
Field test kits provide the evidence most commonly used to secure convictions in drug cases in the U.S. One judge called the tests “arbitrary and unlawful guesswork.”
Impact of Our Reporting
Michigan Lawmakers Working to Fix a Program That Failed to Compensate the Wrongfully Convicted
State law provides $50,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment, but a ProPublica investigation showed how the law’s narrow requirements led to delays, partial settlements and outright denials of payments.
Colorado Lawmakers Mandate Audit of Halfway Houses Following ProPublica Investigation
The facilities often lack adequate employment training and effective drug treatment while residents are burdened with debt. A lack of transparency, limiting lawmakers’ ability to gauge their effectiveness, has been a barrier to reform.
Michigan Proposes Juvenile Justice Reforms
The story of Grace, the Michigan teen detained for not doing her online schoolwork during the pandemic, has prompted a series of juvenile justice reforms.
