The Crime Report

Policing

Can Police Unions Be a Force for Reform?

By TCR Staff | 4 hours ago

Supporters of organized labor often make an exception for police unions, which are seen as obstructionist and reactionary. But that’s a short-sighted approach which underestimates their potential as agents of change―and lets politicians off the hook, argues a Columbia Law Review paper.

Crime

Phone Scammers Use ‘Mind-Control Tactics’ to Deceive Victims

By Andrea Cipriano | 4 hours ago

Telephone scammers duped Americans out of $29.8 billion last year. Contrary to popular perceptions, their most successful targets are not vulnerable seniors but professionals aged 18-44.

Courts

As COVID Court Backlog Grows, Older Cases Get Dismissed

By TCR Staff | 4 hours ago

The pandemic forced large parts of the criminal justice system to slow to a crawl, while a mounting backlog has forced some district attorneys to focus on the most violent offenders — and delay or dismiss other cases.

Sentencing

U.S. House Bill Ends Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparities

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The bill now moves to the Senate for approval, where criminal justice advocates believe it will pass.

Domestic Terrorism

Capitol Police Chief Warns of Rising Threats and Lone Wolves

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The extreme measures implemented in preparation of the rally supporting those jailed for their part in the January 6 riot may become the new normal.

Courts

131 Fed Judges Tagged with Ethics Violations

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The judges violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing court cases involving companies in which they or their family owned stock, failing to disqualify themselves from 685 court cases around the nation since 2010, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Justice and Health

Federal Judge Throws Out First U.S. Genital Mutilation Case

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The judge declared the federal ban on female genital mutilation unconstitutional.

Drugs

Cherokee Nation Agrees to $75 Million Opioid Settlement

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The payout is the largest settlement in Cherokee Nation history.

Cybercrime

U.S. Deports Russian Hacker a Year Ahead of Sentenced Release

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

The hacker is viewed as a major Russian asset possessing detailed knowledge of the Russian cybercriminal world.

Police Misconduct

ACLU Calls for Federal Investigation of Louisiana Sheriff's Office

By TCR Staff | 6 hours ago

The ACLU called for prosecutors to review three lawsuits it has filed against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office as further evidence of misconduct.

Policy & Politics

Illinois Lawmakers Weigh Voting Rights for People Behind Bars

The proposed amendment to the current law hinges on a section that says a person’s voting rights shall be restored “not later than” completion of their sentence.

Drugs

L.A. County DA Dismisses 60,000 Past Marijuana Convictions

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office is moving to dismiss roughly 60,000 marijuana convictions, the latest step to undo what some reform advocates consider the damage caused by narcotics enforcement carried out before Californians voted to legalize marijuana.

Cybercrime

Lack of Cyber Security Workers Leaves State Governments Vulnerable

States and cities can’t compete with the private sector in hiring cybersecurity workers, making them vulnerable to attack.

Justice and Health

Wisconsin Teen’s COVID Post Protected by First Amendment: Judge

Comparing the case to free speech battles involving Vietnam war protesters, Milwaukee judge Brett Ludwig ruled that a sheriff violated free speech protections when he asked a teen to remove an Instagram post about Covid-19 that “upset” local parents.

Immigration

Biden Administration Maneuvers to Protect Dreamers

In an effort to “preserve and fortify” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program first launched in 2012, the Biden administration has proposed a rule that would move an estimated 700,000 immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children to the back of the line to be deported.

Research & Analysis

Organized Crime

COVID Spurs ‘Scourge’ of Organized Crime: Report

The majority of people worldwide live in countries with high levels of organized crime, a crisis made worse by COVID-19, according to an index released Tuesday by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
women and justice

Women ‘Lifers’ and the Gender Trap

The number of women serving life terms in prison has risen by 43 percent since 2008. Many of them might have received different sentencing outcomes if courts took account of the role played by trauma and abuse in their crimes, says the Sentencing Project.
Science & Technology

Electronic Monitoring ‘Sets People Up to Fail’: Study

A two-year study by the George Washington University Law School concludes that the use of ankle bracelets and other forms of electronic monitoring “undermines the ability of people to survive and thrive.”
Juvenile Justice

Will New Education Funding End School-to-Prison Pipeline?

The promise of $122 billion in federal stimulus funds for education reform comes at a critical moment, when the pandemic has aggravated the already “enormous challenges” faced by at-risk youth, says a Sentencing Project report.
Crime Statistics

Homicides Increased at Slower Rate in 2021: PERF

According to a survey of 157 police agencies by the Police Executive Research Forum, the total number of homicides increased by 12 percent in the first seven months of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. That represented more than half the increase recorded in a similar period between 2020 and 2019. Carjackings also increased and robberies continued to decline.
women and justice

Shackling Pregnant Prisoners Should Be Against Federal Law: Paper

Two scholars argue that restraining incarcerated pregnant women poses health and development risks to both mothers and babies.

WORTH A READ

Race and Equity

DOJ Calls for New Research on Racial Disparities in the Justice System
By Amy L. Solomon | September 28, 2021
After a three-year hiatus, the feds are reviving W.E.B. Du Bois grants to fund research into the disproportional impact of the justice system on Black Americans. “Until we gain a firmer grasp on what lies behind these stubborn and pernicious disparities, we are doomed to see them repeated,” writes Amy L. Solomon, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs.
Viewpoints

Minnesota’s ‘Shadow Prison’ for Sex Offenders
By Derek W. Logue | September 28, 2021
Courts have upheld using civil commitment to keep convicted sex offenders detained long beyond the end of their court-issued sentences. But a burgeoning movement in Minnesota, which has the nation’s highest per capita rate of civil commitment, is challenging that.
Justice and Health

Resignations, Refusals Mount as Cops Resist Vaccine Mandates
By TCR Staff | September 28, 2021
Nearly 20 percent of Massachusetts State Police employees remain unvaccinated and now face termination as dozens of their fellow officers resign. It's the latest indication of widespread defiance, as COVID becomes the leading cause of death among U.S. police.
women and justice

Confronting Femicide in America
By TCR Staff | September 27, 2021
Widespread gendered violence in the U.S. has been hiding in plain sight for years. Anecdotal evidence suggests the problem has gotten worse during the lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 epidemic.

Featured

Bill Moyers on Justice

By TCR Staff | December 1, 2017

Moyers was honored as TCR’s 2018 “Justice Media Trailblazer.” Watch the video of his remarks at the Feb 15, 2018 John Jay College dinner here.

The Crime Report - Your Complete Criminal Justice Resource

Sentencing

U.S. House Bill Ends Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparities

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Domestic Terrorism

Capitol Police Chief Warns of Rising Threats and Lone Wolves

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Courts

131 Fed Judges Tagged with Ethics Violations

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Justice and Health

Federal Judge Throws Out First U.S. Genital Mutilation Case

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Drugs

Cherokee Nation Agrees to $75 Million Opioid Settlement

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Cybercrime

U.S. Deports Russian Hacker a Year Ahead of Sentenced Release

By TCR Staff | 5 hours ago

Police Misconduct

ACLU Calls for Federal Investigation of Louisiana Sheriff's Office

By TCR Staff | 6 hours ago

Policy & Politics

Illinois Lawmakers Weigh Voting Rights for People Behind Bars

Drugs

L.A. County DA Dismisses 60,000 Past Marijuana Convictions

Cybercrime

Lack of Cyber Security Workers Leaves State Governments Vulnerable

Justice and Health

Wisconsin Teen’s COVID Post Protected by First Amendment: Judge

Immigration

Biden Administration Maneuvers to Protect Dreamers

Record One-Year Homicide Increase in 2020 Linked to COVID

Southwest Georgia ICE Detention Center Records 1,006 COVID Cases

R. Kelly Faces More Court Dates After NY Racketeering Conviction

Miami Police Chief Battles with City Over ‘Cuban Mafia’ Charge