The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/focus/)
This section features the best criminal justice reporting around the nation, produced by our media partners and collaborators, and journalists who have participated in the Criminal Justice Reporting Fellowship programs sponsored by the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, TCR’s parent organization. For a more comprehensive list of Fellows’ work, please check out the “programs” section—and monitor this site for information on upcoming programs and how to apply!
In rural New York, youth advocates and authorities have found a more age-appropriate way to house older justice-involved youths who are no longer subject to the adult justice system.
A recent report found that 43 percent of boys and 34 percent of girls in juvenile facilities are African American, although blacks make up just 14 percent of all youths under 18 in the U.S. In California, lawmakers and youth advocates are working to address the disparities with diversion programs, rehabilitative care and legislative policy changes.
Public defender caseloads for juveniles have started to shrink in some large Texas counties after a 2016 study recommended changes. But some lawyers are still dealing with an “outrageous amount” of cases, say legal experts.
While the majority of deaths in state prisons are the result of natural causes among an aging prison population, there have been significant rises in mortality rates due to suicides, homicides, accidents, drug and alcohol-related events, and untreated medical issues, a Guardian investigation found.
A state crackdown on driving without a license is making criminals out of tens of thousands of New Yorkers, and straining court systems—with no discernible benefit to public safety, say lawyers and researchers.
A San Antonio, Texas TV station finds some surprising answers when it asks residents how to stop a local wave of violence.
Arts programs operating in Harris County Juvenile Probation Department facilities since January are part of an innovative collaboration with Theater District Houston. For kids once told they were “worthless,” it has been life-changing.
An eight-county region in Western North Carolina saw 17.7 unintentional overdose deaths per 100,000 people between 2012 and 2016. The epicenter is the Qualla Boundary, historic home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, where residents have launched a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
Non-payment of traffic fines in many states can lead to license suspensions and a vicious spiral of debt for low-income families. A New York legislator has a better idea.
Justice for sexual assault survivors remains elusive in Kansas. But greater attention by police and courts to the needs of victims is having an impact.