The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/tcr-special-report/)
Stories by The Crime Report staff and nationwide network of contributors.
The pandemic shut down prison visiting rooms across the country, robbing inmates of the few hours of “PG-13 intimacy” that kept family relationships alive, and forcing many of them to communicate with video calls. Some families fear that it may become the new normal.
Police officers have a responsibility to report what happens when interactions with civilians involve the use of deadly force. However, what they document and what they leave out, accidentally or purposely, is often ignored as a contributing factor to the loss of trust with communities.
A collection of 13 essays published by the Brennan Center at NYU School of Law probes the relationship between guns and race, policing, domestic violence, and democracy. Three of the authors spoke recently with The Crime Report about their conclusions.
Facing a monumental case backlog, attorneys say virtual proceedings might ease the accumulation of civil cases. But the convenient and cost-saving appeal of remote appearances can’t replicate key aspects of the courtroom, others say.
Can U.S. prisons be more than violent warehouses? A pilot program launched in 2019 in Miami proves it’s possible, writes a resident who says being treated “humanely” has given him the confidence and skills he needs to rejoin civilian society.
Less than a decade ago, selling pot was a risky business, largely under the control of criminal cartels. Today it’s a multibillion-dollar industry. Part of the reason: the new marketplace created by the pandemic.
There’s a new and impatient tone to the debate over the future of American policing. The Crime Report interviewed academics, police chiefs and activists and found some encouraging signs of agreement, but also deep uncertainty about whether current law enforcement structures can meet the challenges of a deeply polarized society.
On Jan. 21, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order mandating masks on all forms of transit. But there’s little muscle behind the change, putting transit employees who report violators at physical risk. Other countries are faring no better, as reports of violence against transit workers increase.
Commentators argue that African Americans in law enforcement can play a primary role in tackling the historic legacy of police racism. But first they have to get in the door. In interviews with The Crime Report, senior Black officers say police recruitment practices are riddled with both overt and implicit bias.
Interviews with former and current Black police officers provide a sobering look at the frustrations of working in a law enforcement culture that leaves them disempowered. This is Part 1 of a series exploring the systemic racism which continues to distort American policing.