Since We Last Spoke: Fewer 'Get Out of Jail Free' Cards to Go Around
Updates to stories from the Pacific Standard archive.
Jail
The Number of Mentally Ill Inmates in California Jails Is Rising
A new policy brief uses psychotropic medications as a proxy for mental illness, and finds that, despite criminal justice reforms in the state, the population of mentally ill inmates in jails is growing.
Over a Quarter of Americans Believe Their Local Justice System Is Unfair
A new poll from the MacArthur Foundation finds most Americans' sentiments about the justice system are at odds with the Trump administration's punitive policies.
Alaska Ends Cash Bail System
In Alaska, a point-based system will replace cash for determining who the state will release on bail.
America's Giant Rural Jail Problem
A new report finds that rural jails buck the trend of declining inmate populations.
'The Great Equalizer': Navigating Pre-Trial Detention
A new consultancy firm offers advice for first-time detainees, from someone who’s been there.
A Day in the Life of a Prisoner
Movies and television don't do an adequate job capturing the day-to-day loneliness and the feelings of exclusion and shame.
Will Parole Get a Second Chance in Virginia?
Twenty years after abolishing parole, one state is examining the impact (and the politics).
Solitary Confinement and the Teenage Brain
More than 20 years ago, the international community agreed that teenagers should only be jailed as a last resort—and never placed in solitary confinement.
When Addicts Get Out of Jail
New research suggests that maintaining methadone treatment in jails and prisons would save lives.
Partisan Politics Could Mean Jail Time for Innocent People
Research shows that Republican-leaning states are less likely to pass laws to protect against wrongful convictions.
Shackling Juveniles in the Courtroom
Pediatricians and psychologists say unnecessary restraints can traumatize kids and encourage worse behavior.
Protecting Juvenile Offenders From Adult Inmates, and From Themselves
The only federal law that regulates detention conditions for juveniles is due for an upgrade.
Excessive Force in Custody and the Rights of the Untried
While Baltimore erupts, the Supreme Court considers a timely case.
The Children of the Prison Boom
Some argue that taking parents who have committed a crime out of the family might be good for children, but the data is in. It’s not.
Sealing Criminal Records for the Possibility of Redemption
Cory Booker and Rand Paul’s REDEEM Act.
Are We Approaching the End of Solitary Confinement?
As a new class-action lawsuit out of California’s infamous Pelican Bay State Prison that may definitively determine the future of solitary in that state moves forward, more people are taking the position that the practice amounts to inhumane punishment.
To Catch an Arsonist: New Advances in the Art of Fire Science
Gradual advancements in the art and science of fire investigation continue.
Sentenced to Wait: Efforts to End Prison Rape Stall Again
The Prison Rape Elimination Act was passed in Washington 2003. It still hasn’t been fully implemented.
3 Problems With Obama's New Clemency Initiative
Prisoners’ advocates call the reforms a step forward, but they don’t address discrimination in presidential pardons or apply to everyone serving harsh sentences from outdated guidelines.
Guards May Be Responsible for Half of Prison Sexual Assaults
A Department of Justice study also shows the number of reports of sexual assaults is rising, but rarely results in prosecution.
Bias in the Court: Forensic Psychologists and the Teams They Represent
How biased are forensic psychologists by the legal team that picks them? More than they think.