Seeking the death penalty makes false convictions more likely.
Law and Justice
Second Chance, My Ass
Ex-offenders need jobs to stay out of jail. But easy access to criminal records, a gift of the Internet age, means that employers won’t hire them.
When Freedom Isn’t Free
ALEC and the bail bond industry have a new plan to empty prisons—for a price.
Corporate Law’s Original Sin
The public be damned,” railroad magnate William Henry Vanderbilt snorted at a reporter in 1882. The impertinent scribe had asked whether Vanderbilt ran his railroads with an eye toward public benefit. At the time, Vanderbilt was among the most powerful men in American business—and by his own estimation the richest man in the world. His… Read more »
Let Us Now Praise Corporate Persons
Citizens United was a bad decision; but the cry of “Corporations are not people!” isn’t helping fix the problem—in fact, it’s making it worse.
Happy Birthday, Methadone!
Maintenance therapy proved its value half a century ago. We need it today to combat a rise in opioid use. But many courts and prisons cling to a Reagan-era “Just say no” mind-set.
Can We Please Put Some Bankers in Jail Now?
With Eric Holder leaving the Justice Department, Washington has a chance to get serious about prosecuting financial crimes. But what exactly has been the holdup?
Thrown Out of Court
How corporations became people you can’t sue.
Abolition and Backlash
Efforts to ban capital punishment are growing. But keep this in mind: the last time the Supreme Court tried to end the death penalty, we got more executions.
Driving While Black
“Stop and frisk” isn’t just a reality in New York City. New data shows how police target African Americans on highways across America.