AltWeeklies Wire
Video Shows Philly Guard Beat Prisoner, but Prisoner is Chargednew

Prisoner John Steckley looks like he might have been mouthing off as he walked out of the visitors' room at Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, but he appeared to be posing no physical threat to the guard standing at the door. Even so, the corrections officer coldcocked Steckley in the face and then, along with another guard, proceeded to beat him.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Daniel Denvir |
10-30-2014 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: prison abuse
The Cash Machinenew

How the Philly D.A. seizes millions in alleged crime money — whether there's been a crime or not.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
11-30-2012 |
Crime & Justice
Run-on Sentencenew

An unforgiving and broken system is forcing sex offenders further to the fringes of society—and that’s dangerous for all of us.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Samantha Melamed |
08-24-2012 |
Crime & Justice
Unmade Mannew

The South Philly mob has faded away, but it still casts a long shadow — just ask George Martorano.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Daniel Denvir |
10-27-2011 |
Crime & Justice
A Student Blamed for Violence at South Philadelphia High School Shares His Storynew
On Thursday, Dec. 3, more than 20 Asian students were attacked on their way home from South Philadelphia High School by a mob of as many as 100 of their peers, most of them African-American.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
03-23-2010 |
Crime & Justice
Afterburn: Coatesville Struggles to Emerge From the Ashesnew

For most people, seeing the house in which they'd lived for the past 28 years burned to the ground would be an unimaginable nightmare. For Karen Engle, it was a blessing in disguise. By the time arson reduced her home to rubble, her neighborhood had become a hotbed of violence.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Rebecca VanderMeulen |
01-19-2010 |
Crime & Justice
Developing a Mathematical Model for Predicting Murders in Philadelphianew
John Toczek is rolling out a project he's calling the Analytics X Prize. It's a contest to develop a mathematical model for predicting murders in Philadelphia, something the Police Department could use to best deploy its resources.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Brian Howard |
01-05-2010 |
Crime & Justice
Little Kid, Life Sentencenew

Pennsylvania has more juvenile lifers than any other state in the union. This year the U.S. Supreme Court will make decisions that could completely change the existence of people such as Stacey Torrance, who has been in jail since he was 14.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Matt Stroud |
08-04-2009 |
Crime & Justice
An Eye for a McFlurry: One Terrible Reason to Lose a Body Partnew
Brandon Henderson lost his left eyeball over a McFlurry. On the evening of Feb. 15, authorities say, Khalif Lewis, an 18-year-old cashier at a West Philadelphia McDonald's, attacked the 35-year-old Henderson as he attempted to leave the restaurant after an argument over whether he could substitute a dessert item for french fries.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Mike Newall |
07-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Do Pay Phones Do More Harm Than Good?new
As fewer and fewer people use pay phones, some city governments and neighborhood groups increasingly see them as invitations to crime. Still, removing pay phones from city property is one thing; getting rid of those on private property is another.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
08-12-2008 |
Crime & Justice
It's Been a Year Since Steven 'Butter' Miller Was Killed. Does Anyone Remember?new
When Butter was shot dead by police -- shot at 85 times, hit about 20 -- he was high, standing on a corner and waving a loaded gun. He hadn't pointed it at anyone, or if he had, it had been completely accidental, coincidental, because Butter was blank-eyed, detached from the world.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako and Doron Taussig |
07-29-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Locked Down: What It's Really Like Inside Philly's Overcrowded Prisonsnew

The city's prisons woefully overpopulated and have been for several decades. Efforts to fix this problem have come up against the seemingly immutable fact that, on an average day, 108 people enter the six-prison system while only 105 leave it.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako |
06-24-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Let's Redefine Gun Controlnew
One answer is to redefine gun control so that it's not something we inflict on good, law-abiding people, but rather, part of the package of punishments that we impose on those who have shown criminal and antisocial behavior.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Michael Washburn |
04-29-2008 |
Crime & Justice
'Big Vince' is Running His Mouthnew
Filipelli talks a big game, but insiders say it's all hot air.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Brendan McGarvey and Gabriele J. Valentine |
04-01-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice
Philly's Prison Problemnew
Why didn't Mayor Nutter mention prison costs in his first budget address?
Philadelphia City Paper |
Tom Namako |
02-26-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: crime & justice