AltWeeklies Wire
Parolees Looking for a Second Chance are Finding it More Difficult Than Evernew
With recidivism rates in the state hovering around 67 percent and the attendant costs of continuing to house prisoners, their success or failure at finding jobs, at re-entering society, becomes more than just a concern for bleeding hearts.
Las Vegas Weekly |
T.R. Witcher |
09-10-2009 |
Crime & Justice
The Hunt for Haleigh Cummings Could Bring Down a Badass Bounty Hunternew
Cobra's work on the case of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings has landed the bounty hunter in a world of trouble. He found himself on the wrong side of a pair of handcuffs and is now facing a felony charge himself.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Lisa Rab |
09-08-2009 |
Crime & Justice
As Virginia Jail Inmates Prepare for Release, Challenges Aboundnew
Of the roughly 4,800 men who are inmates each year at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, 72 go through the eight-week Re-entry program. Who gets tapped is mainly a matter of scheduling, but once on the list, they're given a choice: Take the eight-week course, or lose as much as six months time off they've earned for good behavior.
C-Ville Weekly |
Erika Howsare |
09-02-2009 |
Crime & Justice
He Escaped His Blazing Home Using Scuba Gear; Now He’s Charged with Arsonnew
Shortly before Phoenix Fire Department investigators arrested Michael Marin for allegedly torching his plush Biltmore Estates mansion, he spoke about the fire he says almost stole his life.
Phoenix New Times |
Paul Rubin |
09-01-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Colorado's Budget Shortfall Forces Prison and Parole Reformsnew
The state's $318 million budget shortfall may succeed in accomplishing something that activists have been working to achieve for a decade -- reform in the state's criminal justice system.
Boulder Weekly |
Pamela White |
08-31-2009 |
Crime & Justice
A Nashville Hijacking 38 Years Ago Set the Standard on How Not to Handle Hostage Negotiationsnew
The hijacking of 58 November forced police agencies across the country to train for nearly every scenario. It gave rise to organizations like the National Tactical Officers Association. The deaths of Brent Downs and Susan Giffe also caused the death of ad hoc approaches to crisis management. From October 1971 on, there would be an accounting.
Nashville Scene |
Brantley Hargrove |
08-28-2009 |
Crime & Justice
She Survived a Rape and Stabbing 10 Years Ago, and So Did Her Casenew
Recounting the story to The Pitch is like putting a period at the end of a decade of victimhood. Maybe talking about it will help other victims, she says, let them know "they can still live -- well." And maybe, she says, there's still a chance to catch the fucker who did it.
The Pitch |
Nadia Pflaum |
08-25-2009 |
Crime & Justice
In California, Advocates Push for Reform of Parole Process to Ease Prison Strainnew
California's Board of Parole Hearings grants parole to less than one percent of eligible lifers. Now, as the state's prison system is packed to 200 percent capacity, some are arguing for reform to the parole system that's keeping lifers doing life.
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Curtis Cartier |
08-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Happy New Year, Peggy Rebernew
I was a few days shy of 11 when in February 1970 a jury in my hometown of Lebanon, Pa., acquitted 27-year-old Art Root of the torture slaying of teenager Margaret Lynn "Peggy" Reber. Not long after that, Root moved away and the case has since been on ice. But no one, including me, ever forgot that time.
Pasadena Weekly |
Kevin Uhrich |
08-19-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Peggy Reber: Cold Casenew
A grand jury looks for a killer but only finds more villains in the 1968 Peggy Reber murder.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Kevin Uhrich and Martha Shaak |
08-19-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Tags: Peggy Reber, cold cases
A Small Town Revisits the Grisly Torture and Slaying Case of a Teenage Girlnew
Cliff Roland, who was chief of detectives with the Lebanon Police Department in 1968, believes Morris Purcell may have been involved in the Peggy Reber slaying. But if he was involved, Roland says, he wasn't the only one.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Martha Shaak and Kevin Uhrich |
08-19-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Two Men Convicted of Murder in Connecticut Fight for a New Trialnew
There was no murder weapon found and no physical evidence to link Ron Taylor and George Gould to the murder. There was only circumstantial evidence and witness testimony. The two witnesses who put them away recanted their stories last week.
New Haven Advocate |
Betsy Yagla |
08-18-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Washington State's Prison System Starts Shrinkagenew
The main factors driving the projected drop in inmates are bills that will put offenders in home detention and drug-treatment programs rather than prison, and offer them housing vouchers as part of an approved release plan that will allow them to leave prison before their maximum sentence is served.
Seattle Weekly |
Nina Shapiro |
08-17-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Bye-Bye, Bill Brattonnew
Media coverage has been filled with praise for Bratton, but some are questioning how he could so readily accept a job right after Michael Cherkasky played a key role in helping to hand Bratton a historic career and political victory -- the lifting of the consent decree.
L.A. Weekly |
Jill Stewart |
08-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Is the Hutto Decision Really a Victory for Immigration-Rights Advocates?new
The government announced earlier this month that no more undocumented-immigrant families (especially families with small children) will be imprisoned at the for-profit T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas. How big -- or small -- a victory this is for immigration-reform advocates is still a matter of debate.
San Antonio Current |
Enrique Lopetegui |
08-12-2009 |
Crime & Justice
