AltWeeklies Wire
One Man's Painful Journey Through South Texas' Addiction to Asset Forfeiturenew
In October 2005, Javier Gonzalez struck out from Austin toward Brownsville, carrying $10,000 in cash to pay for his dying aunt's funeral. He never made it. Gonzalez was stopped in Jim Wells County for a minor traffic violation, and the county anti-drug task force confiscated his cash.
The Texas Observer |
Jan Reid |
05-21-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Pasadena Schools Face Alarming Growth in Violent Racial and Girl-on-Girl Incidentsnew
The expulsion of four elementary school students for bringing knives onto campus and a rise in violence involving female African-American students have left city and school officials scrambling for solutions.
Pasadena Weekly |
Andre Coleman |
05-20-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Racial Disparities Prevail in Wisconsin's Justice Systemnew
New studies from The Sentencing Project, Human Rights Watch, and a governor's commission show the state's justice system treats black and white drug offenders differently.
Shepherd Express |
Lisa Kaiser |
05-16-2008 |
Crime & Justice
What's Mass. Doing to Keep Former Prisoners from Returning to Jail?new
A 2002 study by the Massachusetts Sentencing Committee found recidivism rates had reached 49.1 percent. The Commission to End Homelessness estimated 16 percent of the 25,500 people released each year become homeless. Former prisoners must also navigate Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), the state's rap sheet on anyone ensnared in the criminal justice system.
Dig Boston |
Cara Bayles |
05-15-2008 |
Crime & Justice
A Teenage Prostitute, An Inept Pimp, and Two Versions of What Happenednew
The internet limits the risk of marketing sex with underage girls, whose youth can be more easily disguised on a website than on the street. But ignorance of a girl's age doesn't equal innocence. In Levar Simms' case, the charge of transporting a minor for the purposes of prostitution hinged on strict liability. He could be found guilty regardless of whether he knew Lynette was 16.
Washington City Paper |
Angela Valdez |
05-15-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The How and Why of Prison Overcrowdingnew
The US prison population grew eight-fold since 1970; more than 2.3 million people are incarcerated nationally, and overcrowding is pandemic in Massachusetts prisons. Two years ago, Massachusetts Department of Corrections facilities were at 134 percent capacity. Now they've reached 143 percent.
Dig Boston |
Cara Bayles |
05-15-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The Shooting of Estefanonew
One of Miami's best-known songwriters was nearly killed in a possible contract hit.
Miami New Times |
Tamara Lush |
05-12-2008 |
Crime & Justice
A Career Con Man Brings His Talents to Cleveland's Art Worldnew
Isaac Coleman Jr. had been committing fraud for two decades before he moved to Bratenahl and reinvented himself.
Cleveland Scene |
Lisa Rab |
05-09-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Putting a Face on Texas' Death Row Populationnew
Shooting through the glass of interview cubicles, photographer and investigator John Holbrook has made eloquent portraits of some of the men -- and one of the women on Texas' Death Row.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Gayle Reaves and John Holbrook |
05-08-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Paul Rogers' Fight Against Idaho Law, and How it Almost Workednew
He never really planned to get so caught up with meth that it would bring his life to a sudden halt -- he also never planned to change Idaho law. But with a ruling from the Idaho Supreme Court last fall, this unlikely source forced a change in the way drug courts around Idaho are run, adding some much-needed clarity.
Boise Weekly |
Deanna Darr |
05-07-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Richard Entriken's Last Step to Redemptionnew
The drug counselor swam a little too easily in a sea of sharks.
New Times Broward-Palm Beach |
Amy Guthrie |
05-06-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Student's 911 Call Falls on Deaf Earsnew
Madison police believe Brittany Zimmermann called 911 before she was stabbed and beaten to death inside her Doty Street apartment, but the 911 Center failed to send help after erroneously concluding the call was a mistake.
Isthmus |
Jason Shepard |
05-06-2008 |
Crime & Justice
The War on La Familianew
Familia Loca wanted revenge on a rival Kansas City gang. Instead, they spilled the blood of a 2-year-old girl.
The Pitch |
Carolyn Szczepanski |
05-06-2008 |
Crime & Justice
Portland to Get Pilot Mental Health Courtnew
Three qualified mental health professionals will work with a dedicated judge, with a goal of hooking mentally ill people up with medication and counseling instead of prosecuting them for low-level crimes.
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
05-01-2008 |
Crime & Justice
A Former Death-House Chaplain Talks About Capital Punishmentnew
From 1982-95, Reverend Carroll Pickett presided over the executions of 95 inmates. After his retirement, Pickett became an anti-death-penalty advocate and began working with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. At the Death House Door, the documentary following his emotional career, premiered at the SXSW film festival in March.
San Antonio Current |
Kiko Martinez |
04-30-2008 |
Crime & Justice
