Let’s End the ‘Death Rattle’ Rule

By Julie Stewart

The Federal Bureau of Prison’s “compassionate release” program is wasteful and cruel.

Teachers and Sex Abuse: Be Wary of the ‘Witch Hunt’

By Kevin Kearon

Society has little tolerance for any form of sexual abuse of children, especially in a school setting. All the more reason to remember that the only thing worse than the sexual abuse of an innocent child is a false accusation of the sexual abuse of an innocent child.

Why We Need National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

By Mai Fernandez

Everybody knows that the accused have rights under our legal system.  But what rights do crime victims have? And what if their rights are not enforced?

On the Docket: Juvenile Life Without Parole

By Matthew T. Mangino

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing cases on the issue of life without parole for juveniles. Commentator Matthew Mangino says that if recent trends are any indication, the court will restrict the use of life without parole for juveniles, but will not eliminate the practice.

The Role of Victims in Plea Bargaining

By Robin L. Barton

On Dec. 3, 2008, Laura Garza, a 25-year-old aspiring dancer, left a Manhattan night club with Michael Mele, a 26-year-old registered sex offender, and disappeared...

Accounting for Bad Prosecutors

By James Doyle

A legal expert examines growing national efforts to force prosecutors who bury proof of innocence to face criminal or professional disciplinary consequences.  

Getting Justice Reform Right

By JoAnne Page

In their State of the State speeches last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced sweeping criminal justice proposals that, if implemented, will save taxpayers millions of dollars and significantly reduce crime--but only if they are done right, says the president of New York City's The Fortune Society. 

U.S. v. Jones: Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age

By Lori Andrews

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this month in United States v. Jones provides little guidance about Fourth Amendment rights in today's digitized world, says a leading legal scholar. 

Federal Reliance on Private Prisons Soars, Saves Little: Report

Federal and many state correctional agencies have become increasingly reliant on private prisons during the past decade. A new report by The Sentencing Project questions if benefits outweigh the costs. 

Battling Corporate Crime

By Lisa Riordan Seville

After years of relative inaction, the government is stepping up prosecutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. 

Colombian Cartels 101

By Lisa Riordan Seville

What did the DEA learn from its battle with the Medellin and Cali cartels?

7 Percent of U.S. Households Hit By Identity Theft in 2010

A new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics finds about 8.6 million households experienced identity theft last year.

More than Half of Arrest-Related Deaths are Homicides by Law Enforcement: Report

A new report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics details the nature of arrest-related deaths around the country.

The Secret World of For-Profit Immigrant Detention

By Will Matthews

Today, according to some studies, nearly half of the tens of thousands of immigrants in detention every day are locked up in jails and detention systems operated by private prison companies. This explains the private prison industry's deep financial incentive to see the continued expansion of the system, even in the face of myriad abuses.

Should Coverage of Criminal Cases Focus on Defendant or Victim?

By Robin L. Barton

To describe the recent U.S. and international media coverage of the Amanda Knox case in Italy as intense would be an understatement. One of the key criticisms of this coverage was that it primarily focused on the defendants—or at least one of them—with the victim, Meredith Kercher, almost forgotten.