Criminal Justice Archives - Page 106 of 121

Book donation programs were curtailed in late August when a rash of illnesses among prison staff — thought to be related to synthetic drug exposure--prompted DOC officials to lock down the entire prison system. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

Inmates’ rights groups are trying to turn their opposition to recent state prison policies into a campaign is ...

7 years ago

People gather for 18-year-old Bianca Roberson's viewing and funeral at St. Paul's Baptist Church in West Chester, Pa., Friday, July 7, 2017. A man driving down a Pennsylvania highway shot the recent high school graduate in the head, killing her, as the two tried to merge into a single lane, authorities said. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

Pennyslvania bill inspired by ‘road rage’ killing would ban loaded guns in cars

A deadly 2017 “road rage” incident has given birth to a bill that could reduce the number of gun-toting drivers in Pennsylvania. ...

7 years ago

Courts & Law

First trial nears in Vaughn prison riot, officer’s death

Trial nears for first four inmates of 16 charged with first-degree murder in the 2017 prison riot that led to the death of a correctional officer.

7 years ago

Democrat auditor-elect Kathy McGuiness has been appointed deputy state auditor until her official swearing-in on Jan. 1. She will replace her election opponent James Spadola, who was put into that post by current auditor Tom Wagner three weeks before voters decided to award the office to McGuiness. (Courtesy of James Spadola, Cris Barrish/WHYY)

Politics & Policy

What do an ex-cop and a pharmacist have in common? Both want to be Delaware auditor

The position of auditor of accounts is not exactly a glamorous position in Delaware’s government. But being the fiscal watchdog ...

7 years ago

Listen 2:10

Bill Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018, in Eagleville, Pa., following his sentencing to three-to-10-year prison sentence for sexual assault. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)

Courts & Law

Cosby lawyers ask court to void conviction, prison sentence

Bill Cosby's lawyers have asked a Pa. court to overturn the actor's conviction and three- to 10-year prison sentence because of what they call a string of errors in his case.

7 years ago

U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss details the indictment against six men accused of stalking and kidnapping. (Mark Eichmann/WHYY)

Courts & Law

Six indicted in violent Delaware gang dispute

Last June, a 6-year-old was caught in the crossfire of a shootout in Wilmington’s East Side. ...

7 years ago

Steve Austin, a facilitator of Philadelphia's participatory defense program, talks about tapping the resources of the community that knows defendants. (Bastiaan Slabbers for Keystone Crossroads)

Keystone Crossroads

Courts & Law

In Philadelphia, a community-based program teaches defendants how to help themselves

It was an early autumn afternoon in 1975 — a moment that Steve Austin wishes he could take back. ...

7 years ago

Listen 5:01

Keystone Crossroads

Courts & Law

Interactive map: a county-by-county look at spending on public defense in Pennsylvania

How much does your county spend on public defense? In Penns ...

7 years ago

The first floor of the Municipal Services Building is wrapped with the portraits of 17 formerly incarcerated young men and women as part of the Mural Arts

Arts & Entertainment

Faces of formerly incarcerated adorn downtown Philly building

The Municipal Services Building in downtown Philadelphia hosts a temporary mural and programming about citizens returning from prison.

7 years ago

The Blair County Courthouse sits on Allegheny Street in Hollidaysburg, PA. Private funding for the District Attorney Office and local law enforcement has put immense pressure on the county's public defenders. (Min Xian/Keystone Crossroads)

Keystone Crossroads

Courts & Law

With private money fueling fight against drug crime in Blair County, public defenders feel squeezed

The opioid crisis has brought with it an onslaught of drug cases that are adding to the burdens of public defenders.

7 years ago

The state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

Keystone Crossroads

Politics & Policy

Supporters of sentencing reform say next year, they may see success

A bill that would end Pennsylvania's frequent use of mandatory life-without-parole sentences has hit a wall in the state Senate.

7 years ago

Keystone Crossroads

Courts & Law

Decades after landmark lawsuit, caseload concerns continue in Allegheny County’s public defender office

On a humid summer day, Shawnray Byrd works a new job renovating a home just outside Pittsburgh. During a break, he says he’s grateful t ...

7 years ago

Listen 7:08

State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Keystone Crossroads

Courts & Law

Despite outlier status, Pa. lawmakers don’t make public defense a priority

If you hunt hard enough around Harrisburg, it is possible to find lawmakers who are on board with allocat ...

7 years ago

Listen 6:57

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month.
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Courts & Law

The process is a lie — and that’s the truth

The confirmation process has become a ridiculous pantomime, where nominees proclaim their generic 'philosophy' without telling you what they think about specifics.

7 years ago