Baltimore’s homicide clearance rate is rising, but arrests for murder remain flat
Murders have declined and the mayor calls the city a model for violence reduction. But arrests for murder have largely remained the same.
Category Investigations
YNW Melly's Trials Highlight Florida's Unconstitutional Death Penalty Law
If convicted in a double homicide, Melly could be sentenced to death by a non-unanimous jury — a practice with deep roots in Jim Crow.
Bail Is A Longstanding Problem in Baltimore. Is Maryland Searching For A Solution?
Maryland's pre-trial population has increased since bail reform was enacted in 2017. But Illinois has a reform model that might work for the state.
California Lets Defendants Challenge Racism In Court. Few Have Succeeded.
A Garrison Project and CalMatters analysis of the Racial Justice Act found about a dozen successful cases in which judges took action on racial bias in the legal process.
Baltimore Residents Held In Jail At Higher Rates Than Before Bail Reform
A 2017 state bail reform effort led to a paradox: use of cash bail has plummeted, but most initial appearances end in a bail denial.
North Carolina Parole System Accused Of Blocking Release For People Who Committed Crimes As Children
A lawsuit from a prisoner who been denied release more than 20 times claims that the state holds parole "perpetually out of realistic reach."
Reports and Body-cam Video Raise Familiar Concerns About Baltimore Police Plainclothes Unit
In May, a detective pointed his service weapon to the temple of a prone and restrained man.
Taking a hard look at Baltimore's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy
An analysis of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's key anti-violence strategy.
Were Black jurors in North Carolina struck because of their race?
The question looms over capital cases in the state.
Feds Closed a Prison Notorious for Abuse. Things Only Got Worse
Dozens of women were assaulted at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, California, before it was shut down. Now, prisoners are facing “mass retaliation and bullying”
Terrence Carter spent three years in jail and on house arrest in a case in which police and prosecutors relied on the surveillance plane.
Baltimore Police Unit Under Fire for Deadly Shootings, Questionable Stops
District Action Team officers fatally shot someone again on Tuesday. But concerns about the unit have been rising for months.
Does The Allegheny County DA's Criminal Justice Strategy Unfairly Punish Black people?
An analysis of the county's criminal court cases shows that Black people have been prosecuted by the DA’s office at 5.8 times the rate of white people, and charged with felonies more frequently.
"We establish our own probable cause," a District Action Team officer said in a piece of video footage captured after a 2022 arrest.
What If The Worst Crime Imaginable Never Happened
Jimmie Duncan is on death row in Louisiana based on fraudulent science—but that might not matter if the state’s governorship flips this fall.
The Biggest Threat to Trans Kids in Texas is Child Protective Services
Texas Is targeting trans kids. But weaponizing Child Protective Services against them could be a threat everywhere.
Human Trafficking Sting Nets No Human Trafficking Charges
A Florida sheriff boasted of 125 arrests as part of a massive anti-human trafficking operation. But none of the charges were for human trafficking—nearly all were for misdemeanor solicitation.