Illinois is expunging marijuana convictions from nearly 800,000 criminal records | CNN

Ryan Prior, CNN Yarygin, serazetdinov/iStock. Featured Image [dropcap]C[/dropcap]NN If you’ve been arrested for weed in Illinois, you can breathe a sigh of relief. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker just signed HB 1438 this week, which makes cannabis legal in the state for individuals 21 and over, along with sweeping criminal criminal justice reforms designed […]

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New Criminal Justice Film Series from The Marshall Project Highlights Chicago Witnesses to System’s Injustices | Chicago Defender

By Ariel Parrella-Aureli, Chicago Defender Harold Washington Library Center’s Cindy Pritzker Auditorium was a full house at the opening screening of a new local series focusing on injustices in the criminal justice system. On Sept. 12, The Marshall Project released 15 video testimonies of Chicago voices affected by the justice system, “We Are Witnesses: Chicago,” is […]

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Denver’s City Council, Led by Democratic Socialist, Stuns For-Profit Prison Operators by Nuking Contracts | The Intercept

Ryan Grim, The Intercept Candi CdeBaca in Denver on Jan. 10, 2017. Photo: Nick Cote/The New York Times via Redux. Featured Image [dropcap]TWO[/dropcap] FOR-PROFIT prison companies have lost major contracts in Denver over their work in immigrant detention, as backlash to President Donald Trump’s immigration policy continues to mount. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] The stunning $10.6 million […]

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In latest book, former St. Louis cop writes how problems with cops starts with the stories they tell | The St. Louis American

The St. Louis American Staff, The St. Louis American [dropcap]Terrell[/dropcap] Carter’s latest book “Police on a Pedestal: Responsible Policing in a Culture of Worship” begins with the African proverb, “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” From there, his book outlines the idea that storytelling is the foundation for […]

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At home behind bars: After 66 years in prison, he has lost the desire to leave | The News & Observer

Joseph Neff, The News & Observer [dropcap]John[/dropcap] Phillips has been behind bars since April 8, 1952, when he was arrested on sexual-assault charges. He was 18 years old and only in the ninth grade, and he was sent to be evaluated at the state mental hospital for black people. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] The report classified Phillips […]

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