InvestigationJustice, Politics, Technology When Porch Piracy Became a Felony Around the country, 13 states have passed or introduced laws to make package theft a felony. Critics say the harsher penalties are an ineffective response that can lead to increased surveillance of communities and harm people of color. Lam Thuy VoThe GuardianAugust 25, 2022
InvestigationEnvironment, Justice Who Does the State of Wyoming Consider a Poacher? Three years ago, the Supreme Court upheld the Crow Tribe’s off-reservation hunting rights. But treaty hunters in Wyoming still risk prosecution, even as non-Natives poach wildlife on tribal land with impunity. Savannah MaherHigh Country NewsJuly 1, 2022
BackstoryEnvironment, Justice The Backstory: Sarah Sax Reporting on Prison Conditions during a Climate Crisis Paco AlvarezJuly 1, 2022
InvestigationEnvironment, Justice When the Heat Is Unbearable but There’s Nowhere to Go How last year’s record-breaking heat wave caused misery and chaos for Washington’s incarcerated population — and why it’s set to happen all over again. Sarah SaxHigh Country NewsJune 1, 2022
InvestigationJustice Andrew Hartzler Wasn’t Allowed To Be Gay on Campus. So He’s Suing. A lawsuit seeks to end an exemption to Title IX that has allowed religious schools to receive lucrative federal funding despite policies that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Sarah PosnerPolitico MagazineMay 20, 2022
BackstoryJustice The Backstory: Jaeah Lee Reporting on Rap Lyrics in the Courtroom Paco AlvarezMarch 30, 2022
InvestigationJustice This Rap Song Helped Sentence a 17-Year-Old to Prison for Life A growing number of scholars, lawyers, and lawmakers are calling for a reassessment of how rap lyrics are used in court. Jaeah LeeThe New York TimesMarch 30, 2022
InvestigationJustice The Jailing of Jesse Harvey A drug war activist turned to civil commitment for help — and found a civil liberties nightmare. Jordan Michael SmithThe InterceptMarch 16, 2022
BackstoryJustice The Backstory: Akintunde Ahmad Reporting on a buried history Paco AlvarezMarch 2, 2022
InvestigationJustice What Happened When Oakland Tried to Make Police Pay for Misconduct In the ‘90s, the city passed a policy requiring the police department to pay some of their own legal costs. There’s no evidence that the department ever paid up. Akintunde AhmedThe AppealMarch 1, 2022