Criminal Justice
The Real 'Shawshank' Is So Creepy You'd Crawl Through a River of Shit to Escape It Too
Former inmate Michael Humphrey now gives tours of the place, and man he has stories.
How Blacks and Whites Die Differently Behind Bars
New federal data shows some stark racial disparities.
Why I'm Voluntarily Going into Solitary Confinement
Starting today, I plan to voluntarily spend 30 days in solitary confinement in the La Paz County Jail in Parker, Arizona. It won't be my first time in the hole, though.
My Daughter Died After Spending Four Days in Jail
I thought getting arrested might help my daughter kick heroin. I was wrong.
The Terror and Joy of Stepping Outside Prison After 17 Years
Used to having a roof over my head, a wall or fence around me, and my peripheral vision obscured by bars or wire, I now felt vertigo. But it was a brief taste of quasi-freedom.
What I've Learned Cutting Hair in Jail
A cut means more inside than it does on the street, and that's especially true in solitary—where some guys haven't seen their own reflection in a month.
If All Lives Matter, Act Like It
The demonization of black victims and the lionization of law enforcement have to stop.
The 14-Year-Old Who Grew Up in Prison
In 1979, Ricky Olds watched his friend kill a man, then himself got sentenced to life in prison. More than three decades later, the Supreme Court has given him a shot at freedom.
What You Do While You Wait for Your Husband to Go to Prison
Together you get your financial house in order, finalize his will, take baths, and cry.
I’m a Cop Who Went Viral for Not Killing a Man
He came at me with a knife screaming "Kill me!" and "I'm going to kill you." I shot him once in the stomach, but stopped there.
The Infamous Rikers Inmate Who Stole Entire Subway Trains
"The funniest thing is, I love the system," he tells us from the notorious New York City jail.