Episodes

  • Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform

    Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform
    Sep 16 2019
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    31 mins
  • Where Texting Brings People to Court

    Where Texting Brings People to Court
    Sep 9 2019
    After someone is arrested, there are multiple court-ordered actions after they make bail. Often, missing any of these--especially court appearances--complicates their situation and increases their punishment. Reporter Jenny Casas goes to Palm Beach, Florida, where something as simple as texting has made a significant difference in people’s lives.

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    27 mins
  • A Pregnancy That Changed Texas Law, Part 2

    A Pregnancy That Changed Texas Law, Part 2
    Sep 2 2019
    If you haven’t already listened to Part 1 of this story, we suggest you do that first. In 2013, the Texas Jail Project gets a call from Bonnie Wyndham -- a mother whose daughter, Cat, is pregnant behind bars and not getting the medical care TJP has been fighting to guarantee. In this episode, we hear Cat’s story. Plus, nearly 15 years after their chance meeting in the Victoria County Jail helped launch the TJP, our reporter Rowan Moore Gerety brings Shandra Williams and founder Diane Wilson together.

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    33 mins
  • A Pregnancy That Changed Texas Law, Part 1

    A Pregnancy That Changed Texas Law, Part 1
    Aug 26 2019
    Shandra Williams had experienced five miscarriages by the time she and her husband Dawayne became pregnant with their son. Then she was arrested. Reporter Rowan Moore Gerety travels to Victoria, Texas, where Williams’ harrowing story of being pregnant behind bars unknowingly launched a reform movement.

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    38 mins
  • Comedian Felonious Munk Stands Up for Reform

    Comedian Felonious Munk Stands Up for Reform
    Aug 19 2019
    Comedian Felonious Munk was among the 13,000 formerly incarcerated people whose voting rights Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe restored in 2018. 70 Million creator Juleyka Lantigua-Williams talks with Munk about the years he spent in prison, the shock of losing his freedom, and his crusade for sensible justice reform.

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    27 mins
  • An Open and Shut Case, Reopened

    An Open and Shut Case, Reopened
    Aug 12 2019
    At 17, Mark Denny was wrongfully convicted of a rape and robbery in Brooklyn. It took nearly 30 years for that conviction to be overturned -- and it might never have happened without help from the same office that prosecuted him. Reporter Sabine Jansen tells the story of the Brooklyn Conviction Review Unit, the DAs who re-investigate their colleagues’ work, and the collaboration that finally set an innocent man free.

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    31 mins
  • The Work of Closing a Notorious Jail

    The Work of Closing a Notorious Jail
    Aug 5 2019

    Five years after Michael Brown’s death at the hands of a police officer galvanized criminal justice reform activists in St. Louis, they're gaining serious momentum to shut down the city's notorious Workhouse jail. Reporter Carolina Hidalgo spent time with the Close the Workhouse campaign and Arch City Defenders, their supporters, and detractors.

    UPDATE:
    January 2020: St. Louis aldermen introduced a resolution that calls on the city to defund the Workhouse, close it down, and put the money saved toward community services. If passed, the resolution itself would not result in the jail’s closure — but it would show broad legislative support for defunding it. Aldermen also began to discuss a resolution that calls on top city officials to defund the Workhouse and allocate the millions saved to community services. (There are 28 aldermen so in order to pass, the resolution needs 15 votes. It has support from at least eight alders so far.)

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    37 mins
  • How Bail Shackles Women of Color

    How Bail Shackles Women of Color
    Jul 29 2019
    Tamiki Banks’ life was turned upside down when her husband was arrested, leaving her the sole breadwinner and caregiver to their twins. More than two years later, she’s still struggling, and he’s still in custody, even though he hasn’t been convicted of any crime. From Atlanta, Pamela Kirkland reports on the heavy burden women of color like Tamiki bear when a loved one is jailed.

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    30 mins