Criminal Justice / Public News Service

Between 2016 and 2023, Ohio reported fewer than 100 annual voyeurism cases statewide, but it is believed the actual number is far higher, as most incidents go unreported. Hidden devices have been discovered in dorms, restrooms and short-term rentals. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Ohio legislation seeks felony charges for repeat voyeurs

By Savana Capp / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. Ohio legislators are …

Colorado has started licensing psychedelic therapy healing centers, which are expected to open as early as this summer. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado spotlights role of psychedelics in addressing overdose crisis

Some 7,000 people are expected to attend this week's Psychedelic Science conference in Denver and public health activists are spotlighting the potenti…

The May 4 Visitor Center at Kent State University educates the public about the 1970 campus shootings and their lasting impact on civil liberties and protest rights. Canfora calls her brother (holding a black flag) away from a school parking lot while National Guard troops are on the scene in May 1970. (John Filo)

OH's Kent State lessons loom over military response to L.A. protests

A Kent State University shooting survivor is warning Ohioans and others to take note of the U.S. military's involvement in immigration-related …

California law bans unnecessary animal suffering but enforcement is rare in large-scale factory farms.(Adobe Stock)

Cal student faces prison for rescuing chickens

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Colorado communities to join national 'No Kings' protests Saturday

As President Donald Trump celebrates his birthday on Saturday with a $45 million military parade in the nation's capital, organizers are expecting a …

While Illinois has seen a significant decrease in it's prison population, its incarceration rate is still relatively high compared to other states. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Study: Incarceration costs families billions each year

A new study highlights the high price of incarceration, and says the annual total cost to families of Americans behind bars is nearly $350 billion…

Wisconsin is estimated to reach the highest peak in its prison population by July. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Study: Incarceration costs U.S. families $350 billion a year

A new study highlights the high price of incarceration, and says the annual total cost to families of Americans behind bars is nearly $350 billion…

Violence against clinics decreased significantly after the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was enacted. (Your Hand Please/Adobe Stock)

Michigan legislation targets violence against patients, abortion providers

By Alyssa Burr for the Michigan Independent.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Michigan Independent-Pu…

About 2,500 women are housed in Indiana's correctional facilities, including some held in county jails, according to a June 2024 Indiana Department of Corrections report. (Adobe Stock)

Indiana women get new start on college from behind bars

By Claire Rafford for Mirror Indy.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Indiana News Service reporting for the Mirror Indy-Free Press Indiana-Public News…

Despite the Trump administration's stated goals of carrying out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, researchers said the current pace is falling short. (Adobe Stock)

ND sheriff: Keep politics out of immigration enforcement

Local law enforcement agencies, including in North Dakota, are decrying a move by the Trump administration to label some jurisdictions as …

'Clean slate' laws boost employment, housing access among formerly incarcerated

More states are considering "clean state" laws, which establish a process to automatically seal records of most misdemeanor criminal charges…

Ohio's federal victim service funding dropped 77% from $117M in 2018 to $26M in 2024, forcing rape crisis centers to rely heavily on state support. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio advocates call to protect survivor services

Advocates are urging Ohio lawmakers to preserve critical funding for rape crisis centers in the upcoming state budget. The request comes amid deep …

Mississippi advocacy groups are joining the ACLU to expand police accountability efforts through the

Civil rights groups step up as DOJ reduces police oversight in MS

After President Donald Trump's decision to dismiss lawsuits and drop federal accountability agreements with several police departments, Mississippi …

More than 145,000 Kentucky children have had a parent incarcerated, according to data from the University of Kentucky. (Adobe Stock)

Imprisoning KY parents has worsened foster care crisis

May is National Foster Care Month, and Kentucky advocacy groups across the political spectrum say the state hasn't done enough to keep kids out of …

In Mississippi, a person generally needs to wait five years after completing all terms of their sentence before applying for expungement of a felony conviction. (Adobe Stock)

Reformers: Outdated expungement laws block second chances in MS

In Mississippi, advocates said thousands of people are stuck in limbo, unable to move forward because their criminal records remain publicly …

Between 2010 and 2024, hackers were behind most health care data breaches, affecting 88% of the 732 million exposed patient records. (ryanking999/Adobe Stock)

New MSU study: Ransomware a leading cause of U.S. health data breaches

According to researchers from Michigan State University, Yale and Johns Hopkins, ransomware is now the leading culprit behind U.S. health data …

Mississippi charges incarcerated people a $6 medical copay per visit, among the highest rates in the nation, while paying prison workers 20 to 90 cents per hour, with exemptions, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

$6 medical copays block health-care access in Mississippi prisons

Medical copays in prison could be keeping people who are incarcerated from seeking the health care they need. The latest review showed Mississippi …

Gallup, New Mexico, has a disproportionately high number of

FBI promises missing Indigenous investigations but deletes historical data

The FBI has said it will add resources in 10 states including New Mexico to tackle unresolved crimes, with a focus on those related to missing and …

Green Hill School is the largest state-run juvenile detention facility in the state, and has been plagued with overcrowding and understaffing in recent years. (Darya/Adobe Stock)

New WA law reels in felony convictions for incarcerated youths who fight

Advocates for juvenile justice reform in Washington are celebrating the passage of House Bill 1815. The law redefines "prison riot" and lets judges …

Police found the Robinsons' apartment ransacked but untouched valuables left behind. (Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy)

Unsolved and unforgotten: IN family seeks truth in Riley Towers case

By Johnny Magdaleno for Mirror Indy.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Mirror Indy-Free Press Indiana-Public Ne…

The Indiana Department of Corrections Offender Population Statistical Report shows 7114 adult males are on parole as of March 2025. (Adobe Stock)

IN housing facility helps with transition from prison to society

In Indiana, the transition from prison back to society can be anything but smooth. Many people released don't have a place to live and have …

Supporters call for the release of Alfredo 'Lelo' Juarez Zeferino. As of their most recent update in March, ICE is currently detaining more than 46,000 people across the country. (C2C)

WA immigration rights advocates call for release of union organizer

Immigrant rights advocates are calling on state leaders to do more to protect Washington farmworkers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…

AARP says currently, civil law enforcement tools, namely injunctions and monetary orders, are insufficient in stopping scam operations and getting victims' money refunded. (Adobe Stock)

Plans advance for fraud restitution fund in MN

Fear, shame, and helplessness are feelings Minnesota fraud victims describe after losing their life savings to a scam. They're hopeful about a path …

Prison book censorship is increasing nationwide, according to a 2023 report from PEN America. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Project focuses on literacy in Appalachian prisons

There are more than a dozen state and federal prisons in Central Appalachia, with some located in remote areas of West Virginia. Connie Banta…

Reform advocates say people in America's prisons are often forced to work, and if they refuse or say they can't handle the working conditions, they can be punished. (Adobe Stock)

Coalition wants to end 'forced labor' in MN prisons

A Minnesota proposal is in the works that supporters say would end forced labor in correctional facilities. They note the 13th Amendment was adopted …

In the U.S. Constitution, the 5th and 14th Amendment protections against government actions depriving someone of life, liberty, or property without due process apply to all people within U.S. jurisdiction, regardless of their immigration status. (Adobe Stock)

IL lawyer: Kilmar Obrego Garcia case a ‘constitutional crisis’

An Illinois law professor is weighing in on what she called a "very public and open test of due process" for immigrants being deported from the United…

Service dogs can help with mobility and access, object retrieval, reminders and medical alerts, among other things. (Adobe Stock)

Service dogs trained behind bars in WV transform lives, inside and out

With demand for assistance dogs on the rise, people in two West Virginia prisons are getting involved in their training. At Saint Marys Correctional …

In Illinois, counties cover the operational costs of juvenile detention centers, while the state reimburses for staffing at more than $40 million per year. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed bills would curb jailing of children in IL

Two bills aimed at reforming the juvenile justice system in Illinois are close to becoming law. Senate Bill 1784 proposes raising the age of …

The bill would also establish a prison education task force to implement consistent programs across state correctional facilities. (Adobe Stock)

Prison education bill to expand opportunities for incarcerated people in VA

A bill passed by Virginia lawmakers would expand higher education opportunities to incarcerated people across the state. House Bill 2158 aims to …

A day before Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested, federal authorities apprehended a former New Mexico judge and his wife on charges related to harboring an undocumented immigrant. (Adobe Stock)

Legal experts call arrest of WI judge 'extreme and unnecessary'

Legal experts and advocates are outraged over the arrest of a Milwaukee judge last week who was charged with helping an undocumented defendant avoid a…

Misdemeanor charges place 13 million Americans in the criminal justice system each year, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

KY jails may be shrinking, but nationwide rural counties increase incarceration

CORRECTION: This story has been revised to make it clear that Kentucky has not followed the national trend of building more rural jails, as seen in …

Of the nearly 956,000 pending cases eligible for jail time in Pennsylvania, about 52% have been assigned to public defenders, based on the latest available records, as of March 2023. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

PA public defenders struggle with high caseloads, attorney shortage

More than 60 Pennsylvania counties do not have enough public defenders for their caseloads, forcing some, including in Erie County, to each handle …

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law in the United States but individual states have been allowed to establish their own policies on its use and regulation. (Adobe stock)

Indiana moves to regulate legal THC sales and branding

Indiana lawmakers continue to debate THC rules while surrounding states move forward with marijuana legalization. Senate Bill 478 targets packaging …

The Ohio Department of Transportation defines a

OH parents seek tougher sentences for fatal school-zone collisions

Parents of students killed or injured in school-zone crosswalks are backing a measure in the Ohio General Assembly to increase the penalty from a misd…

Despite being only 13% of the population, Black people were 28% of those killed by police in 2024.(Halfpoint/Adobe Stock)

5 years after George Floyd's death, OR police reform is 'slow'

Five years after George Floyd's murder by a white police officer sparked nationwide protests and demands for police reform, progress remains slow…

An average of 40 people per year have been killed by police in Washington state since 2015. (AlexanderIO/Adobe Stock)

Police reform advocate: WA must do more to reduce deaths

Five years after George Floyd's murder by a white police officer sparked nationwide protests and demands for police reform, progress remains slow…

The elimination of judgeships in 11 Indiana counties followed a weighted caseload study, which found some counties have more judges than needed to manage their current dockets. (Adobe Stock)

Indiana Senate passes surprise court cuts

Indiana lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday to eliminate judgeships in eleven mostly rural counties as part of a statewide judicial reallocation…

Bumblebee colonies have annual life cycles, according to the ZYWang Lab at the University of Washington, where researchers study natural social behavior changes in aging bees. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Impact of solitary confinement goes beyond psychological trauma

Imagine being locked in a cell for 23 hours a day, under constant artificial light, with no human contact for months or even years. This is the …

Federal data show in 2023, an estimated 3,275 people were killed nationwide in distracted driving-related crashes. (Adobe Stock)

MN police chief: Drivers need to break cell phone habit

Law enforcement agencies are still trying to get the message through about the dangers and costs that stem from distracted driving. A Minnesota …

Technical violations accounted for nearly two-thirds of Mississippi's probation/parole revocations in 2023, according to a 2024 Mississippi Department of Corrections task force report. (Pixabay)

MS parole, probation system called 'booby trap' fueling reincarceration

Criminal-justice experts say Mississippi's parole and probation systems, designed as alternatives to incarceration, are instead functioning as …

This month, labor organizations and Hennepin County authorities announced a historic wage theft prosecution for Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Fair Contracting Foundation of Minnesota)

Wage theft enforcement could take a big leap in some MN counties

On the heels of courtroom victories, some Minnesota prosecutors say they'll try to replicate the success in going after more businesses suspected of …

LGBTQ+ youths are nearly four times more likely to be victimized, and are particularly vulnerable to experiencing unwanted sexual advances online. (Adobe Stock)

Research: One in seven Utah children is a victim of sexual abuse

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and new research at Utah State University finds one in seven Utah children experiences sexual abuse --…

State lawmakers and advocates estimated up to 600,000 Ohio drivers had suspensions related to unpaid fines and fees. (Graphic by Celina Fang/The Marshall Project)

New law clears path for Ohio drivers with unpaid fines

By Rachel Dissell and The Marshall Project for Signal Cleveland.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Signal O…

Researchers in the ZYWang Lab at the University of Washington investigated how social isolation disrupts natural behavioral patterns. Their current work examines the neurological and physiological impacts of prolonged isolation with direct implications for understanding solitary confinement's effects on humans. (Pixabay/iira116)

Research: People suffer in solitary confinement as FL reforms sit idle

New research showed damage to Florida's 3,000 inmates in solitary confinement extends far beyond psychological trauma. Solitary, which often lasts …

A national public relations firm recently surveyed Americans about the barriers youths face to better outcomes. Respondents recognized the need for stronger communities, but survey officials said they still underestimate the effect poverty can have on youths. (Adobe Stock)

For youth empowerment work, experts say careful wording can save the day

April is Second Chance Month, with extra focus on helping people with a criminal past keep from becoming repeat offenders. In steering Minnesota …

New research exposes devastating effects of solitary confinement

Imagine being locked in a cell for 23 hours a day, under constant artificial light, with no human contact for months or even years. It is the reality …

Research showed those who were previously incarcerated are approximately 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Broken prison system leaves many in WV without options post-release

April is National Second Chance Month but across West Virginia, resources to help people leaving prison find gainful employment are dwindling…

In 2025, Mississippi's incarceration rate remains high, with more than 19,000 people incarcerated; a significant portion of them are Black, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. (Pixabay)

Mississippi urged to invest in jobs, not jails, to cut prison costs

As Mississippi grapples with one of the nation's highest incarceration rates, a new national campaign highlights the economic and social toll of …

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