Poverty and crime have been linked in many studies, but there's still a lot we don't understand. One big question is whether poverty changes how people are treated in the criminal justice system. A recent study looked into this, focusing on how poverty in teen years affects adult outcomes like arrests, convictions, and jail time. The study found something unexpected...
The Karen Read trial has been a topic of intense discussion, and one juror, Paula Prado, has shared her thoughts on the case. Prado, a 39-year-old mother of four from Walpole, was one of the 12 jurors who decided the outcome of the trial. She has been open about her emotions and the challenges she faced during the deliberation process. Prado admitted that the verdict...
In the heart of the Bronx, a young man's life was abruptly ended. Irvin Provitt, just 21 years old, was shot and killed in a park. This tragic event occurred a mere three months after his release from Rikers Island. Provitt had been eager to turn his life around and had even started an education program. Provitt's journey was marked by both triumph and tragedy. He h...
In the world of criminal justice, there's a growing trend where courts are starting to see violent crimes as something that can be fixed, not just punished. This is especially true for veterans. Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are a prime example of this shift. These courts bring together judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and Veterans Affairs professionals. The...
Wisconsin has been making strides in victim rights for half a decade. Five years ago, voters in the state approved a significant change. They added a constitutional amendment. This amendment ensures that crime victims have equal rights to those accused of crimes. This shift in focus is crucial. It reminds everyone involved in the justice system that victims are real...
A recent move by the United States is raising eyebrows. The country has decided to withdraw from an international effort to investigate who is responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. This decision comes as a surprise to many, as it seems to align more with the interests of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, rather than supporting Ukraine. The international body...
Ralph Yarl, a young Black honor student, was shot by an 86-year-old man, Andrew Lester, in 2023. It all happened because Yarl accidentally rang the wrong doorbell. Yarl, now a freshman at Texas A&M, was just trying to pick up his twin siblings. Lester, on the other hand, was convinced he was defending himself. He shot Yarl twice. The shooting happened on the night of...
New York's prisons are full of aging inmates, and the costs are rising. This is not making the public any safer, according to the state’s top judge. Many people think that locking up criminals for a long time will make society safer. But the numbers tell a different story. When more people are in jail, the crime rates do not go down. In fact, they can even go up...
Decriminalizing or legalizing cannabis was supposed a significant step toward reducing criminal justice-related harms. But does it? The biggest question mark is how much it impacts the number of cannabis-related incidents. Indeed, how can it even be viewed differently from how it is handled now? The legal landscape is usually considered an unexplored field a...
Ever wondered what makes some people more likely to end up in trouble? Scientists pitted four aspects of psychopathology against each other to see if they acted as opposites. By studying the top, the bottom and the things in the middle, they were looking to confirm the double-edged effects in extreme behaviour and the predictability of criminal outcomes of the beha...