PM Stories
Should Prisoners Get COVID-19 Vaccines Early? Jamiles Lartey, Michelle Pitcher, and Keri Blakinger, The Marshall Project
Colorado’s governor says prisoners won’t be prioritized for a coronavirus vaccine. A state plan outlines otherwise. John Ingold, Colorado Sun
Officials Spar Over COVID Spread Through Prison System Jack Rodgers, Courthouse News
As COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly, state prisons and local jails have failed to mitigate the risk of infection behind bars Emily Widra, Prison Policy Initiative
Federal Prison Employees Fear Staff Shortages and Mass Reassignments as COVID-19 Cases Spike Eric Katz, Government Executive
Colorado reports four new prisoner deaths linked to coronavirus over two days Colorado Sun
‘The scores are abysmal’: ACLU alleges failures in care at Baltimore jail led to 12 preventable deaths Phillip Jackson, Baltimore Sun
Only 9 Trials in 9 Months: Virus Wreaks Havoc on NYC Courts Nicole Hong and Jan Ransom, New York Times
Maine’s criminal case backlog is ‘staggering’ as pandemic delays more trials until 2021 Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News
Pandemic or not, Dallas County could begin summoning jurors for criminal trials Charles Scudder, Dallas Morning News
New Jury-Unanimity Rule Stirs Debate on Retroactive Effect Megan Mineiro, Courthouse News
Supreme Court to mull challenge to convictions under “racist Jim Crow” jury laws Erin Donaghue and Graham Kates, CBS News
Group of wrongfully convicted Texans pushes for criminal justice reforms Cayla Harris, Houston Chronicle
Sprung from the Joint, but to Where? Matt Joy, LA Review of Books
Why New York’s Mob Mythology Endures Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
AM Stories
Reimagining Criminal Justice: A New System Is Required for Police Accountability Thomas Johnson, The Recorder
Black Lives Matter movement at a crossroads as Biden prepares to take office Tim Craig and Robert Klemko, Washington Post
Biden plans to spurn Trump immigration restrictions, but risk of new border crisis looms Nick Miroff and Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post
Divided prospects: The fight over an immigration detention center Sarah Tory, High Country News
Homeland Security Watchdog to Probe Department’s Use of Phone Location Data Byron Tau, Wall Street Journal
Judge Holds Portland in Contempt Over Violent Policing of Protests Karina Brown, Courthouse News
Blistering government report blasts poor training, oversight of Texas law enforcement St. John Barned-Smith and Eric Dexheimer, Houston Chronicle
Louisville Is Clamoring for Police Reform. Can an Interim Chief Deliver? Will Wright, New York Times
Massachusetts lawmakers approve major police reform bill Nate Raymond, Reuters
Here’s What’s In The Police Reform Law Proposed For Massachusetts Steve Brown and Ally Jarmanning, WBUR
Baltimore’s ‘Focused Deterrence’ Recycled a Third Time in Bid to Curb Gun Violence Emily Riley, The Crime Report
In a bloody year for Minneapolis, one gun could be key to solving 14 shootings Andy Mannix, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
‘A father, a brother, a son’: Inside the rise in gun violence in California’s Bay Area Abené Clayton, The Guardian