PM Stories
How the Pandemic Exposed the Failures of Capital Punishment Liliana Segura and Jordan Smith, The Intercept
Appeals court vacates order delaying woman’s execution Michael Balsamo, AP News
‘There’s nothing to prepare you’: what it’s like to witness an execution Claire Cameron, The Guardian
‘I Don’t Want to Grow Old Here’: The Endless Sentence of Ohio’s Death Row Maria DiLorenzo, The Crime Report
COVID-19 cases surge at federal death row prison in Indiana Jim Monk, KVRR
COVID-19: Coming to a Jail Near You Brian Dolinar, The Progressive
For some Minnesota prisoners, vaccine a turning point in grueling fight with COVID-19 Liz Sawyer, Minneapolis Star Tribune
COVID-19 leads to more ‘discretionary releases’ from prison, but advocates say it’s not enough Kelan Lyons and Kasturi Pananjady, Connecticut Mirror
“A human experiment”: Texas pandemic-era jury trials challenged by health risks and a growing backlog of cases Jolie McCullough, Texas Tribune
NJ prosecutors oppose plan to release hundreds behind bars awaiting trial. Top court will consider it soon. Blake Nelson, NJ Advance Media
Opinion: Time for Oregon to pull back on Measure 11’s mandatory minimums Martin Lockett, The Oregonian
Whitmer signs bills lightening traffic offense penalties, shortening jail, parole protocol Beth LeBlanc, Detroit News
Federal prison population closes out 2020 at new modern low of 152,184 according to BOP Sentencing Law and Policy
AM Stories
Trump policing commission calls for independent probes of officer shootings, more technology use Tom Jackman, Washington Post
Eric Fagan, first Black sheriff since Reconstruction, pledges to reform policing in Fort Bend County Zach Despart, Houston Chronicle
Louisville Officer Who Shot Breonna Taylor Will Be Fired Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times
The Columbus, Ohio, officer who killed Andre Hill has been fired Alec Snyder, Peter Nickeas, and Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN
A Black man’s fatal shooting by the police exposes Ohio congregations’ bitterly opposing interpretations of faith and justice Robert Klemko, Washington Post
Kenosha braces for more unrest as DA mulls whether to charge officer in Jacob Blake shooting Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Feds decline charges against officers in Tamir Rice case Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker, AP News
Nashville police defend response to 2019 tip that Christmas bomber was building explosives Derek Hawkins and Griff Witte, Washington Post
Critics Say Nashville Police Could Have Done More With Tip About Bomber Steve Cavendish, Jamie McGee, and Rick Rojas, New York Times
New terrorism guide shows FBI still classifying Black ‘extremists’ as domestic terrorism threat Jana Winter, Marquise Francis, and Sean D. Naylor, Yahoo! News
Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse’s new merchandise site signals ‘new era’ of criminal defense Mark Guarino, Washington Post
The Collectible Coins That Celebrate the Dark Side of American Policing Jacob Rosenberg and Dave Gilson, Mother Jones