Camille Squires

1 week ago | boltsmag.org | Camille Squires

Ten years after Kalief Browder’s death by suicide, his story lingers as a reminder of both the horrors of New York City’s Rikers Island and the cascading consequences of solitary confinement. At 17 years old, Browder was sent to the Rikers Island jail complex, where he was held for three years pending trial—nearly two of which he spent in isolation.

3 weeks ago | aclu.org | Gillian Branstetter |Camille Squires |Navin Kariyawasam

The Freedom To Be Monument is a powerful, living testament to trans resilience, community, and joy. Explore the monument, witness these powerful stories, and join us in the fight to defend trans freedom. This installation took over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on May 17 as a bold act of resistance to transphobia, trans erasure, and anti-trans legislation. It stands as a declaration that trans people deserve the freedom to be—loved, safe, and in control of our own health care decisions.

3 weeks ago | boltsmag.org | Camille Squires

In February, the city of Pittsburgh cleared a homeless encampment along the Eliza Furnace Trail, colloquially known as the “Jail Trail,” for its proximity to the Allegheny County Jail. Previous encampment sweeps in the city had resulted in displacement of unhoused residents, and in one terrible example, a woman fell from the bucket of a construction vehicle as crews attempted to clear the area when she was still inside her tent.

1 month ago | boltsmag.org | Camille Squires

When Australia holds its federal elections on Saturday, it’ll do so with the requirement that all eligible citizens head to the polls and vote. If they don’t, the Australian Electoral Commission will fine them $20 AUD (that’s roughly $13 USD). The system, known as compulsory voting, was first implemented a century ago, in 1925. Turnout skyrocketed immediately, from 60 percent in 1922 to 91 percent in 1925. And it has since stayed at roughly that level—which far surpasses U.S. voter participation.

1 month ago | boltsmag.org | Camille Squires

Jimmie Christian Duncan has spent over 26 years on death row at Louisiana’s Angola prison for the rape and murder of his girlfriend’s toddler daughter—a crime he has always maintained never happened. On Thursday, a Louisiana judge dismissed his conviction, vindicating Duncan’s fierce, decades-long effort to prove his innocence.