The Appeal

At The Appeal, we create unique journalism centered around criminal justice, aiming to inform the public and hold authorities responsible. Our attention is primarily on the key factors contributing to mass incarceration, especially at the state and local levels. With almost 25% of Americans having a criminal record, and state facilities housing 87% of those incarcerated, our work sheds light on the real effects of common criminal justice practices. We utilize our extensive knowledge to highlight the human side of these issues.

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Strip Searches Have a Racist, Dehumanizing Legacy

3 weeks ago | theappeal.org | Christopher Blackwell |Sarah Sax

Newsletter Strip searches serve as weapons of humiliation rather than security measures. In March 2018, J’Allen Jones, a 31-year-old Black man incarcerated at Garner Correctional Institution in Connecticut, died after refusing to comply with a strip search. When officers told Jones he needed to submit to the procedure, he resisted. That is when the violence started.
How Will New Jersey’s Next Governor Protect Immigrants?

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

New Jersey has one of the largest immigrant populations in the country. We asked candidates in the Democratic primary what they’ll do to keep immigrants safe. Earlier this month, federal immigration agents arrested gubernatorial candidate Newark City Mayor Ras Baraka outside an immigration detention facility, sparking national headlines and widespread outrage.
His Name Was Tyré Nichols

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Natalie Wallington

This story was originally published by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Subscribe to their newsletter here. In the 28 months since Tyré Nichols was killed by five Memphis police officers, his name has been written countless times. It has appeared in national news reports, commemorative murals, protest signs held up outside the White House and civil and criminal lawsuits against the officers who killed him.
CoreCivic CEO: Trump Administration Plans Will ‘Supercharge’ the Private Prison Industry

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

This week’s private prison earnings calls make clear that Trump’s racist reign of terror has been great for business. “I would like to share how excited I am for and deeply proud of our team here at CoreCivic,” the company CEO, Damon T. Hininger, told investors on today’s call. “Our team has always been mission and outcomes-focused, but this is such a significant moment of time in our company’s history.
Private Prison Company GEO Group “Excited” About Mass Deportation

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

On today’s quarterly earnings call, for-profit prison operator GEO Group’s CEO J. David Donahue told investors the company is “very excited to support the mission at hand.”“I couldn’t be more impressed than watching the agency shift, if you will, or pivot into this new mission,” Donahue said, referring to Homeland Security and ICE leadership.
Home Page - The Appeal

1 month ago | theappeal.org

The Appeal is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to exposing how the U.S. criminal legal system fails to keep people safe and perpetuates harm.
Trump DOJ Stops Collecting Crime Data on Trans People

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Ethan Corey

Trans people are more than four times as likely to experience violent crime. Behind bars, incarcerated trans Americans experience sexual violence at more than 12 times the rate of other imprisoned people, according to U.S. Department of Justice survey data. Despite these statistics, the federal government will no longer collect data about the gender identity of people who experience violent crime or sexual misconduct.
Texas Jail Staff Laughed as Army Vet Choked and Died, Lawsuit Says

1 month ago | theappeal.org | Tana Ganeva

According to a wrongful death lawsuit, staff at the Angelina County Jail stood by as 33-year-old Glenn Smallwood vomited and died in front of them. On the night of June 16, 2023, police officers in Lufkin, Texas, approached 33-year-old Glenn Smallwood. He was shirtless, on his hands and knees, and appeared to be scratching at something on the sidewalk.
Trump DOJ Defunds National Prison Rape Prevention Center

2 months ago | theappeal.org | Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

A letter obtained exclusively by The Appeal says Trump’s Department of Justice has cut all funding to the Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center. The Department of Justice has terminated all funding for the National Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Resource Center, according to a letter exclusively obtained by The Appeal from the National PREA Resource Center. The cuts take effect immediately.
After Self-Immolations at Red Onion Prison, Virginia Prisoners Allege Crackdown

2 months ago | theappeal.org | Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

At least six people at Red Onion intentionally lit themselves on fire last year. Now, prisoners say staff are forcing people to comply—or cutting their electricity. Besides an overhead light, Sidney Bowman says he hasn’t had electricity in his cell at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison for roughly three months.