By: Gracie Elliott I started working at the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) shortly after my 1L year came to an end. Originally, I was working with the Board of Local and Regional Jails (BOLRJ). “The role of the board is to establish standards and guidelines for local and regional jails that are designed to guarantee the health, safety, and welfare of staff and offenders … Continue reading Enhanced Sanctions and the Disciplinary Process for Drug Offenses in Virginia Jails and Prisons

By: Caroline Brady             The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution asserts that “excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”[1] The Constitution does not require bail but mandates that when bail is given, it cannot be excessive.[2] The Supreme Court held that bail is excessive when it is set at … Continue reading The Elimination of Cash Bail in Illinois

 By: Payton Ward   Introduction             In a country incarcerating nearly 1.9 million people,[1] 61% of inmates have work assignments[2] and “have been stripped of even the most minimal protections against labor exploitation and abuse.”[3] Oftentimes, prison workers are assigned to work under dangerous conditions and generate billions of dollars worth of goods, with little to no pay.[4] If they … Continue reading Prison Labor or Modern-Day Slavery?

By Liza Garrity “Society needs women on welfare as “examples” to let every woman, factory workers and housewife workers alike, know what will happen if she lets up, if she’s laid off, if she tries to go it alone without a man. So these ladies stay on their feet or on their knees all their lives instead of asking why they’re only getting 90-some cents … Continue reading A Brief History of the National Welfare Rights Organization

By Hope Wilder Each minute, 20 people[1] experience physical abuse by an intimate partner[2] in the United States.[3] Over one-third of women and near one-third of men have experienced physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.[4] Further, nearly 50% of women and men have experienced psychological aggression[5] at the hands of an intimate partner.[6] Coercive control is the cyclical pattern of behavior … Continue reading Coercive Control: The Cost of Criminalization

By Molly Calo Roughly 34% of podcast listeners listen to true crime podcasts.[1] True crime podcasts make up, on average, one fourth of the top 300 podcasts.[2] One of the top ten television shows in the United States on Netflix is labeled “true crime”.[3] Netflix has both “Crime Docuseries,” “Courtroom Documentaries,” “Binge-worthy True Crime TV Shows,”  and “True Crime Docuseries” categories for customers to search … Continue reading Broadcasting Court Proceedings – A New Perspective

By Victoria Hagerott Many comparisons can be made between the United States’ reactions to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Throughout history, the United States has continually violated civil liberty in the name of national security. Understanding how the United States may react to future threats is crucial to protecting civil rights. Pearl Harbor started the United States’ involvement in the most significant and deadliest war in … Continue reading A World Created by Fear

By Nick Kaye The Rise of the “High-Crime Area” Factor In Illinois v. Wardlow, the United States Supreme Court held that an individual’s mere presence in a “high-crime area” is a significant factor in determining whether an investigative detention, commonly known as a “Terry stop” or “stop and frisk,” is constitutional under the Fourth Amendment.[1] Specifically, the Court held that presence in a “high-crime area,” … Continue reading Criminalizing Communities: The Inherent Problem with the “High-Crime Area” Factor in Fourth Amendment Analysis