States Push For Prison Sentence Overhaul; Prosecutors Push Back
Several red states, including Louisiana, have been diverting some offenders away from prison and into drug treatment and other incarceration alternatives. But not everyone is embracing the effort.
View ArticleOther Cities Poach Police From Detroit's Low-Wage Force
From Toledo to Houston, cities are courting Detroit cops, who are seen as battle-tested from routinely dealing with high crime rates — and fed up from years of low pay and cuts in benefits.
View Article'I Am Not An Inmate ... I Am A Man. And I Have Potential'
Many of the 2 million men serving time in the U.S. have formed their sense of manhood while incarcerated. And becoming a different kind of man isn't easy — either behind bars, or beyond them.
View ArticleColleges Straddle Line Between Assault Prevention And Victim-Blaming
When it comes to raising assault awareness among possible victims, figuring out what to say has been complicated for schools. Some that have tried have been criticized for putting the onus on victims.
View ArticleAwash In Social Media, Cops Still Need The Public To Detect Threats
It's hard to know when to take violent language seriously online. But when Jonathan Hutson saw an anonymous threat to an unnamed school on Twitter, he couldn't let it go.
View ArticleU.S. Returns Dozens Of Looted Artifacts To Iraq
Some of the artifacts date back more than 4,000 years. Among them is the head of a statue of Assyrian King Sargon II, similar to one destroyed by militants with the self-proclaimed Islamic State.
View ArticleIn New York, Support Grows For Keeping Teens Out Of Adult Prisons
Hundreds of 16- and 17-year-olds are serving time in New York's adult prisons, including Rikers Island. A new proposal would raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18.
View ArticleThe Cautionary Tale Of A Big-Time Bracket Bust
In 2010, police arrested a New Jersey man running a football pool — with a payout totaling nearly $900,000. If you're the one holding money in your office's college basketball pool, take heed.
View ArticleOpen Cases: Why One-Third Of Murders In America Go Unresolved
Police today are identifying fewer murder suspects than they did a generation ago. One criminologist says that may be because departments are more focused on preventing crimes than on making arrests.
View ArticleSolving Crimes With Pollen, One Grain Of Evidence At A Time
Dallas Mildenhall is one of the world's few forensic pollen experts. He recently identified a rare, mutated pollen grain that helped police crack a murder case in his native New Zealand.
View ArticleCalifornia Bill Could Limit Police Access To Body Camera Footage
Lawmakers want to prohibit police officers from viewing video from their body cameras before they write their reports. It's part of an effort to bring more transparency to policing.
View ArticleFor Registered Sex Offenders, An Uphill Civil Rights Battle
Registered sex offenders say laws that make their identities public and restrict where they can live violate their civil rights. But victims' advocates argue the laws are needed to keep families safe.
View ArticlePell Grants For Prisoners: An Old Argument Revisited
The Obama administration is expected to announce a new program Friday that would once again allow some prisoners access to federal college funding.
View ArticleTiny Witnesses: Microbes Can Tell When A Murder Victim Died
When bodies decompose, the types of bacteria on and around the body change in predictable ways. These patterns can be used to estimate time of death, a crucial clue in solving murders.
View ArticleAlong With Assault And Arson, FBI Starts To Track Animal Abuse
The new effort could help save animals — and, perhaps, people: Research shows that animal abuse is often a precursor to acts of violence against people.
View ArticleDoes Carrying A Pistol Make You Safer?
Even as violent and property crimes fall, more Americans are carrying concealed handguns. Many think having a gun makes them safer, but the decision to shoot is a serious one with grave consequences.
View ArticleChinese Cops In Italy? Joint Patrols Aim To Ease Chinese Tourists' Jitters
The hope is that Chinese tourists will feel safer after recent terrorist attacks. In the long run, greater cooperation could help break up illegal activities by Chinese and Italian organized crime.
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