jail

Jeffery Christian, right, speaks at a press conference in Chicago, on May 7. Christian and dozens of others claim they were sexually abused as children while incarcerated at Illinois juvenile detention centers, as part of a lawsuit recounting decades of allegations of systemic child abuse.

National

Youth detention facilities face increased scrutiny amid a wave of abuse lawsuits

5:05pm May 17, 2024

by Meg Anderson

A new lawsuit alleges widespread sexual abuse of juveniles took place over decades at Illinois youth detention facilities. Similar lawsuits have been filed this year in other states.

Queue Listen Now

A boy uses a video screen to talk with his mother, who was held at the Campbell County Jail in Jacksboro, Tenn.

National

Jails are embracing video-only visits, but some experts say screens aren't enough

5:02am December 20, 2023

by Martin Kaste

Since the pandemic, many jails have moved to video systems as the only way to visit incarcerated loved ones. A new movement seeks to restore in-person visits

The population in U.S. jails, like the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail pictured above, has risen since the pandemic. Most jail inmates are either awaiting court action on a current charge or held in jail for other reasons.

National

Jail populations are bouncing back to near pre-pandemic levels

1:58pm December 14, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

During the COVID-19 pandemic, local jails and prisons released thousands of inmates early. Experts say the recent increase reflects a return to business as usual for the nation's carceral system.

An inmate lies in a single cell at the Harris County jail in 2014, in Houston. A new report highlights how badly the federal government is tracking reports of deaths in law enforcement in the U.S.

National

Deaths in custody are a crisis, but data on them is a black hole, a new report says

5:04am February 23, 2023

by Jaclyn Diaz

A new report indicates that the federal government severely undercounts people who died while being transported, detained or arrested by law enforcement and those who died while incarcerated.

When he was in prison, Lee Reed was in agonizing back pain. His doctors there told him he needed back surgery, but because he was so close to his release date, they said he'd have to get it done on the outside. Reed saw that surgery as his ticket to being able to get a job and effectively reenter society.

Health & Safety

Red and blue states look to Medicaid to improve the health of people leaving prison

5:01am February 23, 2023

People leaving jail or prison are at extremely high risk of hospitalization and death, and policymakers from deep blue California to solidly red Utah think bringing Medicaid behind bars could help.

Crime

Autopsy finds High Point inmate died of natural causes

5:05pm January 31, 2022

by Paul Garber

An autopsy has determined that a man who passed away while jailed in High Point last year died of natural causes.

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier walks from the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pa., after a hearing on Wednesday. A judge said Spanier must report to jail on July 9 to begin serving at least two months for endangering the welfare of ch

National

Ex-Penn State President Will Serve Jail Time In The Jerry Sandusky Child Abuse Scandal

9:30am May 27, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Graham Spanier must report to a Pennsylvania jail in July to serve at least two months behind bars. He must also serve two months of house arrest.

Race

One Year Later, John Neville's Death Prompts Change and Reflection

6:36am December 04, 2020

by David Ford

Today marks the one-year anniversary of John Neville's death. He passed away at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center following his transfer from the Forsyth County jail where he had been held.

Queue Listen Now

Crime

Guilford Sheriff's Office Investigating Second Inmate Suicide In Less Than A Month

9:17pm March 01, 2020

by Paul Garber

An inmate in the Guilford County jail has died, the second suicide in a county detention center in less than a month.

Crime
News

North Carolina County Jail Eases Rules For Teens In Solitary

2:42pm September 28, 2018

by Associated Press

A North Carolina county jail has eased restrictions for 16- and 17-year-olds held in solitary confinement.