Best of 2018

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Justice reform progressed unevenly this year: some states embraced reform, some enacted more punitive measures, and the federal government continued its assault on immigration. Our interactive report, The State of Justice Reform 2018, cites major trends and developments during the year, including a focus on the historic midterm elections. Below, we highlight some of our favorite justice-related films, books, podcasts, art, and music from 2018:

Podcasts

The Appeal, Justice in America, “Episode 1: Justice for the Rich, Money Bail”

Hosts: Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III
“States and cities across the nation are talking about reforming the money bail system. But what does that mean? What exactly is money bail? Who does it harm and who does it benefit? How does the bail system work?”
Libertas Institute, Society and the State, “Episode 112: Why America’s Bail System is Broken”

Hosts: Connor Boyack and Byran Hyde
“Most of what people know about the criminal justice system is based on what they’ve watched on TV. Unless you or someone you know has had to be bailed out of jail, you’re probably not familiar with the bail process or some of the inherent problems with the current system.”
Vox, The Impact, “Deportation Without Representation”

Host: Sarah Kliff
“While the federal government is trying to deport as many immigrants as possible, Oakland, California, is running a policy experiment to help immigrants stay in their communities. The city is giving as many immigrants as possible attorneys in court, free of charge.”
The New York Times, The Daily, “How Separating Families Became US Policy”

Host: Michael Barbaro
“On June 7, [The Daily] interviewed Stephen Miller, President Trump’s senior policy adviser, in his West Wing office about the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy at the border, which has led to heartbreaking images of children being forcibly separated from their families.”
NPR, Radio Ambulante, “Episode 69 - The Foreigner (El extranjero) (Spanish)”

Host: Daniel Alarcón
“In Coihueco, an isolated and rural village in central Chile, life used to go by quietly, uneventfully. But in 2016, Rodlin Etienne arrived. He was the first Haitian in Coihueco —the first of many.”
Alabama Public Radio, “… and justice for all”

Host: Pat Duggins
“An investigative look into Alabama’s prison system where they spend the least amount of money per inmate per day in the nation and have received national scrutiny due to their substandard conditions. This audio documentary examines the reasons motivating the federal class action over mental health care for Alabaman inmates.”
Lantigua Williams & Co., WLRN, 70 Million, “Episode 8: In Miami, Jailing Fewer and Treating More”

Host: Mitzi Miller
“Like in much of the country, jails in Miami-Dade County double as de facto mental health facilities for people with mental health issues cycling through the criminal justice system. Now [Miami-Dade’s Criminal Mental Health Project] is a national model for how to tackle the interplay between mental illness and criminal justice, while driving down recidivism and jailing rates in the process.”
The New York Time, The Daily, “Charm City, a five-part audio series”

Producer: Lynsea Garrison
“The Daily presents a five-part series about the life and death of a Baltimore teenager known as Nook, who was fatally shot by a police officer a year after the killing of Freddie Gray. Nook’s family is searching for truth from the streets where he died, the police who took his life and the city that won’t give them answers.”
Center for Court Innovation, New Thinking, “Prosecutor Power #2: A Public Defender on the Urgency of Reform”

Host: Matthew Watkins
“Outside of district attorneys themselves, there may be no figures in the criminal justice system better positioned to assess the role of prosecutors than defense attorneys. Matt Watkins sits down with Scott Hechinger, a long-time public defender and criminal justice reform.”

The State of Justice Reform 2018

Best of 2018

Podcasts

Books

Films

Performance/Art/Music