The Appeal

Latest Episodes:

Episode 46: Pleading Guilty Just to Go Home Jul 11, 2019

Show notes

Approximately half a million people are currently in jail awaiting trial across the United States, the vast majority because they are unable to pay bail. A 2018 study of Philadelphia and Miami-Dade found that people being held on bail earned roughly $4,500 per year on average. Many of them will plead guilty just to get out of jail. On this week's episode, we are joined by Appeal reporter Joshua Vaughn to discuss how bail punishes people for the crime of being poor.

Episode 45: Qualified Immunity, A Roadblock to Reform Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

Efforts to hold police accountable for violating civil rights frequently come up against a legal roadblock known as "qualified immunity." Invented by the Supreme Court in 1967 and widely expanded in 1982, qualified immunity helps public officials avoid liability for misconduct and even flagrant constitutional violations. In the Supreme Court's own words, it protects "all but the plainly incompetent or those who knowingly violate the law." Joining us today to discuss this barrier to reform are Appeal contributors Amir H. Ali and Emily Clark from the MacArthur Justice Center.

Episode 44: What's Changed Since The 2018 Prison Strike? Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

In August and September of last year, there were prison strikes in at least 17 states marked by work stoppages and hunger strikes. But what's happened since? How have things improved or, in some cases, been made worse by the forces of reaction? As we come up on the one-year anniversary of the 2018 prison strike, our guest, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak spokesperson and Right 2 Vote national coordinator Amani Sawari joins us to discuss how the unrest of 2018 is being channeled into political reforms.

Episode 43: American Cities' Growing Reliance on Surveillance Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

In an effort to meet public demand to reduce the size of the brick and mortar prison population, some jurisdictions are doing so but reinvesting manpower and money into what activists call "digital prisons." In addition to electronic monitoring, this increasingly involves surveillance systems that can spy on citizens in real time. One such surveillance program in New Orleans––involving an elaborate network of cameras––has run afoul of privacy and criminal reform advocates. Our guest, Appeal contributor Mike Hayes, discusses the rise of surveillance systems in dozens of American cities.

Episode 42: Criminal Justice Reform Hits Roadblock in Arizona May 30, 2019

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Dozens of states have reformed their drug laws in recent years, but Arizona remains a stubborn outlier. In Maricopa County, for example, a recent report found that drug cases represent the "overwhelming majority" of charges filed. Up against powerful County Attorney Bill Montgomery and a culture of tough-on-crime posturing, reformers have hit roadblocks as they push for change. Today we are joined by Arizona activist Caroline Isaacs of the American Friends Service Committee to discuss the fight to make these repressive drug laws a thing of the past.

Episode 41: Reframing The Bronx 120 Raid May 23, 2019

Show notes

In April 2016, the NYPD, in concert with the FBI, ATF, DEA, and Homeland Security, descended onto the South Bronx, arresting scores of people in what was described as the largest "gang takedown" in city history. Preet Bharara, then U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, praised what became known as the Bronx 120 raid as a victory against dangerous criminals—and the media largely parroted that narrative. The problem: Fewer than half of those arrested were ultimately alleged to be members of the targeted gangs, and most of the 120 were not convicted of violent crimes. City University of New York criminal law professor Babe Howell has spent the past three years investigating the raid and the actual charges that resulted. Today she joins us to describe what she learned.

Episode 40: Generational Harm, A Hidden Cost of Mass Incarceration May 16, 2019

Show notes

On this podcast––and in other coverage of the criminal legal system––we tend to focus, understandably, on the people behind bars and on parole. But in reality, this only shows part of the damage inflicted by mass incarceration. Generational harm refers to the second- and third-order negative effects of incarceration and the corresponding emotional and financial toll on prisoners' families, and disproportionately on women of color. This social trauma is just now being seriously studied and reckoned with. Today we are joined by Chicago activist Celia Colon to discuss the true human cost of a system that nearly always leaves a trail of destruction.

Episode 39: NYPD-SVU's Low Clearance Rate for Sexual Assault May 02, 2019

Show notes

Despite having ‎more than 35,000 officers and a massive budget of over $5 billion a year, the NYPD––and its Special Victims Unit––have a high rate of prematurely closed rape cases compared to other police departments, leading critics to accuse the NYPD of not taking sexual assault complaints seriously. Appeal contributor Meg O'Connor dug into the data and interviewed victims to find out what's behind the trend.

Episode 38: Privacy and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) have exploded in popularity. In 2000, thirteen states used PDMPs; today, they exist in every state and Washington, D.C. These programs are ostensibly designed to respond to the opioid crisis by monitoring prescribed drugs and preventing abuse and doctor shopping. But increasingly, critics say, they are interfering with legitimate healthcare. Privacy advocates and some medical experts have demanded that states slow the rush to implement PDMPs and ask hard questions about law enforcement's involvement in personal healthcare. Today we are joined by Leo Beletsky, Appeal contributor and Associate Professor of Law and Health Sciences at Northeastern University.

Episode 37: The Baltimore Police Department's Troubled Homicide Unit Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

A recent lawsuit accused the Baltimore Police Department's homicide unit of a long pattern of questionable police work. Our guest, Appeal contributor Amelia McDonell-Parry, joins us today to discuss the case of Jerome L. Johnson, a man just released from prison after serving 30 years for a 1988 murder he didn't commit. On this week's episode, we will discuss the allegations raised in the suit regarding the unit's discovery protocol, suppression of evidence, and lack of accountability.

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