Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender
Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender Carrying the System: The Cost of Being a Public Defender By 9 a.m., she’s already met two new clients, each facing felony charges. By noon, she’s given her case in front of a judge, scrambled to finalize paperwork, and returned half a dozen voicemails from […]
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Illness and Incarceration
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Illness and Incarceration Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Illness and Incarceration What does it mean to be ill? Going by Dr. Peter Eisenberg’s definition, it means to lose your freedom. Working as an oncologist with prisoners from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center for many years, he noticed […]
Breaking the Cycle: California’s Fight Against the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Breaking the Cycle: California’s Fight Against the School-to-Prison Pipeline Breaking the Cycle: California’s Fight Against the School-to-Prison Pipeline “Walk into any classroom in California, and you’ll see so many kids filled with promise,” says a public school teacher in the Oakland school district. But for too many students, especially “Black, Brown, disabled, homeless, and foster […]
Learning Behind Bars: The Growing Role of Prison Education Programs
Learning Behind Bars: The Growing Role of Prison Education Programs Learning Behind Bars: The Growing Role of Prison Education Programs There are nearly 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, with most of them being in state prisons. Additionally, among the almost 600,000 people released from prison each year, approximately 60% of those are […]
Returning Home: Mountain City, TN and Chicago, IL
Returning Home: Mountain City, TN and Chicago, IL Returning Home: Mountain City, TN and Chicago, IL Imagine this: You just got released from prison. You have no money and no place to stay. You do not have a phone or a means of transportation. You do not even have a valid form of identification. On […]
Can Alternative Emergency Response Programs Save Lives?
Can Alternative Emergency Response Programs Save Lives? Can Alternative Emergency Response Programs Save Lives? An elderly woman is suicidal after receiving a stage IV cancer diagnosis and feels like a burden to her family. A mother calls the police concerning her 13-year-old son with autism, who is having a mental health crisis. Someone calls 911 […]
Healing Over Punishment: Restorative Justice
Healing Over Punishment: Restorative Justice Healing Over Punishment: Restorative Justice “When I became a lawyer, I thought the criminal justice system would meet people’s needs,” says Jon, a facilitator at a restorative justice clinic in North Carolina. “But it doesn’t. Offenders aren’t helped, they’re punished.” This is what happens in the United States’ punitive system: […]
Justice in the Making
Justice in the Making Justice in the Making Hello everyone, I am sure you all stumbled upon this blog and are wondering, who Sophie is and why I am reading a blog written by her about criminal justice through Imparial, NC. I hope to answer those questions in this first introduction to me and my […]
Justice in the Making-Community is Key
Justice in the Making-Community is Key Justice in the Making-Community is Key I recently watched an incredible speech by Cynthia Erivo for Essence’s “Black Women In Hollywood 2025” during this International Women’s Month. To put it simply, it was an amazing and powerful speech that truly resonated with me. She spoke about individual power, the […]
Justice in the Making-How Public Speaking Shaped My Path to Law
Justice in the Making-How Public Speaking Shaped My Path to Law Justice in the Making-How Public Speaking Shaped My Path to Law “Light travels faster than sound. That’s why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak”- Albert Einstein. Public speaking is one of the biggest skills a person pursuing a career in law […]