Justice
How cash bail actually works — and who stays in jail before trial
Money release is the default in most US counties, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics counts who that leaves behind.
Monica Cummings · August 26, 2026
Justice
Reporting on courts, prosecutors and oversight bodies, from the filing of a claim to the enforcement of an order. Each piece explains what a judgment decided, what it declined to decide, and how the outcome changes the position of people bringing similar cases. For readers following litigation closely.
Justice
How federal compassionate release works, and what the Supreme Court just narrowed
A judge can shorten a federal sentence already being served, but only through a specific statutory door. Two rulings on May 28, 2026 moved its frame.
Monica Cummings · August 15, 2026
Justice
Clemency explained: how pardon decisions are actually made
Thousands of petitions reach governors' and the president's desks, nearly all decided — or ignored — through advisory processes no court can review.
Monica Cummings · July 21, 2026
Justice
Record sealing and expungement: how a conviction actually disappears
Around 90 percent of people with records are eligible for some relief, research estimates, and only a small share ever get it — the paperwork is the barrier.
Monica Cummings · June 28, 2026
Justice
Prison gerrymandering: where incarcerated people are counted decides who votes
More than a dozen states now reallocate prisoners to their home addresses for redistricting, unwinding a count that inflated rural districts with people who cannot vote there.
Monica Cummings · June 6, 2026