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Closing Argument

Each week, Closing Argument will walk readers through the latest news and best links on one topic in the criminal legal system. Our goal is to make these complex issues digestible without sacrificing detail, context or nuance.

A person with dark-toned skin and a person with medium-toned skin, both wearing prison uniforms, play chess while sitting on blue chairs. In the background are doors to prison cells.
Closing Argument April 19
Fish Tanks, Plants and Podcast Studios — Some States Try a New Approach to Incarceration
America’s experiment with Scandinavian-inspired prison units is growing — and being tested.
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A photograph of the Georgia State Capitol building.
Closing Argument April 12
The Bipartisan Push to Rethink Long Sentences for Abuse Survivors
A Georgia bill offers a model for other states looking to protect people who are accused or convicted of crimes stemming from their abuse.
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Boston University police officers conferred while students protested outside of the office of the dean of students on April 3, demanding that the university pledge to protect students from the federal government regardless of their immigration status.
Closing Argument April 5
Trump Is Targeting International Students Over Pro-Palestinian Protests. But Is It Legal?
After the administration revoked 300 students’ visas, the courts will have to decide if the Constitution protects the free speech of noncitizens.
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A woman in an orange jail uniform crouches toward the ground, against a fence.
Closing Argument March 29
How States Are Undoing Criminal Justice Reforms
Louisiana, New York and other states are rolling back reforms — and efforts to reduce excessive sentencing or expand parole are smaller in scope.
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President Donald Trump, a White man in a black suit and blue tie, stands by a door. A group of reporters holding cameras and microphones surround him in front of the door.
Closing Argument March 22
Trump vs. The Courts: Presidential Attacks Open New Front in Long Battle
Both parties have tried to undermine the courts at times in the past. But Trump’s attacks are in some ways unprecedented.
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A large crowd held signs at a protest in New York City, some of which read: "Release Mahmoud Khalil" and "Billionaires are the real enemy, not immigrants".
Closing Argument March 15
How Trump’s Targeting of Immigrants With Legal Status Departs From the Norm
Mahmoud Khalil is just one of many people with legal or protected status detained and facing deportation.
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An incarcerated person wearing food preparation gloves adds French fries to a food tray that contains a hamburger and a small bag of baby carrots.
Closing Argument March 8
The Big Business of Bad Prison Food
A market analysis said the food service industry in U.S. prisons and jails is worth billions — and is forecasted to grow.
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Malik Shabazz, a Black man in a gray suit, speaks to reporters, as Michael Corey Jenkins, a Black man in a gray suit, stands next to him. A group of other people stand near them, in front of microphones held up by reporters.
Closing Argument March 1
Law And Disorder: Police Oversight and Training Confront A Changing landscape
The future of police accountability remains uncertain as misconduct persists and focus shifts from reforms.
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In the foreground, four people wearing winter coats hold up signs reading "Enough is Enough, Strike!" as it snows. A group of people stand behind them.
Closing Argument February 22
How a Guards’ Strike Plunged New York Prisons Into Turmoil and Why the Timing Is Curious
Correctional officers complain of unsafe conditions, but critics say the protests were meant to deflect attention from ‘a moment of reckoning.’
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An officer in a navy uniform holds a walkie talkie while walking through a hall. There is an open gate in the foreground. Two people in orange uniforms with towels are walking in the background.
Closing Argument February 15
How Trump Is Trying to Expand the Already Colossal U.S. Prison System
The administration’s efforts — from mass deportation to harsher punishments for some crimes — rely on access to more prison and jail cells.
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