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Feature September 24, 2021
No Driving, No Working, No Dating: Inside A Government Program That Controls The Lives of People Leaving Psych Hospitals
For those found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity and put into California’s CONREP program, strict supervision can last decades.
By Christie Thompson
Raymond Riles, right, with Ronald O'Bryan at the Ellis Unit in Huntsville, Texas, in 1979. In that era, incarcerated people on death row could go to the exercise yard for three 90-minute periods a week.
Death Sentences February 4, 2021
He’s Too Mentally Ill to Execute. Why Is He Still on Death Row After 45 Years?
Raymond Riles has been on death row longer than anyone in America. He’s one of many who have languished there for decades with severe mental illnesses.
By Keri Blakinger and Maurice Chammah
Lisa Montgomery, scheduled to be executed on Jan. 12, endured repeated abuse and trauma as a child, much like many of the people who have been executed in the United States.
Death Sentences January 8, 2021
What Lisa Montgomery Has In Common With Many On Death Row: Extensive Trauma.
Mental illness, childhood abuse and brain injuries affect a large share of those who face the death penalty.
By Maurice Chammah and Keri Blakinger
Prisoners at the Washington County Jail in Hillsboro, Ore., in 2018.
Coronavirus May 15, 2020
For Mentally Ill Defendants, Coronavirus Means Few Safe Options
While their mental health deteriorates, some are stuck in jail as hospitals are decreasing admissions to prevent the spread of infections.
By Christie Thompson
Life Inside February 13, 2020
I Struggled to Help a Prisoner. In Norway, I Found a Better Way
“We took off his wrist restraints and gave him pen and paper. He drew up a storm.”
By Toby Tooley as told to Maurice Chammah
Case in Point April 17, 2019
He’s Living With Severe Mental Illness. Should He Face the Death Penalty?
A South Dakota case reflects the national debate on whether execution should be banned for the mentally ill.
By Maurice Chammah
Scott Levy, of the Bronx Defenders, with a client who was to be arraigned in 2012 at the Bronx County Hall of Justice in New York after an arrest for marijuana possession.
News November 12, 2018
The Courts See a Crime. These Lawyers See a Whole Life.
Pairing old-school defense with attention to real-life problems gets people out of jail.
By Eli Hager
Andrew Goldstein is in Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison for pushing Kendra Webdale to her death on subway tracks in Manhattan and is scheduled to be released on Sept. 14.
Feature September 3, 2018
A Turbulent Mind
Andrew Goldstein's crime set in motion a dramatic shift in how we care for the violent mentally ill. Including for himself—when he's released this month.
By John J. Lennon and Bill Keller
News June 7, 2018
He Pocketed His Victims' Organs. Was His Death Penalty Trial Fair?
As Andre Thomas faces execution for three gory murders, a court questions jury bias and his competency.
By Andrew Cohen
Commentary February 22, 2018
A Responsible Gun Owner Despite My Mental Illness
No, it’s not mental illness. It’s guns.
D.J. Schuette
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