Smoke and Mirrors is a series that dives into the details of “bipartisan prison reform” to reveal the right-wing, neoliberal carceral sleight of hand that’s really at work. By asking hard questions about the content and consequences of various proposals and exploring ways in which commitments to unregulated free markets, privatization and states’ rights drive the agenda, Smoke and Mirrors shows how this new generation of reforms will reinforce structural racism, intensify economic violence and contribute to the normalization of a surveillance society.
The Daunting Task of Decarceration
Tuesday, 08 September 2015
By Nancy A. Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress | Op-Ed
Moneyballing Justice: “Evidence-Based” Criminal Reforms Ignore Real Evidence
Sunday, 29 March 2015
By Kay Whitlock and Nancy A. Heitzeg, Truthout | News Analysis
Prison Reform, Proposition 47 and the California Shell Game
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
By Kay Whitlock and Nancy A. Heitzeg, Truthout | News Analysis
“Bipartisan” Criminal Justice Reform: A Misguided Merger
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
By Kay Whitlock and Nancy A. Heitzeg, Truthout | News Analysis
The Perils of Criminal Justice “Reform” and the Promise of Abolition
Thursday, 18 December 2014
By Nancy A Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress | News Analysis
Faith, Inc. and Criminal Justice Reform
Thursday, 11 December 2014
By Kay Whitlock, Critical Mass Progress | News Analysis
The Fallacy of Right-Wing Appeals to Race in Criminal Justice Reform
Thursday, 04 December 2014
By Nancy A Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress | Op-Ed
Community Corrections: Profiteering, Corruption and Widening the Net
Thursday, 20 November 2014
By Kay Whitlock, Critical Mass Progress | Op-Ed
The Myth of “Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform”: Mississippi Close-Up
Thursday, 13 November 2014
By Nancy A Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress | News Analysis
Confidence Men and “Prison Reform”
Thursday, 06 November 2014
By Kay Whitlock, Critical Mass Progress | Op-Ed
Smoke and Mirrors: Essential Questions About “Prison Reform”
Thursday, 30 October 2014
By Kay Whitlock and Nancy A Heitzeg, Critical Mass Progress | News Analysis
Before you go: Truthout faces a serious threat after 22 years of publishing.
Truthout has been a stalwart independent news publication for over two decades. Since our founding in 2001, we’ve relied on reader donations to fund our work. And by eschewing corporate money and advertising, we maintain our journalistic integrity and never have to compromise on ethics.
But today, Truthout faces a crisis. As social media algorithms de-prioritize news content, fewer readers ever make it to our site. We’ve seen hefty losses in donations as a result.
To make up for these losses, we’re asking our readers to support us on a monthly basis. Monthly giving is absolutely critical to keep Truthout online now and in the future. Right now, we’re working to add $200 in monthly donations before midnight tonight. Please, consider making a monthly (or one-time) gift today.