States Trim Penalties and Prison Rolls, Even as Sessions Gets Tough

By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. May 18, 2017 Louisiana has the nation’s highest incarceration rate. But this week, Gov. John Bel Edwards struck a deal to reduce sentences and the prison population, saving millions annually. If lawmakers approve the...

Police Unions Hail Trump’s Easing of Scrutiny. Local Officials Worry.

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG April 4, 2017 Black pedestrians in Baltimore stopped without reasonable suspicion. Black drivers in Ferguson, Mo., searched much more frequently than whites. Cleveland residents...

Lock ’Em Up? Prosecutors Who Say ‘Not So Fast’ Face a Backlash

By FRANCES ROBLES March 30, 2017 ORLANDO, Fla. — In Tampa, the top prosecutor says too many children are charged as adults. In Houston, the district attorney will no longer press charges in low-level marijuana cases. And in Chicago, prosecutors will no...