Issue

Criminal Justice

It costs $13 million per year to hold each of the 40 prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. Where does the money go? How do police profit from seized property? What is it like to be one of 2.7 million children with a parent in jail or prison? What programs have succeeded in the U.S. and elsewhere to reduce recidivism?

These are a few of the questions Pulitzer Center grantees ask in the stories highlighted in Criminal Justice.

Innovative initiatives include a transformational theater piece based on a three-year investigation into solitary confinement. The play was performed on Alcatrez Island. A photography project features the work of court-involved youth who depict life on the streets of San Francisco. This project provided opportunities for youth to showcase their work while shining light on the criminal justice system in California.

Funding for Carol Rosenberg’s ongoing reporting on Guantánamo Bay comes from the Hewlett Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other sources. The Art for Justice Fund, established by philanthropist Agnes Gund, is helping to support our reporting on mass incarceration. Omidyar Network has provided financial support for “Taken”—our project on civil asset forfeiture. The Pulitzer Center extends its heartfelt thanks to our generous donors.

Criminal Justice

Prying Eyes

Military-grade surveillance keeps watch over Baltimore and city protests, but catches few criminals.

A Woman's Crime and Punishment

When unmarried sex is outlawed, pregnancy out of wedlock is proof of a crime. Women are jailed—along with their babies.

El Salvador's Lawyer for the Dead

In El Salvador, the murder capital of the world, authorities are failing to combat a brutal gang war that is driving a mass exodus out of the country.

Navigating the Death Penalty in Pakistan

To counter terrorism, the Pakistani government has started executing all those convicted of terrorism. But they have overlooked whether those convicted received a fair trial or not.

Life Inside: Art in Brazil Prisons

What happens when you send 20 University of Michigan students into Brazilian prisons to facilitate theater workshops? Join the Prison Creative Arts Project as they travel to Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Death Stalks Colombia's Unions

As Colombia struggles to free itself from a vortex of violence, union members, human rights activists and others still feel threatened by criminal elements––and their own government.

Save the Date: Pulitzer Center 2020 Annual Conference

What constitutes criminal behavior and why? How do identity and circumstance play into the criminalization of individuals? What are the links between civil rights, human rights and the environment? What protections are there for individuals seeking asylum or fighting deportation?