Articles by Emmett Sanders
- Cautionary jails: Deconstructing the three “C”s of jail construction arguments
Communities across the country have been told that investing in new jail construction is the only way to solve old policy problems, but arguments for new jails can leave them with a billion-dollar case of buyer’s remorse.
Feb 20, 2024
- Watching the Watchers: Vera releases national census on electronic monitoring
A new report from the Vera Institute of Justice finds that the number of people subjected to electronic monitoring in the U.S. increased fivefold between 2005 and 2021 and nearly tenfold by 2022.
Feb 8, 2024
- Going back to Cali: Revisiting California’s parole release system
More than 9,000 people were eligible for hearings in California last year, though the state abolished discretionary parole in 1977. With grant rates among the lowest in the nation and people forced to wait up to 15 years between hearings, the Golden State's parole system is far from glittering.
Dec 19, 2023
- Not an alternative: The myths, harms, and expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring
The expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring across 70 counties threatens to undermine Illinois’ groundbreaking Pretrial Fairness Act, despite both the lack of evidence of EM's efficacy and its well-documented flaws and harms.
Oct 30, 2023
- No Release: Parole grant rates have plummeted in most states since the pandemic started
Among the 27 states we surveyed, only 7 saw an increase in parole approval rate, and almost every state held substantially fewer hearings than in years past.
Oct 16, 2023