Today, I spoke w/Max Miner, the founder of Executive Treatment Solutions. He discussed how he went from struggling with an opioid addiction and nearly getting into a shootout with police to helping otherwise overcome their addictions without being incarcerated open.spotify.com/episode/0qsq...

Detention Watch is hosting a series of webinars about immigration enforcement and detention. I think this is a great idea for people who are wondering what they can do -- get educated and meet people. detentionwatchnetwork.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/d...

Today, I spoke w/Alex Flood and Dan Fitzgerald of the Denver Municipal Public Defender Officer. They joined they show to discuss how their attorneys and peer support specialists challenge the city's efforts to punish poverty. open.spotify.com/episode/0C8s...

PUBLICATION DAY IS TOMORROW! Get a copy and read about how the CIA and the Mafia were basically entwined to in order to infiltrate Cuba and assassinate Castro with an exploding cigar. How the FBI tried to bully MLK into committing suicide. How the IRS was deputized to spy on Black Panthers.

Immigration agents are choking people in America's streets & using tactics against their own policy/training. Many LEO agencies have banned their use A Colombian TikToker. An ICU nurse. A father holding his child. A 16-year-old citizen DHS calls this "utmost professionalism" w/ @mckenziefunk.com

New from 404 Media: police have unwittingly unmasked millions of their surveillance targets because of a Flock redaction error. Police didn't redact specific license plates in public record releases. A site is now making that information searchable, 2.3 million plates www.404media.co/police-unmas...

Your Data Will Be Used Against You. www.texasobserver.org/texas-police...

Since May, @sfpublicdefender.sf.gov stopped accepting some new case assignments because they could not provide ethical, Constitutional representation to their clients because of their workloads Now, a judge is ordering them to ignore their workload and take more cases sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/p...

Sen Chris Murphy wants to require warrants and ban masks as a requirement for more ICE funding. WHY ARE YOU GIVING THEM FUNDING HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING.

Today, I spoke w Jessie Lenhardt, a management consultant with Baker Tilly. Through her work with Baker Tilly, Jessie has helped Public Defender offices conduct and implement workload studies. Today, she joins to discuss some of the lessons learned. open.spotify.com/episode/7cXP...

confirmed katu.com/news/local/i...

New: we've obtained material explaining how an ICE surveillance system, called Webloc, works. Draw shape on a map, see all phones available there, follow them home. All without warrant “This is a very dangerous tool in the hands of an out-of-control agency.” www.404media.co/inside-ices-...

With an annual budget that is 10 times the size of the agency’s total surveillance spending for the last 13 years, ICE is going on a shopping spree, creating one of the largest, most comprehensive domestic surveillance machines in history. Here’s what they are buying. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

As news breaks in Minneapolis, we’re uplifting this story by our friends @unraveledpress.com during the Chicago surge. Agents shot and killed an unarmed 38-year-old father in Sept —and their initial narrative of events was quickly disproven by witness videos. unraveledpress.com/what-happene...

📢 Important Progress in California! In People v. Kopp, The California Supreme Court ruled that courts must evaluate a person’s ability to pay upon request before imposing fees & urged the Legislature to pursue broader fines & fees reform. @vanguardnewsgroup.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/2kej7hzc

Today I spoke w/Olivia Miller and Dallas Anselmo, Public Defenders in Clark County, NV. We discussed the "corridor court" that handles misdemeanor cases from the Vegas Strip. In practice, the court allows casinos to police poverty by banishing people from the strip. open.spotify.com/episode/3855...

@elizabethweill.bsky.social, in the new Appeal, on how an important decision from the New Jersey supreme court could, perhaps, inspire other courts & states: theappeal.org/new-jersey-s...

Today, I spoke w/Missouri's newest Chief Public Defender, Matthew Crowell. Unfortunately, the state has a real crisis in the Missouri mental health system. Often, his clients can be incarcerated for more than a year, just waiting to get mental health services. open.spotify.com/episode/2HZM...

You should read this story about deaths due to poor dialysis treatment at a federal women's medical prison. Medical neglect in prison is widespread and unimaginably barbaric. (I had to file a FOIA lawsuit for the mortality reports mentioned here too) www.themarshallproject.org/2025/12/16/w...

Today, I spoke to Jennifer Jennison, Chief Public Defender of Stanislaus County, CA. Last time she was on, Jennifer discussed her decision to stop accepting new cases. Now she joins to describe what came of that decision and her push to make the office more holistic open.spotify.com/episode/1nt0...

Here's interview with US citizen scanned by ICE's facial recognition tech. Walking home from gym, authorities come over. He says he's a citizen. Put him in car. Only release after scanning his face “Flagrant violation of rights and incompatible with a free society” www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...

Bolts staff writer @laurengill.bsky.social appeared on @pdefenselesspod.bsky.social to discuss her reporting on a rural Arkansas community fighting the construction of a new prison. Listen to the full episode: open.spotify.com/epi... And read Lauren's story: boltsmag.org/arkansa...

Today, I spoke w/ @laurengill.bsky.social of @boltsmag.org. We discussed a small Arkansas County fighting back against a new prison in their backyard. When forced to confront the reality of mass incarceration, this tough on crime community change its views on crime and punishment

Chris is over halfway there! Sharing again in case anyone is trying to get rid of some $ before the end of the year...

Today, I spoke w/Greg Egan, a Public Defender in Ramsey County MN, and John Choi, the County Attorney in Ramsey County. These two joined the show to discuss how they have been able to collaborate to create non-carceral alternatives to address public safety issues. open.spotify.com/episode/0OFP...

EFF has long warned about police use of facial recognition technology. Now we're seeing exactly what we feared: Axon is testing this tech in body-worn cameras. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Today, I spoke w/Andrew Davies and Shelby Sirivore of SMU's Deason Center about a report they wrote about rates of representation. They reveal something shocking: in many Texas jurisdictions, no one has appointed representation in any misdemeanor cases. open.spotify.com/episode/5YNx...

Today, I spoke w/Andrew Davies and Shelby Sirivore of SMU's Deason Center about a report they wrote about rates of representation. They reveal something shocking: in many Texas jurisdictions, no one has appointed representation in any misdemeanor cases. open.spotify.com/episode/5YNx...

I recently spoke w/Danielle Harris, Team Lead of @sfpublicdefender.sf.gov Freedom Project. The Freedom Project has helped free people facing disproportionately long, cruel sentences in an effort to chip away at California's history of mass incarceration. open.spotify.com/episode/0Br0...

Traffic fatalities are outpacing homicides in the most surveilled city in the US. Goes to show that a narrow view of "public safety" is dangerous. $361 million police budget and unknown more private funding through the Police Foundation and traffic accidents are the biggest public safety risk.

People tend to associate law enforcement repression of black activism w/ the naked violence of Birmingham or the Panthers vs the FBI. That's not the whole story. I reviewed a new book abt local police surveillance of the civil rights movement for @newrepublic.com: newrepublic.com/article/2028...

When communities view ICE, federal agents, and local police who collaborate with ICE as a political weapon, trust collapses. People become more afraid to report crime & everyone becomes LESS safe esp survivors of domestic violence. A 🧵 w data & examples (1/4) 👇🏽:

Today, I spoke w/Noah Cox of the LA Public Defender's Neurocognitive Disorder Team. They help their clients who have cognitive impairments like dementia, autism, or TBIs navigate the legal system and connect with treatment programs that meet their specific needs. open.spotify.com/episode/1O0G...

THREAD. There are almost no instances in corporate media where there is a debate about the role of police, prosecutors, and prisons that includes a person critical of those institutions. One result? Many liberals and Democrats are wildly uninformed and misinformed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZCl...

Huge news today, if you missed it; Chris Duncan was released from Louisiana prison after being wrongfully convicted for nearly three decades. @psfrench.bsky.social wrote this devastating but important read this spring on Louisiana’s rush to kill Jim despite junk science.

Baltimore and Atlanta: I'm doing two more talks in 2025. Two cities that have been home, and I'm looking forward to both. Tues, 12/02 at the Enoch Pratt Central Library with Senator Emerita @jillpc.bsky.social + Thur, 12/04 at Auburn Ave Research Library with @jduffyrice.bsky.social. Come say hello!

The growing use of AI-powered tools in police departments raises serious concerns for civil rights and civil liberties. Our new analysis outlines the risks and the safeguards needed to address them. bit.ly/44nxPlx

Police have access to massive surveillance networks that track the public whether they are suspects or not. That means probably for every 1 officer caught using the system to harass or spy on people they have feuds with, ex's, activists, journalists, there are probably 100 more we don't know about.

ICE arrests, detains British woman with US husband and newborn when she shows up for her green card interview. She’s now in a detention center, separated from her 6-month-old. No criminal record. She had overstayed her visa. www.lbc.co.uk/article/brit...

ICE goons entered a woman’s home without a warrant, guns out, terrorizing her and her two children. The man they were looking for didn’t live at the house. www.fox5ny.com/news/ice-rai...

Just heard that after 27 years on Louisiana’s death row, Chris “Jimmie” Duncan is finally getting out. Not exactly sure when, but I’m told he’ll be home for Thanksgiving. This is wonderful news. Here’s my 2009 piece on the forensic fraud that got him convicted:

Today, I was joined by Heather Stoloff and Andie Markowitz of Brooklyn Defenders Services Union. They explained how their tense relationship with BDS leadership led one of the most brazen acts of union busting you'll ever hear of a Public Defender leader engaging in. open.spotify.com/episode/6Qdi...

Today, I spoke w/Ryan Villa, CJA panel rep for the Federal District of NM. After not being paid since July, Ryan and 51 other members of the panel told their District Judge they would no longer take new cases. Ryan joins to explain why and what's next for the panel open.spotify.com/episode/55HE...

Today, I spoke w/Shawn VanDiver President/Founder of @afghanevac.bsky.social. Shawn and his team help our Afghan Allies and their families escape Afghanistan & seek asylum in the US. We discussed the challenges they face under the new administration and much more! open.spotify.com/episode/1x5R...

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Police Against the Movement yet, what are you waiting for? Essential for anyone who studies civil rights, political movements, surveillance, or policing.

Federal CJA defense attys haven’t gotten paid since July, now some are facing eviction as they continue to defend poor people for free Prosecutors want judges to force attorneys to work unpaid, but defense lawyers say thats unconstitutional and “deeply insulting” Reports @latimes.com @nacdl.org

Today, I spoke w/Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull about their book The Jailhouse Lawyer. We discussed Calvin's wrongful conviction, his nearly 3 decades of incarceration, and how Calvin helped countless people fight for their freedom as a jailhouse lawyer. open.spotify.com/episode/7pA5...