Approximately 190,600 women are incarcerated in the United States. Although this comprises only around ten percent of the total prison population, rates of incarceration for women have increased by 834% over the last forty years—more than twice the rate of men’s incarceration (Sawyer, 2018). While prison conditions are deplorable for all genders, the prison system was constructed for men, not women, thus neglecting concerns specific to the female experience, including gynecol

The recent sentencing of Jesse and Candace Bailey in Washington state is a reflection of more than just another drug trafficking case. It’s a reminder of how America’s overdose crisis has evolved into something far more alarming: a deadly convergence of white supremacist ideology, sophisticated criminal networks, and unprecedented amounts of lethal drugs flooding into our communities. The Bailey case reveals a trend that law enforcement is only beginning to understand. Organ

In July 2023, Erin Patterson invited her in-laws and estranged husband to lunch under the pretense of a made-up Cancer diagnosis. Supposedly luring the majority of guests with the shocking news, Patterson prepared a homemade beef Wellington for the upcoming luncheon. Now, in no way is the Justice Education Project an expert in cuisine. Yet, it’s important to assume Patterson’s beef Wellington was prepared in the classic manner —1 pound of thick beef tenderloin; Kosher salt ;1

“Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is often cited as the definition of insanity. By that measure, then, America’s approach to solving crime is as insane as it gets.” Three years later, this stark assessment from a 2022 Teen Vogue article by Olayemi Olurin remains frustratingly true. Despite mounting evidence of its struggles, the United States continues to double down on mass incarceration, while expecting different outcomes. Hence, our textbook

Many young people find themselves trapped in the prison system, stuck in an endless cycle of reoffending and reincarceration. Recidivism, defined as “the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend,” is a serious problem for incarcerated juveniles, who do not have the support systems and emotional stability necessary after prison to prevent them from falling back into criminal behavior (MST Services). According to research from Point Park University, some states had juvenile

Education is a valuable asset, and throughout history, people have prioritized knowledge to grow and develop as people. Recently, the Supreme Court has overturned Affirmative Action, which previously set quotes to force college admissions to accept a certain percentage of minorities every year. Affirmative Action aimed to reduce the wage gap between races and sexes by making college more diverse so graduates would receive higher-paying jobs. Although some perceive college as

With tensions flaring among Republican presidential hopefuls, criminal charges stacking up against former president Donald Trump, and concerns rising among Democrats about President Biden's abilities, the 2024 presidential election has already spawned thousands of chaotic memes and news articles detailing the race. So many voters are focused on issues like abortion, gun control, and immigration that they have neglected to consider a topic just as pressing: candidates' views r

Are our pans polluting our waters? The simple answer is yes, precisely, nonstick pans, as they contain a material called PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS are synthetic, carbon-based molecules that make up the nonstick coating on the pan. These are especially dangerous because they do not break down in the environment and can remain for decades. Hence, they've been dubbed the "Forever Chemicals." PFAS are also endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with normal horm

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: the three fundamental values of the U.S. Constitution, a document in which the Founding Fathers intended the Second Amendment to replace the role of a militia in fear of another tyranny. However, over 200 years later, society has changed. With a standing army, the interpretation and application of "the right to bear arms" has shifted. U.S. citizens must decide the role guns play in the 21st century: whether or not the government sh

2023 is only halfway over and so far, 17 states have passed laws targeting transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care. In the years before 2023, three states banned gender-affirming care which brings the grand total of states to 20. Additionally, several states are currently considering gender-affirming care bans that may potentially pass in the future (Movement Advancement Project). What is gender-affirming care? Gender-affirming care is a broad term encapsu

By 2036, today’s American youth will make up 60% of the country’s national electorate, according to a projection by the Brookings Institution. Yet, in contrast to a prospect that should warrant a promise, guaranteeing that the perspectives of Gen-Z are elevated and empowered at the decision-making table, modern American youth are experiencing a collective crisis that foreshadows otherwise: a crisis of political inactivity. Without consciousness of their contemporary political

On July 12, 1995, Lamar Johnson’s future hopes were shattered as a judge doomed him to live out his days surrounded by the grim walls of a Missouri prison. Convicted of “first-degree murder and armed criminal action” (National Registry of Exonerations), Johnson spent twenty-eight years in prison, despite the fact that the eyewitness testimony introduced in his case was unreliable in addition to him having had an alibi. Johnson was arrested for allegedly shooting a drug dealer

Restricting the latitude to which law enforcement may detain citizens through selective profiling is an essential necessity that fortifies the safety of transgender people in concern to policing— but the social impressions made by systemic legislation still leave behind an uncertain legacy of collective stigma in the country, and leaves all matters of which that has influence over unaccounted for. The system of American policing tragically sustains precedents of injustice wit

Although many may think otherwise, the amount of education given to a person can have a direct affect on their future in the criminal justice system. Some students and even teachers, for instance, have developed a stereotype that the pupils who are subject to below average grade percentages are the same ones with behavioral issues. Is this stereotype just a stereotype, or is it true? Does the absence of education affect misbehavioral and incarceration rates? The answer to thi

There is a climate crisis. Whether or not it is acknowledged, the climate crisis prevails past the minimal efforts that governments have been enforcing to legitimize the awareness surrounding the drastic climate change. Yet when it comes to the general public, it has become abnormally normalized how dangerous our environmental endeavors are breaching. We look at the conversations surrounding public concerns. Our main ideas of justice surround carceral systems and the inner wo

With the revival of discussion surrounding the mistreatment within mass incarceration, we've begun seeing progress toward reform being made towards cities wishing to contribute positively to the justice system. Yet as we see the start of a decrease in jail time in states and big cities due to reform, we still see the rise of carceral rates in rural counties. So why is this? The reasoning behind this is how rural populations will interact with the criminal justice system. Due

With the imprisonment of a mass group of individuals behind bars, the United States is known for its cryptic and unjust prison carceral system. As time passes and the new year starts, little by little the exposure of the harsh realities of the carceral cycle and system is brought to light - dawning upon the eyes of the general public as more people slowly begin to educate themselves on the mistreatment occurring behind prison walls. Yet the discrimination and targetting of PO

With the November elections this year, many turned out to execute their right to vote - a privilege protected by the constitution. Yet with this turnout, a resounding detail that was often overlooked was the lack of who were not present to turn in their ballots. One of the populations in the nation out of a series of others with varying circumstances that are identified as having trouble with voting accessibility in the United States would be those involved in the incarcerati

As of June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that legalized abortion nationally, has fallen. In a 6-3 decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that the right to obtain an abortion upheld by Roe v. Wade was unconstitutional, and that it is up to the states to deal with the matter of abortion how they see fit. The high court issued its majority opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, arguing that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally wea

With the leak of the draft for the supreme court to overturn Roe V. Wade, an uproar ensues as this action in itself is deemed an attack on human rights. As protesters begin to rally against the draft, it is often brought to attention the fact that the people dictating whether Roe v. Wade will be overturned are often individuals without uteruses. As nationwide we see a struggle to fight for reproductive rights, we are exposed to a repeat in history as we’ve seen this capitaliz