Kareemah Hanifa just registered to vote for the first time in her life. As a juvenile, Hanifa, now 48, was sentenced to life in prison and spent 26 years incarcerated before she was released on parole in 2019. “I’m feeling nervous, I’m also feeling anxious and a little bit scared,” Hanifa said just before she […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inHealth, LGBTQ, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Black LGBTQ Advocates Press Georgia Lawmakers on Civil Rights
Christian Benoit was one of dozens of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Georgians from across the state who traveled to the Capitol on Tuesday morning to take part in the Pride to the Capitol rally. “We have to stand in solidarity for those that won’t or can’t stand and represent themselves,” Benoit said. “We […]
Posted inHBCUs, Religion
Spelman’s Muslim Students Mark Ramadan While Fighting for Recognition
Tuesday evening, a few minutes after 6:30 p.m., dozens of students broke their fast with water and dates at Morehouse College’s King Chapel. After an evening prayer, a buffet of chicken, fish, rice, and samosas opened up for the gathering of current and former Atlanta University Center Consortium students to have a meal before educator […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration, Policing
World Cup Sparks Fears of Unhoused People Being Jailed
With just over 100 days remaining until Atlanta hosts its first World Cup match, activists and local officials are pushing the city not to repeat the same “cleanup the streets” program that led up to the 1996 Olympic Games. An estimated 30,000 Atlantans were displaced from their homes in the six years prior to the […]
Posted inHBCUs, Technology
Spelman’s Mission to Create the Next Generation of Black Tech Professionals
More than 85 students from Black colleges across the South and east coast descended on Spelman College this weekend for the school’s fourth-annual HBCU Game Jam. Over the three-day event, students attended workshops on game design and development, culminating in a hack-a-thon where student teams spent 24-hours building their own video game. For the first […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Under New Ga. Law, Abuse Survivor Gets Second Chance but Finds Few Safety Nets
In 1999, an 18-year-old new mother in Marietta stabbed her then-boyfriend and father of her infant son during an argument that turned physical. Despite immediately calling 911 to save his life, she was convicted in 2002 of felony murder and aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison. What the judge didn’t hear about was […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Young Thug Ruling Reveals How Asset Forfeiture Hits Black Georgians
The final chapter of the longest trial in Georgia history has finally come to an end now that a Fulton County Superior Court judge has ruled that law enforcement must return the property they confiscated from Young Thug during his 2022 arrest. The Atlanta rapper had spent more than 300 days on trial between November […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
ACLU Report Calls Out Fulton County Jail for Overcrowding and Humanitarian Crisis
A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia found that Fulton County officials are failing to take advantage of sustainable solutions to address overcrowding and the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the county jail. The study was published on the heels of major flooding at the jail last weekend. Officials estimated 70,000 gallons […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Family of Rapper Shot 17 Times by Atlanta Officer Demands Accountability
Family and friends of Linton Blackwell took to the podium at City Hall on Monday to express their frustration with the Atlanta City Council over the lack of accountability for police officers who use lethal force. “I want to understand why this officer, Gerald Walker, is not being held accountable for my brother’s death. He […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, HBCUs, Higher Education
After Viral Assault Video, Students Push AUC Leaders for Accountability
There is always a renewed sense of camaraderie as students at Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College return to campus and settle into the new spring semester. However, this year there’s an underlying tension running across the Atlanta University Center. It only takes a mention of the now-viral video of Morehouse student Matthew […]