With just over two weeks until Atlanta hosts its first FIFA World Cup match, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat has announced a new policy that could drastically decrease the number of people incarcerated at the city jail. On Tuesday, Labat issued an official order that people arrested for most misdemeanor offenses can no longer be […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inCity Politics, Policing, Politics & Policy
Atlanta Police Budget Set to Hit Record High Under New Plan
With a proposed $16.5 million budget increase, the Atlanta Police Department is on track to receive its largest general fund budget. State and local spending on police has been on the rise for decades across the country, and Atlanta is no different. Under the plan, the department would receive $324.4 million, up 5.37% from the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Alleged Medical Neglect at Fulton Jail Cost a Man His Legs and Fingers
Even though the charges against him have been dropped, Rashaad Muhammad’s life has been permanently altered after spending 11 days incarcerated in Fulton County’s Rice Street Jail. Muhammad had his lower legs amputated and a full or partial amputation on all 10 fingers due to what he and his lawyers described as medical neglect while […]
Posted inCourts, Politics & Policy, State Politics
What to Know Before You Vote for Georgia Supreme Court Justices
Voters may already be focused on the race for governor and Fulton County Board of Commissioners chair ahead of the May 19 primary election, but picking which candidates for the Supreme Court of Georgia to support should also be a priority. As members of the state’s highest court, these nine justices get the final word […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
After Over a Year in ICE Detention, Double Amputee Rodney Taylor Speaks Out
Double amputee Rodney Taylor on Monday revealed the horrific conditions he endured during his 15 months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. “When I was in detention, the day I got there they told me I was going to be deported in three months. No going to court, no seeing a judge,” Taylor said. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Atlanta Youth Want the City to Fund Anti-Violence Programs Before Trouble Starts
In Jacario Wilson’s opinion, if Atlanta really wants reduce violence among teens and young adults, it must take a proactive approach to the problem. “The youth is crashing,” the 23-year-old said. “A lot of people not really worried about the youth [until] they’re in their face ready to call the cops on them, and then […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Atlanta Teens Want a Voice in the Fight to Stop Gun Violence
As summer approaches, the need to get a handle on the gun violence that is being perpetrated in recent weeks by and against Atlanta’s teens and young adults has taken center stage. After two deadly weekends in a row claimed the lives of 16-year-old Tianah Robinson and 12-year-old Cameron Coney and left other kids wounded, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Higher Education
Emory Law Kicks Out Student Who Repeatedly Used Anti-Black Slurs
Emory University announced Thursday that the student who wrote, “I’ve reached the conclusion that for me to survive, I must stomp on niggers,” in a March 9 email to a professor was no longer associated with the university following a thorough review. The school declined to provide any details citing federal privacy guidelines. “Emory will […]
Posted inClimate Change, Criminal Justice, Economic Development, Environmental Justice, Policing, Politics & Policy
Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ Makes a Black Neighborhood a Testing Lab for AI Policing
This story was published in partnership with Counterstream Media for The AI issue of Peace & Riot. ATLANTA — When he drives through his neighborhood now, Brian Page passes rows of police cars and AI‑powered cameras that track nearly every movement. For most of his life, Page, who goes by “Scapegoat Jones,” felt safest in […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
U.S. House Votes to Extend Protected Status for Haitians, but Concerns Remain
A resolution to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants through 2029 successfully passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, but the bill still faces considerable obstacles. The measure now goes to the majority-Republican Senate. Should it clear that chamber, the White House has already told reporters that President Donald Trump will veto it. […]