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 […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
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 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
History of Complaints Against Officer Who Shot Atlanta Rapper Highlights Culture of Tolerance, Critics Say
Atlanta police officer Gerald Walker, who fatally shot rapper Linton Blackwell outside a Buckhead bar on the night of Oct. 11, was already under investigation for another shooting earlier in the year. Walker, who was working an off-duty security job during the October shooting, was on-duty the night of March 26, 2025, when he shot […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Politics & Policy, Social Welfare
Fani Willis Plans to Combat Domestic Violence With $2M Family Justice Center
By the spring of 2027, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hopes to open a family justice center to serve survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and abuse. Since 2023, Willis has been clear about her vision for creating a hub for survivors to receive counseling, health care, legal advocacy, and other services […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Public Safety
Two Atlanta Mothers Fight for Justice After Deadly Hit-and-Runs Go Unpunished
Valerie Handy-Carey is no closer to finding her daughter Brittany’s killer today than she was when she got the call about her death over three years ago. “My daughter is dead, and nobody has been held accountable,” Handy-Carey told Capital B Atlanta from her home in Columbus, Ohio. A flight attendant for Spirit Airlines, 33-year-old […]