The Monday after Thanksgiving, seventh-graders at KIPP Soul Academy were reeling from the news that their classmate, 12-year-old Zyion Charles, had been shot and killed over the weekend. KIPP Soul had extra counselors from other area schools on site to support staff their own staff and mourning students. “From the time they arrived, we were […]
Madeline Thigpen
Madeline Thigpen is Capital B Atlanta's criminal justice reporter.
Posted inTransportation
Flying While Black at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
On Oct. 21, Tabari Sturdivant was at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, waiting to board a flight to Los Angeles. The filmmaker was standing in front of the gate desk because he was flying standby and wanted a status update. When Sturdivant was approached by a person asking questions about his destination and travel plans, he […]
Posted inElections
Runoff Elections Have a Racist Past: What That Means for December
On Dec. 6, Georgia will hold a runoff election between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker for a U.S. Senate seat. Georgia is one of 10 states that use runoffs when no candidate has gotten over 50% of the vote in the general election. Since they were introduced in Georgia in the 1960s, some experts […]
Posted inVoting
Despite New Restrictions, Black Voters Remain Energized on Election Day
Ahead of Election Day, voters, advocates, and political pundits have debated over whether Georgia’s updated voting laws would suppress the Black electorate. The new law, SB 202, has provisions barring volunteers from giving food and water to voters standing in line outside polling stations — within 150 feet of a precinct. The measure also adds […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Dickens Picks Interim Chief to Head APD
It’s official: Atlanta has a new top cop. Mayor Andre Dickens appointed interim chief Darin Schierbaum to the permanent position. Schierbaum will be the 26th chief of the Atlanta Police Department. “During his service as Interim Chief, we have seen crime drop, significant arrests of gang leaders, and partnership with the community increase,” Dickens said […]
Posted inVoting
How to Vote In Georgia if You Have a Felony Conviction
When it comes to voting, Georgia is tough on felons. In fact, the state denies the vote to its citizens with a felony conviction at almost twice the national rate — 3.8% of the state’s voting-age population, versus 2.3% nationally — according to a study from the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit organization focused on incarceration […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Fulton Jail Study Will Continue as Planned
The Justice Policy Board — a group of city and county leaders working with local organizations to develop arrest and incarceration diversion resources — will have to finish its jail population review before Fulton County is allowed to begin moving inmates into the Atlanta City Detention Center. By a vote of 9-5, the Atlanta City […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Fulton Jail Study Could be Sidestepped by City Council
There is a new development in the proposed plan to lease space in the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County. The Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee voted to introduce legislation that would repeal an amendment requiring a jail population review before the agreement can go into effect. When the City Council voted to […]
Posted inBlack Businesses, Money
Nuisance Ordinance That Sparked Backlash From Black Business Owners Has Stalled
It’s back to the drawing board for the proposed Atlanta ordinance to crack down on “nuisance properties.” The Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee held the controversial piece of legislation in committee at its last meeting. This means that the ordinance cannot be voted on by the City Council until it makes it out of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Policing
Here’s How You Can Tell the Mayor What You Want in a New APD Chief
Mayor Andre Dickens wants Atlanta residents to fill out a survey about what qualities you are looking for in the next chief of police. “Building public trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is a collaborative process, and our Administration wants to ensure that all Atlantans have a seat at the table so […]