Locked Up
Stories from the inside.
82 posts
Kathy Hochul Promised More Clemencies—Where Are They?
The governor could change the lives of Sara Kielly and Assia Serrano with the stroke of her pen.
A Judge Dismissed a Prison Sex Abuse Lawsuit Over Typos—and the State Is Looking to Toss Hundreds More
The state plans to ask a court to dismiss some 500 prison sexual assault lawsuits for not strictly abiding by filing requirements.
Bail Reform Has Made NYC Safer, Yet Another Study Confirms
You wouldn't know it from talking to most public officials, but the 2019 reforms drove recidivism down.
Voting for Mayor From Rikers
It's way harder than it should be—but we talked to some voters who were able to overcome the obstacles this year.
NYC Judges Have a Tool to Help Them Rule on Pretrial Detention. Why Are They Ignoring It to Make Racially Skewed Decisions?
Joanna Weill of the Data Collaborative for Justice talks about its new study that finds judges are more likely to ignore release recommendations for Black defendants.
Sierra Johnson, Who Fought for the Victims of Sexual Abuse in NY Prisons, Dies Waiting for Own Lawsuit to Be Heard
Johnson was one of roughly 1,600 women to sue the state in 2023 under the Adult Survivors Act alleging they were sexually assaulted in state prisons.
Adams Administration Quietly Renames the Tombs for Disgraced Criminal Bernard Kerik
The Lower Manhattan jail facility briefly bore Kerik's name once before, until he was convicted of corruption.
Over 450 Claims of Sex Abuse of Teens in City Custody Thrown Out Due to 'Flaw' in City Council Law
The ruling could also end some Epstein sex-trafficking cases. Survivors are rallying Tuesday for the law to be amended.
New Yorkers Keep Dying on Rikers Island. Does Anyone Actually Care?
Will public officials ever stop the deaths in City jails? Will New Yorkers ever make them?
A 'Crisis Situation': New Yorkers in State Prisons Are Dying By Suicide at Record Levels
Twenty-five people died by suicide in state prisons in 2024, the highest number since at least 2000—and the rate was seven times higher in prison isolation units, according to a new report.
I Can't Stop Thinking About George Santos
Liar, grifter, political showman, mirror to some of our political contradictions—I cannot get enough.