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Living Large in the Big House
Nick Summers 6/29/2009 12:00:00 AM
In the public eye, each stage of the white-collar criminal's path from boardroom to big house is attended by drama. There's the shock of being caught, the gravity of indictment, the finality of a conviction, and the satisfaction of sentencing. But the final step of the process often earns far less attention: designation, the process by which the Federal Bureau of Prisons determines where the freshly convicted serve their time.
Gitmo North? Bring it On.
6/20/2009 12:00:00 AM
In 2004, the state of Montana was faced with overcrowded prisons. With the endorsement of our then governor, Judy Martz, the Two Rivers Authority, the -economic--development arm of the town of Hardin, began building a prison. We had hoped Two Rivers Detention Center would create jobs, helping to stop the economic spiral that was crippling this town of 3,400. But after our current governor, Brian Schweitzer, was elected, he decided the prison wasn't needed, even though a month ago the state's own consultant disagreed. Three years after we broke ground, it's still empty.
Actual Innocence
Ellis Cose 6/18/2009 12:00:00 AM
For nearly two decades, Troy Davis has sat on death row, during which time he has accumulated a noisy band of supporters. They include former president Jimmy Carter, Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu and former Georgia congressman (and current death-penalty advocate) Bob Barr. All are convinced Davis may be innocent and deserves another chance to confront his accusers—especially since most have now recanted the testimony that convicted him. The story begins in a parking lot in Savannah, Ga. Police believe Davis pumped two bullets into off-duty cop Mark MacPhail after he tried to intervene as Davis assaulted another man around 1 a.m. on Aug. 19, 1989. Davis claims he was trying to stop the assault and had nothing to do with MacPhail's murder. But a witness fingered Davis, and the police launched a highly publicized manhunt. He surrendered on Aug. 23, and was indicted and found guilty.
ENTER THE 'MAYHEM MAGNET'
Playing Politics With Crime
Jay Mathews
Most Americans worry about crime, but in California the issue carries unusual emotional weight. In such a large state, political campaigns have to rely heavily on television ads-and crime is an issue that easily translates into stark 30-second images of women hearing footsteps in the dark, or murdered children going unavenged. Some commentators say that Simi Valley, with its large population of police officers, was an aberration-one of the few places in the country where a jury might be sympathetic to King's assailants. But voting records show that the area differs little from other California suburbs, with residents who see police as a bulwark against urban chaos and crime.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Long Arm of the Law
Dirk Johnson
On Nov. 2, 1983, as Darrell Cannon recalls it, he was forced to lie down in the back of the detective's car. "That's when they pulled my pants and shorts down," he said, and applied the electric cattle prod to his testicles.