My time spent in unsafe neighborhoods and unsafe prisons has taught me a secret: Most people in...
LA’s dangerous and abuse-ridden Men’s Central Jail sees three more deaths in a single week
WitnessLA gets calls from people inside of Los Angeles County’s jail system on a semi-regular...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas – Part 4: The Trial Penalty
On Monday, August 21, Mark Ridley-Thomas and his team of defense attorneys will come before U.S...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas – Part 3: government prosecutors want a 6-year prison sentence
The U.S. Government believes that Mark Ridley-Thomas, the former state senator, former assemblyman...
Mental Health Care Is Critical for Survivors of Violence. Access Is Another Story
Like veterans of wars, domestic violence survivors have often been subjected to prolonged periods...
40 years ago, the US began sending large numbers of kids to prison without hope of release. A former prosecutor looks at how things have changed
A South Carolina judge heard arguments in late May 2023 to reconsider the sentence for Jesse...
Friday night, any & all available youth probation staff members were called to report to LA County’s Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall because of a “large disturbance”
On Friday, July 28, LA County Probation officials put out a call for “all sworn staff” who were...
How San Luis Obispo Parents are Helping Prevent Relationship Violence Before It Starts
As an educator on healthy relationships, consent is at the heart of what Christina Kaviani teaches.
Punishing Families Part 2: L.A. County Data Reveals Child Removal Hotspots
LA County's DCFS investigates and removes kids from families in lower income neighborhoods at...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 2
Two weeks ago, at 9:58 a.m. on Monday, June 26, U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer entered her 7th...
Op-ed: How LA County’s zero-bail rules can help others like me
by Angel Lopez, The Appeal This piece was published in coordination with Zealous, an...
A new lawsuit filed by veterinarian Dr. Yolanda Cassidy once again shines a spotlight on the death of LASD K-9 Spike
The death of the LASD K-9, whose name was Spike, is a story that refuses to go away.
The Journey to Becoming a Better Dad Inside Prison
By Hollie Garrett, Prison Journalism Project In 2011, a 20-year prison sentence turned my life...
May your 4th of July be a happy one!
….And crown thy good with brotherhood.
Bring Back the Jury Trial
Plea bargaining is, in theory, intended to serve as an integral part of our criminal legal system...
WitnessLA Wins 1st Prize for Crime Reporting at SoCal Journalism Awards
On Sunday night, at the the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, The Los Angeles Press Club handed out the...
Deconstructing the Conviction of Mark Ridley-Thomas: Part 1
On Monday morning, June 26, Mark Ridley-Thomas and his team of defense attorneys, will come before...
A string of kids overdose & a staff member attacked in one of LA County’s troubled youth halls
According WitnessLA's sources, in the last five day there have been eleven drug overdoses at Barry...