Parole Requirements Stack the Odds Against Indigenous People

When Benny Lacayo was released from prison after two and a half years, he had a rough time transitioning. “To try to reconnect, and gain that humanity back, that’s very hard,” he reflected. Reentry was an emotionally overwhelming experience, and the myriad requirements of his parole — and lack of support from the state — Read more…

Can Minnesota Deliver Change for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women?

Until very recently, the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives (MMIWR) has often been neglected by local police, the Department of Justice, and state institutions with the power to prevent further violence committed against Native and Indigenous women and girls. A new office in Minnesota seeks to address the MMIWR crisis by Read more…

Doctors Drug Test Black and Poor Families at Higher Rates, Risking Family Separation

Ericka Brewington’s youngest child, a boy, was born on August 27, 2017, and it should have been a day of joy for her and her family. But instead of receiving the rest and celebration all new parents deserve, she was separated from her newborn infant. It was not due to an act of abuse or Read more…

Most Americans Have Pets. Almost One Third Can’t Afford Their Vet Care.

Since mid-2020, more than a thousand low-income families have brought their sick and suffering pets to the nonprofit Pet Support Space, housed in a tiny Los Angeles storefront. One 14-year-old dog had a tumor that a veterinarian had quoted $5,000 to remove. A four-year-old pit bull had been vomiting for days, a cat’s painful bladder Read more…