Don’t usually do *this* but, thread: Monday, SCOTUS debates the criminalization of homelessness. That means many folks are sounding off on the topic. I’ve spent 4 yrs covering this for The Washington Post, and need to reality-check assumptions getting thrown around this week (1/x)

what
coppercourier.com/2024/04/19/kar…

The LA County independent jail inspectors visited on April 17, 2024. The jail is a trash can with refuse and rotting food in the mess hall and dormitories, a pervasive smell of smoke, and retaliation again the men incarcerated there by removing radio batteries from all but a few.

Also big thanks to Jessica Pishko, author of the forthcoming book about sheriffs, The Highest Law in the Land, for giving me a crash course. Seems like this is a topic we should all know way more about.

Agree! Plus Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg 🇵🇸 and Ethan Corey are two of the greatest journos I know!

Rex Steninger makes an appearance in my book.
I do think the vast majority of these are really long-shot candidates (at least in terms of the sheriffs). But it does reflect how the far-right sees the political process as a mean to achieve goals.
penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707263/t…

You can preorder my book at Barnes & Nobles and get a discount!
barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highest-…

Make space on your shelves and put in your pre-order.

'My posse's got my back!'

Just a guy calling for sheriffs to form militias, seems fine. Calls sheriffs the 'geniuses of America.'

This is such an important story. Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg 🇵🇸 + Ethan Corey on the predatory, unregulated system--fueled by private equity--that forces incarcerated people to pay outrageous prices for everything from reading glasses to deodorant. Great data reporting:
theappeal.org/locked-in-pric…

The struggle is that writers just want to be paid something fair for the work they do -- both the writing itself but also all of the emails, talks, brain-pickings, etc.

Why does Sheriff Dar Leaf and his militia posse have military vehicles including a tank? wmuk.org/wmuk-news/2014…

🤔

For additional comments or additional supporting documentation, please contact IREHR executive director Devin Burghart via DM Devin Burghart or email [email protected].

Interesting how I have chapters on each of these in my book and explain why sheriffs are a unique inflection point.

penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707263/t…