EJI Wins New Trial for 14-Year-Old Michigan Child Sentenced to Die in Prison
September 2, 2010The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan yesterday granted a new trial to EJI client T.J. Tremble, who was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murder when he was just 14 years old.
Sexual Assault in Alabama Prisons and Jails Among Highest in Nation
August 31, 2010A study released last week by the Department of Justice reveals that Alabama prisons and jails have some of the highest rates of sexual assault in the nation.
Study Shows Money Influenced Judicial Elections With Alabama Spending At The Top
August 22, 2010A new study led by the Brennan Center for Justice has documented how the enormous rise in judicial campaign spending over the last decade threatens the impartiality of our nation’s courts and undermines public confidence in the justice system.
Alabama Inmate Beaten to Death by Guards at Ventress Prison
August 17, 2010State officials are investigating the death of a 24-year-old prison inmate who was beaten to death by guards at Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton, Alabama, on August 4, 2010. Rocrast Mack was serving a 20-year sentence for a non-violent drug offense at the time of his death.
Despite Appeal from Prison Guards for Clemency, Jeff Land is Executed
August 12, 2010The State of Alabama executed Jeff Land today despite compelling evidence of his transformation into remorseful man who became a peacemaker and, according to prison guards, saved lives by helping to prevent violence and conflicts on death row.
EJI Wins Reversal for Death Row Client Mark Brown
August 2, 2010On July 30, 2010, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reversed Mark Brown’s conviction and death sentence, ruling that the trial judge illegally instructed the jury that it could find Mr. Brown guilty of capital murder even if he did not intend to kill the victims.
United States Considered Most Punitive Country in the World
July 26, 2010
From The Economist
Mass incarceration in the United States continues at record high levels despite outsized costs. According to recent data reported in The Economist, the United States has the world's highest incarceration rate, locking up five times more people per capita than Britain, nine times more than Germany, and 12 times more than Japan.
Alabama Supreme Court Sets Two Execution Dates
July 23, 2010The Alabama Supreme Court has issued an order setting two execution dates: Michael Land is scheduled to be executed on August 12, 2010, and Holly Wood is scheduled to be executed on September 2, 2010.
James Fisher Wins Release to EJI's Re-Entry Program After 27 Years on Death Row
July 15, 2010
James Fisher
After 27 years on Oklahoma's death row and more than a decade of expert assistance from EJI, James Fisher was released this week and will be entering EJI's Post-Release Education and Preparation (PREP) program.
EJI Director Awarded Prestigious NAACP Ming Award for Advocacy
July 12, 2010Today in Kansas City, Missouri, the NAACP awarded EJI Director Bryan Stevenson the William Robert Ming Award for Advocacy at the opening plenary session of its 101st National Convention. The award is one of the NAACP’s highest honors for professionals in the legal field and was presented to Mr. Stevenson for the work of the Equal Justice Initiative, which this year has issued a major report documenting illegal racial discrimination in jury selection, led a successful effort in the United States Supreme Court to abolish life imprisonment without parole sentences imposed on juveniles, provided critical legal assistance to condemned prisoners on death row and prisoners wrongly convicted or illegally sentenced, and aided many others facing unfair and unjust treatment in the criminal justice system.
Race and Jury Report
New EJI report and materials detailing ongoing problem of race bias in jury selection.
PDF: EJI Report on Sentencing Young Kids to Die in Prison
Graham v. Florida and Sullivan v. Florida
Materials on the Supreme Court's decision striking down life without parole for juvenile nonhomicide offenses.
Audio: Race and Jury Selection on NPR
All Things Considered features Bryan Stevenson on continued exclusion of African Americans from jury service.
Video: Sentencing Young Teens to Die in Prison
EJI film documents sentencing of young kids to life in prison without parole.
Video: Joe Sullivan on PBS Need To Know
Featuring EJI client whose death-in-prison sentence for a crime at age 13 was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Video: Bryan Stevenson on Children Sentenced to Life Without Parole
Video: Illegal Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection
Video: Illegal Race Bias in Alabama: The Earl McGahee Case
Alabama's Failure to Provide Counsel to Death Row Prisoners
Editorials criticizing Alabama's failure to provide counsel to death row prisoners and discussing EJI's class-action lawsuit challenging the lack of counsel for the condemned.