White Hall, Arkansas Judge Accused of Running Debtors’ Prison

A district judge based in White Hall, Arkansas, is accused of operating a ‘debtors’ prison,’ repeatedly locking up citizens too impoverished to cover court fines and fees. Local and national civil rights organizations are taking up the case of six Arkansas residents who claim they were caught up in an inescapable circuit of punishment. Each


Islamic Advocacy Organization Sues Government Over Terror Watchlist, Alleged Discrimination

An Islamic advocacy organization is planning to sue the federal government over its terror watchlist. USA Today reports the suit touches on a recently revealed program—operating under federal instruction, air marshals allegedly kept tabs on air passengers with no known links to terror groups. Gadeir Abbas, senior litigation attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations,




Judge Orders U.S. Government to Stop Force-Feeding Psychotropic Drugs to Immigrant Children

On Monday, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. government cannot continue administering psychotropic drugs to immigrant children without their consent. The decision caps a controversial practice which was revealed in July. An immigrant detention facility in Texas was accused of force-feeding children medications intended to treat psychiatric disorders. Told they were taking ‘vitamins,’ the





Minnesota Supreme Court Revives School Segregation Lawsuit

The Minnesota Supreme Court remanded a high-stakes school segregation lawsuit on Wednesday, one year after an appeals court had thrown the case out. The 4-2 ruling settles a question that had plagued the litigation since its inception: whether the provision of adequate education is an issue best taken up courts or congress. Writing for the


Texas Heat Wave Sparks Concerns Over Prisoners Incarcerated Without Climate Control

A heat wave covering central Texas is reigniting concerns over the welfare of prisoners incarcerated without climate control. The Texas Tribune reports that some seventy-five percent of prisons within the state don’t have air conditioning in housing areas. While hard time isn’t meant to be easy, extreme weather can endanger the well-being of thousands. Thermometers