In addition to casting ballots for political leaders, D.C. residents had the chance to vote on a single ballot measure this Election Day. Initiative 81 makes investigations and arrests of entheogenic plants and fungi the lowest level of police-enforcement priority. After receiving 76% of the voter’s support, this measure is a huge step towards effectively […]Continue reading
For decades, drugs and drug use have been heavily criminalized and prosecuted across the nation. Beginning in 1971, the so-called “war on drugs,” as coined by President Nixon, represented the effort by the federal government to stop the spread of drug use. More truthfully, and far more insidiously, however, the war on drugs was the […]Continue reading
While the rate of incarceration has decreased slightly in recent years, the United States still incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country in the world. Because of this, special attention must be given to the causes of such a high incarceration rate in order to enact criminal justice reforms that effectively address the […]Continue reading
When agencies such as the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Public Defender Service, or even the Secret Service need crime scene evidence of guns, DNA or fingerprints processed, they turn to the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS). The DFS is classified as an independent agency, with a director appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. The Case that […]Continue reading
Type 1 diabetes is an incurable disease that occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is required to regulate blood sugar levels. Individuals with type 1 diabetes must monitor their blood sugar on their own through a combination of insulin, diet control, and medication. This leaves far more room for error, as […]Continue reading
On March 13, 2020, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, an African American EMT, was shot and killed by police carrying out a no-knock warrant on her Louisville, Kentucky apartment. The killing sparked months of nationwide outrage, Black Lives Matter protests, and calls for police reform, which resulted in the passing of Breonna’s Law, effectively banning no-knock warrants in […]Continue reading
The United States Constitution delineates certain inalienable rights given to all citizens. Many of these rights specifically protect against government intrusion. In other words, they detail what the government cannot do to its citizens. One such amendment is the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by government actors, requiring there to be […]Continue reading
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” -RBG On September 18th, 2020, the country mourned the loss of cultural and political icon, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was only the second woman to serve on America’s highest court. One of […]Continue reading
As the ongoing pandemic rages across the world, people in every state in the United States are required, or have been required, to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. Being confined in the home has posed a litany of added stressors, including financial problems and mental health deterioration’s. […]Continue reading
Are accountability and transparency the solution? Or is policing as we know it an outdated approach to public safety? On Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrived at the 200 Block of Orange St SE in response to an Instagram live stream of multiple individuals in a vehicle brandishing firearms. One of […]Continue reading
