Policing Pain Policing Pain
It’s been estimated that half of the people shot and killed by police officers in the United States have some type of mental-health problem. James Boyd was killed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a five-hour negotiation with police, who were trying to get the homeless man to leave his illegal campsite. Boyd had only two small camping knives, but he was shot in the back after the officers set off a stun grenade. When they aren’t killing people with mental-health issues, the police are arresting them, a harrowing and harmful experience in its own right. “Jails are the number one mental-health facilities across the country,” San Antonio Police Officer Joe Smarro explains in a new video series about overcriminalization, which launches at TheNation.com on October 9. Produced by Brave New Films in partnership with the ACLU, the series explores alternatives to the criminalization of social problems like mental illness, homelessness and addiction. Please support our journalism. Get a digital subscription for just $9.50! There’s a long history in America of imprisoning vulnerable populations. The criminalizing of homelessness harks back to the days after Reconstruction, when outdated vagrancy laws were suddenly applied to the newly freed black population. The “black codes” targeted formerly enslaved people, who were arrested for violations such as lacking proof of employment. They were then sent to prisons that had sprung up on former plantations, effectively re-enslaving them. This legacy carries on through stop-and-frisk policies and discriminatory immigration enforcement measures. Such policies criminalize everyday behavior, are enforced in a racist fashion, and designate police officers as the first and only solution to society’s problems. That’s why this series is not just about describing the problem, but about how you can take action. These videos focus on innovative and cost-effective solutions that actually improve people’s lives, making us less dependent on prisons and policing to address problems that are far too complex to be beaten into submission. Read Next: Steven Hsieh on the mentally ill veteran who “baked to death” at Rikers
Oct 8, 2014 / Mychal Denzel Smith
What’s Wrong With Comparing ISIS to a Disease What’s Wrong With Comparing ISIS to a Disease
While the Obama administration used cancer metaphors to sell a war, it ignored the spread of a real disease.
Oct 8, 2014 / Column / Richard Kim
A Summary of the Realignment of Public Opinion Concerning the Agency Responsible for the Protection of the President and His Family A Summary of the Realignment of Public Opinion Concerning the Agency Responsible for the Protection of the President and His Family
The Secret Service Now makes us nervous.
Oct 8, 2014 / Column / Calvin Trillin
‘Welfare-to-Work’ Has Failed, So New York City Is Trying Something New ‘Welfare-to-Work’ Has Failed, So New York City Is Trying Something New
Human Resources Administration announces changes to a system long critiqued by advocates.
Oct 8, 2014 / Michelle Chen
This Is What Happens When Republicans Try to Destroy Public Education This Is What Happens When Republicans Try to Destroy Public Education
Outrage over deep budget cutbacks in key states is hurting the GOP.
Oct 8, 2014 / Zoë Carpenter
In the Wake of Ferguson, Demand Concrete Change In the Wake of Ferguson, Demand Concrete Change
We’ve joined forces with ColorofChange.org, Daily Kos, the Advancement Project and a host of other organizations to call on the executive branch of our federal government to ...
Oct 8, 2014 / NationAction
Right-Wing Fear-Mongering Is Far More Contagious Than Ebola Right-Wing Fear-Mongering Is Far More Contagious Than Ebola
When it comes to Ebola, ISIS and other perceived threats, the right basically wants us to build a higher dang fence and then Otherize the heck out of everything on the other side.
Oct 8, 2014 / Leslie Savan
‘Israel’s War On Gaza Is Not A Game’: Scenes From the NBA Preseason Protest ‘Israel’s War On Gaza Is Not A Game’: Scenes From the NBA Preseason Protest
Inside and outside the Barclays Center, protesters came out to raise their voices against a Friends of the IDF fundraiser that was coupled with an NBA preseason game between the Ne...
Oct 8, 2014 / Dave Zirin
Why Can’t Republican Candidates Say Whether They Want Boots on the Ground? Why Can’t Republican Candidates Say Whether They Want Boots on the Ground?
Republicans are criticizing Obama for an unclear strategy, but won’t answer this key question.
Oct 8, 2014 / George Zornick
Comix Nation Comix Nation
Oct 7, 2014 / Tom Tomorrow