You can listen to a montage of the stories in Emily's series below, or see a list (with links) to individual stories at the bottom of this post.
Stories about the criminal justice system often include the voices of lawyers, advocates, law enforcement and state corrections officials. But they rarely include the perspectives of the group of people most affected by the system: prisoners and those accused of a crime. In 2017, NHPR’s criminal justice reporter Emily Corwin produced a series of stories that sought to put those people at the center of her reporting. She wanted to explore the forces that shape who gets sent to jail, and who ends up staying there.
Emily’s reporting included pieces on the state parole system, juvenile justice, the impact of a growing drug epidemic on prison populations, and racial and economic inequities in New Hampshire’s criminal justice system. The result is an ambitious, engaging body of work that tackles a tough subject from consistently fresh perspectives.
Highlights from NHPR's coverage of criminal justice in 2017:
1.12.17 - Dozens Held On Low Bail For Nonviolent Crimes At Valley Street Jail
2.2.17 - Inmates Protest New Rules Limiting Kissing and Hugging Visitors at N.H. Prisons
2.27.17 - How One Man Spent 575 Days (and $43,000 in Tax Dollars) In Jail For Trespassing
3.17.17 - N.H. Inmates Build Bonds With Their Kids - Through Reading
5.9.17 - In Manchester, Combining Social Work and Police Work to Help Troubled Kids
6.5.17 - Concord Refugee Faces Charges, Barriers and Misunderstanding
6.27.17 - "You're Full of #$*@!" At N.H. Parole Board, Tough Talk Can Veer to the Profane