A black and white collage of a person's face with handwritten notes and geometric shapes overlayed on the image, on a black background.

“No Choice but to Do It”

Many of the 230,000 women and girls behind bars in the U.S. were abuse survivors, and nearly a third were acting in self-defense.

Book cover of 'Confinement and Contagion' by Justine van der Leun, published in The New York Review.

“Confinement and Contagion”

How coronavirus has made women in prison more vulnerable, exposing deeper risk, fewer protections, and harsher consequences inside.

A collage of various abstract, dark-colored square and rectangular shapes layered and overlapping.

“The Evidence Against Her”

When Nikki Addimando shot her abusive partner, she thought she had enough proof it was self-defense. Why did the prosecution only see a cold-blooded killer?

A woman with blonde hair talking on a cell phone in a kitchen, wearing a red hat that says 'Wrongfully Convicted' and a black plaid blazer.

“Kelly Harnett Had to Get Free”

After helping her fellow prisoners, a jailhouse lawyer finally finds the means to help herself.

A woman wearing a red top and red hat sitting in a kitchen with a fridge, kitchen supplies, and a plant in the background.

“Death of a Survivor”

Darlene “Lulu” Benson-Seay became the first woman incarcerated in New York to die from Covid. Should she have been in prison in the first place?

Sketch of a border crossing with police officers and travelers, featuring a sign that says 'A Culture of NO,' a digital border sign, and a background with mountains and a blue sky.

“A Culture of No”

The fate of people seeking asylum in the U.S. depends not just on their claims, but where they land. This is the story of how one immigration court in Texas has shut the door.

Multiple police officers in riot gear standing in a line, holding shields labeled 'POLICE', with a city skyline in the background.

“You descend into hell by coming here”

At the US-Mexico border, asylum seekers face a hostile system, where one Texas court has turned refuge into a dead end.

A split image showing a woman with blonde hair on the left and a man with dark hair and glasses on the right.

“The Odd Couple”

One is searching for apartheid’s disappeared. The other helped make them disappear. What happens when their paths cross?

A rural asphalt road with yellow double lines curves into the distance, flanked by desert shrubs and trees, with mountains in the background and a clear evening sky.

“Rosi’s Choice”

When a young mother fleeing violence in El Salvador faces long odds for asylum, it raises a crucial question: Who deserves sanctuary in America?

Children playing outdoors in a grassy area with a fence behind them, overlooking a large makeshift settlement with scattered tin-roofed structures in the background.

“Portrait of a Township”

A vivid portrait of life in a Cape Town township shows how apartheid’s deep inequalities still shape hope, hardship, and everyday survival.