For decades, advocates have warned about the school-to-prison pipeline, the pattern where disciplinary practices push students, especially Black, Brown, disabled, and low-income youth, out of classrooms and into the criminal legal system. It’s not an abstract concept. Harsh zero-tolerance policies, excessive suspensions, oppressive police presence in schools, and biased disciplinary referrals mean that a child can go from a single disruptive incident to…

On social media this morning, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido shared a well-designed image declaring today National Stop Bullying Day and urging people to “Be Informed. Be Aware. Take Action. Show Support.” It’s a noble message, one no child, parent, or community member would argue against. But if you’ve spent any time watching the situation unfold around unauthorized court photography…

With Halloween on the way, I thought I would do some fun pieces on horror movies. Horror is often a safe way for people to experience real trauma; to examine things that scare us or reflect on social commentary. So every Wednesday this October, I'll be working through some of my favorites and sharing some insights with you. Wes Craven gave us Freddy Krueger, the stuff of literal nightmares, but in…

Earlier this month, the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board issued a Notice of Automatic Interim Suspension for Christopher J. Woolf (P‑79877). According to the notice, Woolf was convicted on August 7, 2025, in Ingham County on multiple serious charges, including: Child sexually abusive activity Using computers to commit a crime Accosting a child Additional related computer crimes Because his conviction triggered automatic rules under Michigan court rules, his 

Today, I watched some eyebrow raising body cam footage. The kind that made me shake my head in disbelief and question "is this really America?" What did I see? Four laser dots. All aimed at a single person. A non-violent charge. No warrant provided/shown (the excuse is always there is no physical warrant now; it's all digital). This wasn’t a barricade standoff.

The handbook the powerful hate and the powerless keep reaching for. This month, we're reading Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky. Why We’re Still Reading This Rules for Radicals was published in 1971, but it definitely reads like it was written for 2025. Why? Because every injustice you see today, crooked judges, prosecutors drunk on power in addition to booze, families broken by poverty, still exists for the same reason: …

We expect prosecutors to be guardians of the law; to act with integrity, fairness, and accountability. We trust them to hold others to the rules, to pursue the guilty, and to protect the innocent. But what happens when a prosecutor appears to believe that the law does not apply to them? That is the troubling question raised by an…

For years, Clutch Justice has been digging into systemic injustice, amplifying unheard voices, and equipping people to fight back. Now, we’re taking that mission one step further... into your hands (literally). We’re excited to announce that Clutch Justice is officially on Etsy! Why We Opened a Shop We know the fight for fairness isn’t just won in courtrooms; it’s powered by people.

And baby, that’s show business for you. Surprise! This is the Track 5 for the special series celebrating Taylor Swift’s 12th Album, The Life of a Showgirl (and the rumored release of Reputation Vault Tracks). Queue Track 5 Vibes Taylor Swift’s Track 5s are where the walls come down; the quietest confessions wrapped in raw honesty. This is my Track 5.

Michigan lawmakers finally based a budget. One that has left criminal justice reform advocates reeling, demonstrating a blatant lack of care for not just impacted people, but entire communities. While we're all still trying to get our arms around the impacts, advocates know that Cutting Reentry Support: A Self-Inflicted Wound Early yesterday morning, the State of Michigan voted to completely eliminate funding for proven reentry programs,

And baby, that’s show business for you. Join clutch for a special 4-day series in celebration of Taylor Swift’s 12th Album, The Life of a Showgirl (and the rumored release of Reputation Vault Tracks). Taylor Swift’s career is often framed around music and heartbreak, but behind the lyrics is a masterclass in economic strategy. From reclaiming her masters to controlling tour revenue and brand partnerships, Swift shows how intentional financial power can change entire industries.

And baby, that’s show business for you. Join clutch for a special 4-day series in celebration of Taylor Swift’s 12th Album, The Life of a Showgirl (and the rumored release of Reputation Vault Tracks). Welcome to the showgirl era! When Taylor Swift announced The Eras Tour, millions of fans organized online with military precision; sharing tips, coordinating ticket drops, and…

The race to be Kalamazoo’s next mayor has officially begun. On the heels of MLive’s published feature, Kalamazoo Mayoral Candidate Robert Gray is hosting a meet and greet, complete with free hot dogs, chips, juice, and water, this Friday, October 3rd from at the Citgo Station on the corner of Portage Street and E. Stockbridge Street. The event is framed not as a campaign rally but as an informal way to meet the candidate, share a meal, and talk about the issues facing Kalamazoo.

Allegan County has long prided itself on being “tough on crime,” (we all know what that really means) but the documents we’ve reviewed tell a different story; one where prosecutors, judges, and Safe Harbor, the county’s children’s advocacy center, blurred lines of authority and accountability in ways that undermined victims and justice alike. The case of 

In light of a recent Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) tablet story, I thought it was worth discussing exactly how these jailbroke tablets made their way in. As a quick refresher, A jailbroken tablet is a prison-issued device that’s been modified to remove or bypass its restrictions. Normally, MDOC (and other corrections systems) lock down tablets so that incarcerated people can only use them for approved functions: things like monitored email messaging, music purchased through vendors like JPay, or limited educational tools.

And baby, that’s show business for you. Join clutch for a special 4-day series in celebration of Taylor Swift’s 12th Album, The Life of a Showgirl (and the rumored release of Reputation Vault Tracks). Music has always been a weapon of change. From Billie Holiday’s haunting “Strange Fruit” to the freedom songs of the Civil Rights Movement, art has fueled resistance and hope.

Unauthorized Courtroom Photos Raise Alarming Questions — Again Multiple sources have sent still frames from the September 22, 2025 Macomb County PPO hearing. While those frames are now with law enforcement, recreations shared by witnesses illustrate a troubling point: an individual is most definitely captured on film photographing inside Judge Tracey Yokich's courtroom without judicial permission. Under Michigan law and most local court rules, …

And baby, that's show business for you. Join clutch for a special 4-day series in celebration of Taylor Swift's 12th Album, The Life of a Showgirl (and the rumored release of Reputation Vault Tracks). It's no secret around here that I'm a swiftie. So of course I had to do something for the upcoming October 3rd release of her Twelfth studio album, …

The Monsters Were Always Real Every Halloween, we gather around our screens to scream at ghosts, vampires, masked killers, and cursed mirrors. But for many of us doing criminal justice reform work, these stories feel eerily familiar; not because we’ve faced literal monsters, but because we’ve spent our lives battling the real horrors of our legal system: mass incarceration, state violence, systemic erasure, and generational trauma.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you, Newspapers.com! If you’re an investigator, journalist, or justice reform advocate, old newspapers are gold mines. They hold forgotten court notices, business filings, obituaries, property transfers, and long-lost stories that connect today’s events to decades of history. One of the best tools to dig into this archive is Newspapers.com, a massive searchable collection of digitized newspapers going back more than 200 years.

Chad Topaz is on A Mission: Bringing Light to Injustice With Data Ida B. Wells once said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” In a time when America’s legal system feels dark and unfair, a new book aims to do exactly that, and make complex data accessible to everyone. Unlocking Justice: The Power of Data to Confront Inequity and Create Change…

Politicians love to pound the table and declare themselves “tough on crime.”  It’s the oldest applause line in American politics. But here’s the reality: being “tough on crime” is an incredibly stupid slogan, not a strategy; and when you dig into the numbers, it almost always means being dumb on data. The Myth of Toughness The phrase “tough on crime” is made to intentionally sound like common sense; no one is ok with crime.

Over the last few months, Michigan faced shocking acts of violence; the Walmart stabbings and now, the Grand Blanc shooting. Lives were lost and families shattered, adding to the state’s growing list of mass tragedies. Each time, we hear the same maddening refrain afterward: “There were warning signs.” Wel,l no shit. The problem is that no one seems to be listening until it's too late.

America’s prisons don’t just punish; they recycle people. Far too often, individuals return to society without the tools, support, or opportunity to rebuild their lives. The result? High recidivism rates that keep people trapped in the system and communities locked in cycles of instability. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Across the country, programs and reforms are proving that with the right investments, people…