Piper French
@psfrench.bsky.social
reporting on prisons, jails, DAs for Bolts. freelance magazine work: NYRB, NYmag, Aperture, Lux, Drift, Nation
[email protected]
-> psfrench.com
en/es/fr
[email protected]
-> psfrench.com
en/es/fr
I wrote in May about the court's decision to appoint essentially a receiver to run Rikers - a very rare outcome signalling how bad things are there - and how this might paradoxically stymie longstanding efforts to end solitary confinement there: boltsmag.org/new-york-rik...
"The Mayor Is Not in Charge of the Jails Anymore" - Bolts
Ten years after Kalief Browder’s death by suicide, his story lingers as a reminder of both the horrors of New York City’s Rikers Island and the cascading consequences of solitary... Read More
boltsmag.org
January 27, 2026 at 6:37 PM
I wrote in May about the court's decision to appoint essentially a receiver to run Rikers - a very rare outcome signalling how bad things are there - and how this might paradoxically stymie longstanding efforts to end solitary confinement there: boltsmag.org/new-york-rik...
Some background from a Vermont Digger article about Deml's time heading up VT DOC - he took over in 2021, during the pandemic:
vtdigger.org/2025/07/28/v...
vtdigger.org/2025/07/28/v...
January 27, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Some background from a Vermont Digger article about Deml's time heading up VT DOC - he took over in 2021, during the pandemic:
vtdigger.org/2025/07/28/v...
vtdigger.org/2025/07/28/v...
Reposted by Piper French
. helped Bolts with @psfrench.bsky.social on the case of Chris Duncan
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Louisiana is executing prisoners again. His case shows the costs.
Gov. Jeff Landry stripped roadblocks to make it easier to kill those on death row. Chris Duncan's story illustrates how faulty the system can be.
www.motherjones.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:44 PM
. helped Bolts with @psfrench.bsky.social on the case of Chris Duncan
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
If you want more backstory, I wrote about survivors of FCI Dublin - dubbed "the rape club" - and their quest for compassionate release in 2024: boltsmag.org/federal-pris...
“What’s More Extraordinary and Compelling?” - Bolts
Women who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of guards at a notorious federal prison in California are now seeking compassionate release.
boltsmag.org
January 3, 2026 at 6:40 PM
If you want more backstory, I wrote about survivors of FCI Dublin - dubbed "the rape club" - and their quest for compassionate release in 2024: boltsmag.org/federal-pris...
Last week, the Massey Commission released its final report, which includes a long list of demands they hope will help transform local mental health services & policing. You'll have to read to see whether Sunshine succeeded and what comes next:
boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference. - Bolts
Part I: “I’m going to still try” On July 6, 2024, the morning after Sonya Massey was murdered by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, a local citizen journalist named Calvin... Read More
boltsmag.org
December 11, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Last week, the Massey Commission released its final report, which includes a long list of demands they hope will help transform local mental health services & policing. You'll have to read to see whether Sunshine succeeded and what comes next:
boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...