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We are a worker-run newsroom reporting on the harms of the criminal legal system.

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Read Elizabeth's story to learn more about York County's use of restraint chairs and efforts to ban their use. theappeal.org/york-county-...
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Advocates have widely condemned the use of restraint chairs in U.S. prisons, jails, and other detention facilities. The UN has called their use a form of torture. Nonetheless, many carceral facilities continue the practice, sometimes using them on children as young as 14.
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
York County paid a $1.5 million settlement to Palmer's family. His case made national headlines. But York County didn't change its practices, and six years later, another man died after being put in a restraint chair during a mental health crisis.
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
In 2021, voters in Allegheny County passed a referendum banning the use of restraint chairs. Other large counties in PA, including Philadelphia and Delaware County, haven't used them in years, even without a formal ban.

York County has become an outlier in the state.
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
In her latest story for The Appeal, @elizabethweill.bsky.social analyzed use-of-force data for Pennsylvania's county jails, finding that York County used restraint chairs far more often than any other jail in the state.
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Everett Palmer, Jr., died after he was strapped to a restraint chair in York County's jail in 2018. A grand jury made recommendations to prevent similar deaths. Instead of implementing them, York County used the chair 1,295 times—more often any other jail in PA. theappeal.org/york-county-...
January 21, 2026 at 5:05 PM
You can view our interactive map of potentially at-risk facilities here: theappeal.org/los-angeles-...
January 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Check out our map linked here to get all the latest details on the arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters nationwide.
theappeal.org/prosecutors-...
May 3, 2024 at 9:48 PM
You can toggle over any dot on our map to find the campus name, number of arrests, prosecuting agency, prosecutor's response, and prosecutor's election year.

Prosecutors hold enormous power: they can brand these protesters with a criminal record for life—or let them go.
April 27, 2024 at 1:08 AM
The Arizona Supreme Court will soon decide whether to allow abortions up to 15 weeks of pregnancy—or ban the medical procedure almost entirely. The case could open the door for people to be prosecuted for their pregnancy outcomes. theappeal.org/arizona-abor...
December 12, 2023 at 11:07 PM
The majority of Americans reported that they believe crime has increased nearly every year between 1990 and 2022, according to Gallup opinion polling. In reality, violent crime fell during all but seven of those years, and property crime fell during all but three.
October 16, 2023 at 7:45 PM