felon

Should we stop using the word "felon"?

11:05am June 12, 2024

This week, we're turning our sights on the word "felon", and looking into what it tells us (and can't tell us) about the 19 million people in the U.S. — like Donald Trump and Hunter Biden — carrying that designation around.

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Shane Lee Brown (left) spent six days in jail after police departments in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nev., confused him with Shane Neal Brown, an older white man and a felon.

National

A Black man jailed instead of a white male felon with a similar name is suing police

2:17pm January 25, 2022

by Deepa Shivaram

Nevada police thought Shane Lee Brown, who is Black, was Shane Neal Brown, who is white, taller and roughly twice as old. Now, Shane Lee Brown has filed suit, seeking $500,000 in damages.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced the latest executive action on Tuesday, sying, "We are a Commonwealth that believes in moving forward, not being tied down by the mistakes of our past."

Virginia Governor Clears Path For Ex-Convicts To Regain Voting Rights

8:34pm March 16, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

"Too many of our laws were written during a time of open racism and discrimination, and they still bear the traces of inequity," Gov. Ralph Northam said on Tuesday.

Books

'Felon' Author Says, 'Everybody Has To Tell Their Kids Something'

5:41pm November 03, 2019

by Leila Fadel

Lawyer-poet Reginald Dwayne Betts for years hid the fact that he had served time in prison. Now, this time in his life is at the center of his new collection of poems.