Criminal Justice

In parts of the state, people are waiting weeks for a public defender — but even in King County, where it's a government job with good pay, public defenders say there aren't enough.

In Washington, fentanyl is killing more people than any drug documented in the last 30 years. But Nick Brown, the first Black U.S. attorney in state history, is frank about how he does not think prosecution alone is the answer.

We all fall somewhere on a spectrum when it comes to political participation. Maybe we just skim the news or vote in big races, but sometimes we're pushed…

The criminal justice system has long treated juveniles who commit crimes differently than adults. Now, research suggests young adults ages 18 to 25 should…

In Seattle and King County, homelessness is a state of emergency. The city council is considering a new “head tax” on business to help fund responses to…

Getting out of prison or jail might sound like an event to celebrate.But it can actually be one of the most challenging times for people attempting to…

Four states have no insanity defense. Advocates say that means seriously ill people can be executed where in other states they wouldn't be convicted at all, and it makes it harder to get treatment.

Jurors often are reluctant to acquit someone who committed a crime while mentally ill, or to find that person guilty. So they take a third option: guilty but mentally ill. It's far from perfect.

A new program in Southwest Washington will offer job training and employment assistance to people in jail. It’s aimed at helping them land on their feet…

Brian Phillips spent 71 days in solitary confinement this summer. He was locked up in the Thurston County Jail after he went off his psychiatric…