How to Court Watch as a Criminal Justice Reform Advocate
Direct Answer Court watching — community members attending and systematically documenting public court proceedings — is one of the most…
Rita Williams
Rita Williams is a Michigan-based judicial oversight analyst and founder of Clutch Justice, an investigative platform focused on court system accountability, sentencing integrity, and SCAO policy. Her work examines how courts, policies, and administrative systems operate in practice, with a focus on where process breaks down and harm is created. Drawing on lived experience and systems-level analysis, she writes to make legal structures more readable, expose institutional gaps, and advocate for reforms grounded in both evidence and human impact. Rita’s writing bridges legal analysis, institutional critique, and public education, with a consistent focus on accountability without losing sight of the people most affected by the justice system.
Small-Town Justice: How Judicial Bias Thrives in Rural Courts
Direct Answer In the American legal system, impartiality is a cornerstone principle — and research consistently shows that 97 percent…
Hide your Kittens, Hide Your Cupcakes: The Surprising Ways Free Speech is Under Attack
Direct Answer Free speech is under attack — not in the abstract, not as a talking point, but in real,…
The Healing Power of Theatre: Embracing Prison Theatre Programs
Direct Answer Prison theatre programs have documented records of reducing infractions, improving emotional regulation, increasing educational achievement, and lowering recidivism…
World Press Freedom Day: How Courts Are Silencing Journalists in America
Direct Answer Courts across the United States are increasingly deploying legal mechanisms to restrict journalist access to and reporting from…
Vera Institute Intro to Criminal Justice Guide: A Starting Point for Smarter Advocacy
Direct Answer The Vera Institute of Justice has released an Intro to Criminal Justice Guide for people new to advocacy…
Why the Criminal Justice System Operates Like a Multi-Level Marketing Scheme
Direct Answer Multi-level marketing schemes survive by recruiting new participants, concentrating profit at the top, extracting value from those at…
Michigan’s Broken Prison Grievance System Is Failing Incarcerated People—and a Federal Judge Just Called It Out
Direct Answer U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford has called Michigan’s prison grievance system a “sham” — a…
How a Board of Commissioners Can Influence Prosecutions and Why It Matters
Direct Answer When people think about the criminal justice system, they typically focus on police, prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys….
Court Watching Meets Data: How Kalamazoo Is Building Accountability Through Community Observation
Direct Answer NowKalamazoo and Kalamazoo Defender have launched the Kalamazoo Court Observers program — a community-based accountability initiative funded by…
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