Collateral Consequences: The Punishment That Never Ends
The Reason Foundation recently published an insightful commentary examining one of the most under-discussed failures of the criminal legal system:…
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.
Why Must Prisoners’ Children “Do Time” Too?
Dyanna Castañeda Policarpio’s Behind and Beyond Bars: Children of Incarcerated Parents is one of those pieces that stops you cold…
Collateral Consequences: How Convictions Linger
Convictions, be it felony or misdemeanor, come with collateral consequences. And here’s the part no one tells you when you’re…
Defeated Michigan Sheriff Candidate Richelle Spencer Facing Felony Stalking Charge
Note: Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Barry County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment. The National…
Why Police Suspects Get More Due Process Than Everyone Else
While literally anyone could commit a crime, it is police suspects that perhaps receive the closest interpretation to due process…
Michigan Law Enforcement Supports Diversion Programs—So Why Aren’t We Using Them More?
A recent University of Michigan survey found that a majority of Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, and Prosecutors support diversion programs offering…
Why Probation in Michigan Pushes People Deeper Into Poverty
“One of these things are not like the other, one of these things doesn’t belong.” It’s not just a Sesame…
Why Holding Prosecutors Accountable Is So Difficult: Legal, Institutional, and Political Challenges
A question that I get a lot in my work and research is “why is it so hard to hold…
How Media Crime Coverage Fuels Mass Incarceration
Right on the heels of my post about Luigi Mangione, I came across The Sentencing Project’s guide to crime coverage…
Michael Villar Sworn in as New Allegan County Prosecutor: What This Means for the Community
Today, my favorite judge, William Baillargeon and his fabulous bow tie swore in my new and only favorite prosecutor, Michael…
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