When the Phone Never Rings Long Enough: How Communication Failures Punish Families Without Cause
Update, 1/3/2026 Phone fixes are in progress at St. Louis, but Newberry Correctional is also experiencing similar phone issues, leading…
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.
Michigan’s Aging Prison Population Shows We Ignore the Data on Crime and Age
Michigan officials are now sounding the alarm about an aging prison population. The framing suggests surprise, as if this outcome…
Attorney Brandon T. Wolfe Reprimanded With Conditions After IOLTA Trust Account Violations
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has issued a reprimand with conditions against Brandon T. Wolfe (P82421) of Troy, Michigan, following findings that he mishandled funds held…
Attorney James M. Poniewierski Suspended for 30 Days Following OWI Conviction
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has suspended James M. Poniewierski (P73652) of Southfield, Michigan, for 30 days, effective August 1, 2025, following a consent discipline agreement…
The Justice System Punishes Families—Not Just Defendants
When someone is charged with a crime, the system treats it as an individual matter: one defendant, one case, one…
Attorney Thomas J. Wilson Suspended for Two Years and Ordered to Pay Restitution After Multiple Misconduct Findings
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has suspended Thomas J. Wilson (P33071) of Lexington, Michigan, for two years, effective November 14, 2025, following a hearing panel’s findings…
Mental Illness Did Not Predict Recidivism in a U.S. Prison Sample. That Finding Changes the Conversation.
There is a story the system tells itself every time politicians, prosecutors, and judges want a shortcut. When someone cycles…
Why Court Dates Take Forever—and Who That Delay Actually Hurts
If you’ve ever been pulled into the justice system, one of the first shocks is how slowly everything moves. Weeks…
When the Crisis Never Ends: How the Justice System Freezes Families in Survival Mode
A Crisis That Never Resolves For many families, the COVID-19 pandemic did not end cleanly. And if your family became…
Why “Just Get a Lawyer” Is Really Bad Advice for Most People
Let’s Talk About Cost, Access, Time, and the Structural Barriers No One Likes to Name “Just get a lawyer.” I…
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