Why journalists should cover local jails
In this article for The Poynter Institute, Al Tompkins underscores the importance of journalists covering local jails and suggests several coverage angles that journalists can use to convince readers to care more about incarceration at the local level. In particular, Tompkins highlights a few national issues that intersect with local jails (e.g. fines and fees, bail reform, the opioid crisis) and cites examples of workshops, multimedia feature stories, and documentary films that have successfully altered public perceptions of incarceration.
Recommended Articles
Cascading Consequences of Fines and Fees on Rural Communities
Despite evidence that fines and fees are an unstable and unreliable revenue source, states and local governments impose court fines and fees to fund c...
Cascading Consequences of Fines and Fees on Rural Communities
The Cost We No Longer Pay: How Fines and Fees Reform Delivered Billions in Relief for Families
The Cost We No Longer Pay: How Fines and Fees Reform Delivered Billions in Relief for Families
Roots of Wealth: Unearthing Black Prosperity in the South
Roots of Wealth: Unearthing Black Prosperity in the South
Political Victims: How the Politics of Victims Rights Comes Up Short
Political Victims: How the Politics of Victims Rights Comes Up Short
Following the Money of Mass Incarceration 2026
Following the Money of Mass Incarceration 2026