Bolts https://boltsmag.org/ Bolts is a digital publication that covers the nuts and bolts of power and political change, from the local up. We report on the places, people, and politics that shape public policy but are dangerously overlooked. We tell stories that highlight the real world stakes of local elections, obscure institutions, and the grassroots movements that are targeting them. Thu, 23 Jan 2025 18:09:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cropped-New-color-B@3000x-32x32.png Bolts https://boltsmag.org/ 32 32 203587192 How Chicago’s Immigrant Rights Groups Plan to Hold the Line on Sanctuary Policies https://boltsmag.org/chicago-immigrant-rights-groups-prepare-sanctuary-policies/ Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:50:15 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7349 As Trump threatens Chicago, organizers are bracing for raids but also hopeful that a vast suite of local protections and community trainings can limit the scale of deportations.

The post How Chicago’s Immigrant Rights Groups Plan to Hold the Line on Sanctuary Policies appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/25020749569416-scaled.jpg Anti-Trump protesters rally on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) 7349 On Voting Rights, Eight Legal Battles to Watch in 2025  https://boltsmag.org/voting-rights-legal-battles-to-watch-2025/ Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:08:28 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7341 From the continued threats against the Voting Rights Act to new restrictions on mail ballots and voter registration, courts will have a lot of opportunities to shape democracy this year.

The post On Voting Rights, Eight Legal Battles to Watch in 2025  appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24320626403841-scaled.jpg Cleo Fields was just elected to Congress from Louisiana last year. But his district may not survive a Supreme Court case this spring that is testing his state's congressional map and the viability of Black-majority districts. (Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO via AP Images) 7341 This Pennsylvania County Wiped Out Millions in Jail Debt https://boltsmag.org/jail-debt-and-pay-to-stay-in-dauphin-county-pennsylvania/ Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:36:24 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7323 After Dauphin County ended the practice of charging people while they’re detained in jail, first-term Commissioner Justin Douglas pushed it to also forgive more than $65 million in lodging fees.

The post This Pennsylvania County Wiped Out Millions in Jail Debt appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_0161-scaled-e1736951855576.jpg Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas holds a sign listing the total amount in jail debt forgiven after he voted for the policy in September 2024. (Photo courtesy of Justin Douglas) 7323 Terminally Ill People Languish in North Carolina Prisons, Even After Reforms https://boltsmag.org/north-carolina-prison-medical-release/ Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:20:44 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7283 North Carolina expanded the law for people seeking medical release from prison, but eligibility remains limited.

The post Terminally Ill People Languish in North Carolina Prisons, Even After Reforms appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/image0.jpeg Illustration by Verónica Martinez for Bolts 7283 The Local Elections That Will Define Criminal Justice Policy in 2025 https://boltsmag.org/2025-criminal-justice-elections/ Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:33:37 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7285 Big-city mayor, prosecutor, and sheriff elections this year could carry high stakes for policing and punishment.

The post The Local Elections That Will Define Criminal Justice Policy in 2025 appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/23188532717107-scaled.jpg Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, left, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, speak at a news conference in New York's Times Square, Oct. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) 7285 A Michigan Sheriff and Prosecutor Join Forces to Implement Progressive Policy https://boltsmag.org/a-michigan-sheriff-and-prosecutor-join-forces-to-implement-progressive-policy-washtenaw-county/ Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:27:57 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7278 On Jan. 1, Alyshia Dyer will take office as sheriff of Washtenaw County, Michigan, an event that will mark the union of some strange bedfellows in the county’s criminal legal... Read More

The post A Michigan Sheriff and Prosecutor Join Forces to Implement Progressive Policy appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dyer_Ceremony_081-scaled.jpg Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer is sworn in by District Court Judge Erane Washington in a ceremony on Dec. 3. (Photo by Charlotte Smith) 7278 For Survivors of Forced Sterilization in California Prisons, a Rushed Shot at Justice https://boltsmag.org/forced-sterilizations-california-prisons/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:53:17 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7268 A state board deciding reparations for women sterilized against their will rejected most applications. Advocates are now racing against a January deadline for victims to appeal.

The post For Survivors of Forced Sterilization in California Prisons, a Rushed Shot at Justice appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/7104180125-1-scaled.jpg Complaints from advocates, investigative reporting and state inquiries over the past two decades revealed that numerous women incarcerated in California prisons were sterilized without required consent. (AP Photo/George Brich, FILE) 7268 How Michigan Stopped Saddling Children with Millions in Court Debt https://boltsmag.org/michigan-juvenile-justice-reform-ending-court-debt/ Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:00:21 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7260 Last year, Michigan stopped imposing court fines and fees on kids, and relieved millions of dollars in past debt. Now, it may also ensure that kids get adequate representation in court.

The post How Michigan Stopped Saddling Children with Millions in Court Debt appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-2.jpg Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist in December 2023. signing juvenile justice reform legislation ending court fines and fees for youth. (Photo courtesy Michigan Center for Youth Justice) 7260 GOP Grabs Control of North Carolina Election Boards, Rushing to Negate November Losses https://boltsmag.org/north-carolina-republicans-upend-election-administration/ Thu, 12 Dec 2024 22:25:52 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7251 In their final weeks before they lose the ability to pass laws, Republican lawmakers gutted the powers of incoming Democratic officials and upended who runs elections.

The post GOP Grabs Control of North Carolina Election Boards, Rushing to Negate November Losses appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_3441.jpg North Carolinians protest the passage of a new law that, among other changes, upends election administration in the state. (Photo by Greg Stewart.) 7251 The Past and Present of Immigration Detention: Your Questions Answered https://boltsmag.org/the-past-and-present-of-immigration-detention-your-questions-answered/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:48:42 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7238 A historian of migrant detention responds to questions from Bolts readers on the vast network of local lockups that jail immigrants, and how it's evolving.

The post The Past and Present of Immigration Detention: Your Questions Answered appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/19357741063426-scaled.jpg People talk on telephones at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File) 7238 Pop-Up Voting Centers Bring the Polls Directly to Unhoused Angelenos https://boltsmag.org/los-angeles-county-flex-vote-centers-unhoused-voters/ Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:26:10 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7229 Nationwide, unhoused people have some of the lowest turnout among all voters. Los Angeles County is trying to change this with flexible polling centers that meet people where they are.

The post Pop-Up Voting Centers Bring the Polls Directly to Unhoused Angelenos appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1700-scaled.jpg A mobile Flex Vote Center set-up at My Friend's Place in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 28. (Photo by Erin Rode) 7229 The GOP Came Out Ahead in Legislative Races, But Their Gains Were Modest and Uneven https://boltsmag.org/legislative-elections-2024/ Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:43:32 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7221 Our annual review of incoming state legislatures breaks down the swing in each chamber and the five biggest political and policy takeaways.

The post The GOP Came Out Ahead in Legislative Races, But Their Gains Were Modest and Uneven appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/143.jpg Inside the Vermont state capitol in Montpelier. The state saw the largest swing in legislative districts this year, with the GOP gaining 25 additional seats. (Photo from iStock/gnagel) 7221 The Michigan Jail that Candidates Keep Visiting https://boltsmag.org/flint-michigan-jail-candidate-forums/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:37:43 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7191 This county lockup in Flint goes far beyond most in promoting civic engagement. But the jail still cuts people off from the world in many other ways while they await trial, sometimes for years.

The post The Michigan Jail that Candidates Keep Visiting appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_5390-scaled.jpg Genesee County Clerk Domonique Clemons speaks to people incarcerated inside the county jail ahead of a candidate forum at the on Oct. 3. (Photo by Alex Burness) 7191 How California’s Embrace of a Tough-on-Crime Measure May Undo a Decade of Reform https://boltsmag.org/california-prop-36-tough-on-crime-prison-reform/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 18:08:36 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7201 The passage of Prop 36 marks a return to harsher punishments for some drug and theft crimes. Advocates worry it will also lead to a surge in prison populations.

The post How California’s Embrace of a Tough-on-Crime Measure May Undo a Decade of Reform appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DSC05770-scaled.jpg A “Vote No on Prop 6” rally hosted by the Anti-Recidivism Coalition at the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on September 24, 2024 (Photo by Nicholas Tirado) 7201 Powered by Native Voters, Ranked-Choice Voting and Open Primaries Survive in Alaska https://boltsmag.org/alaska-measure-2-results/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:46:47 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7176 Alaska’s predominantly Native regions delivered huge margins against repealing the state’s new elections system, despite facing continued logistical challenges to voting.

The post Powered by Native Voters, Ranked-Choice Voting and Open Primaries Survive in Alaska appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/LYSD-students-voting-at-Gambell-scaled-e1732230908578.jpg Three Alaskans are voting, with Get Out the Native Vote helping facilitate their first ever votes in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Sparck/Get Out of the Native Vote) 7176 Elections for Mississippi Supreme Court Leave the Rights of Criminal Defendants in Flux https://boltsmag.org/mississippi-supreme-court-elections-in-november-2024/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:37:30 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7163 This article was published as a collaboration between Bolts and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system; sign up for their newsletters here. Editor’s note (Dec. 9):... Read More

The post Elections for Mississippi Supreme Court Leave the Rights of Criminal Defendants in Flux appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/23187700261985-scaled.jpg The Mississippi Supreme Court, left, listens to a case in 2023 in Jackson (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) 7163 On Solitary Confinement, California Officials Side With the Prison System—Again https://boltsmag.org/california-solitary-confinement-laws-2024/ Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:30:39 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7141 Organizers wanted to ban the use of solitary confinement against pregnant Californians. They got something else entirely.

The post On Solitary Confinement, California Officials Side With the Prison System—Again appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/416368644_967188438098355_9175574191612527705_n.jpg California Governor Gavin Newsom (California Governor/Facebook) 7141 How Supreme Court Elections Set the Stage for Coming Battles, from Voting to Abortion https://boltsmag.org/state-supreme-court-results-2024/ Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:56:45 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7135 More than before, progressives working to protect people’s rights will need state supreme courts to be hospitable to lawsuits that are increasingly dead on arrival at the federal level.

The post How Supreme Court Elections Set the Stage for Coming Battles, from Voting to Abortion appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/24311263365411-scaled-e1731602410648.jpg Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, left, and Kimberly Ann Thomas, right, won two races for Michigan's highest court. Here they are pictured at the Michigan Democratic Party's election night watch party on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) 7135 Trump Allies Gain Power Over Elections in Arizona’s Largest County https://boltsmag.org/maricopa-county-election-administration-2024-results/ Tue, 12 Nov 2024 17:32:04 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7124 Justin Heap, an Arizona lawmaker who has pushed for severe voting restrictions and whose campaign was led by an indicted 2020 “fake elector” for Donald Trump, has won control of... Read More

The post Trump Allies Gain Power Over Elections in Arizona’s Largest County appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/53952924443_5033b7797a_k.jpg Justin Heap, here speaking at a Donald Trump rally this fall, won the office of county recorder last week (photo from Gage Skidmore/Flickr). 7124 Voters Dismiss Two of California’s Leading Progressive Prosecutors https://boltsmag.org/california-progressive-prosecutors-gascon-price-lose-elections/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:02:49 +0000 https://boltsmag.org/?p=7111 Los Angeles' George Gascón and Oakland's Pamela Price sought to use their offices to redress the harms and disparities of the criminal legal system. Both suffered large defeats this week.

The post Voters Dismiss Two of California’s Leading Progressive Prosecutors appeared first on Bolts.

]]> https://boltsmag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/24297052691221-scaled.jpg Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón at a news conference in October 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) 7111