Piper French
@psfrench.bsky.social
reporting on prisons, jails, DAs for Bolts. freelance magazine work: NYRB, NYmag, Aperture, Lux, Drift, Nation
piperstrehlowfrench@gmail.com
-> psfrench.com
en/es/fr
piperstrehlowfrench@gmail.com
-> psfrench.com
en/es/fr
Pinned
Piper French
@psfrench.bsky.social
· Mar 20
The Human Cost of Jeff Landry’s Drive to Resume Executions - Bolts
Chris Duncan’s death sentence—built on the testimony of two discredited doctors—illustrates just how faulty the system can be.
boltsmag.org
In January 2024 I got a one-line email from a woman I didn't know: "Jimmie Duncan an innocent man on death row is looking to get into contact with you."
I've been working on the story ever since. Here it is, finally - a @motherjones.com / @bolts.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/the-human-co...
I've been working on the story ever since. Here it is, finally - a @motherjones.com / @bolts.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/the-human-co...
Alaska's AG is pursuing felony cases w serious prison time vs. American Samoans who accidentally voted - elderly women with cancer, pregnant moms - despite widespread official confusion about the rules.
Please read this beautiful & enraging @burness.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
Please read this beautiful & enraging @burness.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It - Bolts
In a small Alaska town, American Samoans face prosecution for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. They live in a limbo, created by colonial expansion, that now confuses even public official...
boltsmag.org
January 12, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Alaska's AG is pursuing felony cases w serious prison time vs. American Samoans who accidentally voted - elderly women with cancer, pregnant moms - despite widespread official confusion about the rules.
Please read this beautiful & enraging @burness.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
Please read this beautiful & enraging @burness.bsky.social feature: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
good point here: "By electing prosecutors less willing to confront police misconduct, two cities hit hard by ICE also found themselves with prosecutors less willing to stand up against ICE" slate.com/news-and-pol...
The FBI Is Already Obstructing the ICE Shooting Investigation. It Might Not Matter.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty can bring charges even without any arrest and is not one to back down from a case like this.
slate.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:51 PM
good point here: "By electing prosecutors less willing to confront police misconduct, two cities hit hard by ICE also found themselves with prosecutors less willing to stand up against ICE" slate.com/news-and-pol...
Reposted by Piper French
Horrifying story on many levels. Amazing reporting.
. helped Bolts with @psfrench.bsky.social on the case of Chris Duncan
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Louisiana is executing prisoners again. His case shows the costs.
Gov. Jeff Landry stripped roadblocks to make it easier to kill those on death row. Chris Duncan's story illustrates how faulty the system can be.
www.motherjones.com
January 5, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Horrifying story on many levels. Amazing reporting.
Reposted by Piper French
A week before Renee Good was killed, an off-duty ICE agent fatally shot Keith Porter in L.A.
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
'Active shooter' or ICE agent's victim? What happened in L.A. New Year's Eve killing
Federal officials say an off-duty ICE agent was responding to an "active shooter" at his apartment complex when he gunned down Keith "Pooter" Porter in Northridge. Friends and advocates contend Porter...
www.latimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:26 PM
A week before Renee Good was killed, an off-duty ICE agent fatally shot Keith Porter in L.A.
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by Piper French
extraordinary reporting from @burness.bsky.social
please open it, and take some time when you can to read it
please open it, and take some time when you can to read it
Eleven American Samoans in Alaska face serious prison time for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. Theirs is a wild story of colonialism, cops, “voter fraud” panic, small-town beef, and family. I spent months on this + am so glad to now be able to share it: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It - Bolts
In a small Alaska town, American Samoans face prosecution for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. They live in a limbo, created by colonial expansion, that now confuses even public official...
boltsmag.org
January 8, 2026 at 6:43 PM
extraordinary reporting from @burness.bsky.social
please open it, and take some time when you can to read it
please open it, and take some time when you can to read it
Reposted by Piper French
Eleven American Samoans in Alaska face serious prison time for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. Theirs is a wild story of colonialism, cops, “voter fraud” panic, small-town beef, and family. I spent months on this + am so glad to now be able to share it: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
Americans by Name, Punished for Believing It - Bolts
In a small Alaska town, American Samoans face prosecution for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. They live in a limbo, created by colonial expansion, that now confuses even public official...
boltsmag.org
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Eleven American Samoans in Alaska face serious prison time for voting in the only country they’ve ever known. Theirs is a wild story of colonialism, cops, “voter fraud” panic, small-town beef, and family. I spent months on this + am so glad to now be able to share it: boltsmag.org/prosecuted-f...
"Lia’s father and friends say she was a casualty, in part, of the argument over transgender women competing in women’s sports, and a broader national climate that has been unwelcoming, and often vicious, to all trans people." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/u...
At Middlebury, She Hoped to Start Fresh. In Trump’s America, It Seemed Impossible.
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:55 AM
"Lia’s father and friends say she was a casualty, in part, of the argument over transgender women competing in women’s sports, and a broader national climate that has been unwelcoming, and often vicious, to all trans people." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/u...
Reposted by Piper French
. helped Bolts with @psfrench.bsky.social on the case of Chris Duncan
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Louisiana is executing prisoners again. His case shows the costs.
Gov. Jeff Landry stripped roadblocks to make it easier to kill those on death row. Chris Duncan's story illustrates how faulty the system can be.
www.motherjones.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:44 PM
. helped Bolts with @psfrench.bsky.social on the case of Chris Duncan
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Always read Victoria Law on prisons: truthout.org/articles/ice...
ICE Wants to Reopen Notorious California Prison. Locals Are Fighting Back.
FCI Dublin was shut down in 2024 after revelations of abuse against prisoners. Residents want it to stay closed.
truthout.org
January 3, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Always read Victoria Law on prisons: truthout.org/articles/ice...
Reposted by Piper French
Chris is over halfway there! Sharing again in case anyone is trying to get rid of some $ before the end of the year...
Sharing a verified gofundme to help Chris get back on his feet after over 30 years of wrongful incarceration: gofundme.com/f/help-chris... Chris has helped the people around him - on death row and off - in a lot of ways, and it would be very cool if he reached his goal in time for Christmas!
December 10, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Chris is over halfway there! Sharing again in case anyone is trying to get rid of some $ before the end of the year...
Reposted by Piper French
The Massey Commission was established after Sonya Massey was killed by a sheriff's deputy in her own home. I followed along for 9 months as its members tried to enact real policing & mental health reforms – & grappled w/ the limits of these commissions to effect change: boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference. - Bolts
Part I: “I’m going to still try” On July 6, 2024, the morning after Sonya Massey was murdered by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, a local citizen journalist named Calvin... Read More
boltsmag.org
December 11, 2025 at 8:21 PM
The Massey Commission was established after Sonya Massey was killed by a sheriff's deputy in her own home. I followed along for 9 months as its members tried to enact real policing & mental health reforms – & grappled w/ the limits of these commissions to effect change: boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
Reposted by Piper French
Just in: Florida's supreme court today has UPHELD a recent state law that enables juries to sentence someone to death nonunanimously.
Bolts reported on FL's law a few years ago, amid huge concern that nonunanimous convictions have a high error rate, & are likelier to sideline Black jurors.
Bolts reported on FL's law a few years ago, amid huge concern that nonunanimous convictions have a high error rate, & are likelier to sideline Black jurors.
Exonerees Sound the Alarm on New Florida Law Allowing Death Sentences by Split Juries - Bolts
Herman Lindsey braced himself for news that he would be sentenced to death as he sat inside a courtroom in Broward County, Florida in 2006. A jury had convicted Lindsey... Read More
boltsmag.org
December 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Just in: Florida's supreme court today has UPHELD a recent state law that enables juries to sentence someone to death nonunanimously.
Bolts reported on FL's law a few years ago, amid huge concern that nonunanimous convictions have a high error rate, & are likelier to sideline Black jurors.
Bolts reported on FL's law a few years ago, amid huge concern that nonunanimous convictions have a high error rate, & are likelier to sideline Black jurors.
just what we need: fewer nurses
Woman comes to US at age 6. Graduates nursing school. Work permit. No criminal record. Snatched and imprisoned by ICE for 6 months now. About to be forced back to Honduras. A life destroyed and one less nurse. Merry Christmas.
www.nola.com/news/educati...
www.nola.com/news/educati...
December 21, 2025 at 12:00 AM
just what we need: fewer nurses
The Massey Commission was established after Sonya Massey was killed by a sheriff's deputy in her own home. I followed along for 9 months as its members tried to enact real policing & mental health reforms – & grappled w/ the limits of these commissions to effect change: boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference. - Bolts
Part I: “I’m going to still try” On July 6, 2024, the morning after Sonya Massey was murdered by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, a local citizen journalist named Calvin... Read More
boltsmag.org
December 11, 2025 at 8:21 PM
The Massey Commission was established after Sonya Massey was killed by a sheriff's deputy in her own home. I followed along for 9 months as its members tried to enact real policing & mental health reforms – & grappled w/ the limits of these commissions to effect change: boltsmag.org/sonya-massey...
Reposted by Piper French
We have never seen anything like this year.
@isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social attempts to list the many, many, many ways the Trump administration punished immigrants in 2025—and delighted in their cruelty.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
@isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social attempts to list the many, many, many ways the Trump administration punished immigrants in 2025—and delighted in their cruelty.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A year of hell for immigrants
In the first Trump administration, cruelty was the point. Now, it is the norm.
www.motherjones.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:07 PM
We have never seen anything like this year.
@isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social attempts to list the many, many, many ways the Trump administration punished immigrants in 2025—and delighted in their cruelty.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
@isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social attempts to list the many, many, many ways the Trump administration punished immigrants in 2025—and delighted in their cruelty.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Chris is over halfway there! Sharing again in case anyone is trying to get rid of some $ before the end of the year...
Sharing a verified gofundme to help Chris get back on his feet after over 30 years of wrongful incarceration: gofundme.com/f/help-chris... Chris has helped the people around him - on death row and off - in a lot of ways, and it would be very cool if he reached his goal in time for Christmas!
December 10, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Chris is over halfway there! Sharing again in case anyone is trying to get rid of some $ before the end of the year...
Reposted by Piper French
The police killing of Sonya Massey ignited protests throughout the country. In Illinois, a civilian commission met over the last year to debate changes—holding tense, difficult meetings.
This story follows the commission for months—and captures just how agonizing these processes can be.
NEW:
This story follows the commission for months—and captures just how agonizing these processes can be.
NEW:
A Police Killing Drew National Protests. At Home, a Commission Struggles with How to Make a Difference. - Bolts
Part I: “I’m going to still try” On July 6, 2024, the morning after Sonya Massey was murdered by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, a local citizen journalist named Calvin... Read More
boltsmag.org
December 9, 2025 at 8:28 PM
The police killing of Sonya Massey ignited protests throughout the country. In Illinois, a civilian commission met over the last year to debate changes—holding tense, difficult meetings.
This story follows the commission for months—and captures just how agonizing these processes can be.
NEW:
This story follows the commission for months—and captures just how agonizing these processes can be.
NEW:
Reposted by Piper French
The Rikers crisis continues — a Brennan Center researcher on what he's hoping to see from Mamdani:
Since 2015, at least 116 people have died in the New York City jails — including the brutal Rikers Island complex.
Here are several ways Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social can address the troubled institution. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
Here are several ways Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social can address the troubled institution. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
What the Incoming Mayor Must Do About New York City Jails
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani can harness the federal court’s historic intervention in the local jail system to durably improve it.
www.brennancenter.org
December 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The Rikers crisis continues — a Brennan Center researcher on what he's hoping to see from Mamdani:
Sharing a verified gofundme to help Chris get back on his feet after over 30 years of wrongful incarceration: gofundme.com/f/help-chris... Chris has helped the people around him - on death row and off - in a lot of ways, and it would be very cool if he reached his goal in time for Christmas!
December 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Sharing a verified gofundme to help Chris get back on his feet after over 30 years of wrongful incarceration: gofundme.com/f/help-chris... Chris has helped the people around him - on death row and off - in a lot of ways, and it would be very cool if he reached his goal in time for Christmas!
Reposted by Piper French
You can help Bolts continue to provide crucial coverage of local elections. Here's how:
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- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:20 PM
You can help Bolts continue to provide crucial coverage of local elections. Here's how:
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
People tend to associate law enforcement repression of black activism w/ the naked violence of Birmingham or the Panthers vs the FBI. That's not the whole story. I reviewed a new book abt local police surveillance of the civil rights movement for
@newrepublic.com:
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
@newrepublic.com:
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
How Police Harassed and Infiltrated Civil Rights Groups
Efforts to surveil and undermine activists went far beyond infamous operations such as Cointelpro.
newrepublic.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:54 PM
People tend to associate law enforcement repression of black activism w/ the naked violence of Birmingham or the Panthers vs the FBI. That's not the whole story. I reviewed a new book abt local police surveillance of the civil rights movement for
@newrepublic.com:
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
@newrepublic.com:
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
After 30 years in prison and 25 years on Louisiana's death row, Chris Duncan walked out of Angola today a free man.
"I'm cruising down a highway," he texted me. "Most glaring emotion is shock."
"I'm cruising down a highway," he texted me. "Most glaring emotion is shock."
November 27, 2025 at 1:02 AM
After 30 years in prison and 25 years on Louisiana's death row, Chris Duncan walked out of Angola today a free man.
"I'm cruising down a highway," he texted me. "Most glaring emotion is shock."
"I'm cruising down a highway," he texted me. "Most glaring emotion is shock."
Reposted by Piper French
Reposted by Piper French
This is exactly why this piece is so important. The national conversation has largely flattened the effects of the VRA -- and it's potential demise -- to which party controls Congress. There's so much more to the VRA than that, and so much more on the line
I, for one, have only really thought about the VRA through the prism of federal elections, not local elections.
But this well-reported piece reminds us that ending the VRA will have an impact on ALL levels of representative government.
Via @pascalsabino.bsky.social.
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
But this well-reported piece reminds us that ending the VRA will have an impact on ALL levels of representative government.
Via @pascalsabino.bsky.social.
boltsmag.org/voting-right...
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS. - Bolts
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
boltsmag.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is exactly why this piece is so important. The national conversation has largely flattened the effects of the VRA -- and it's potential demise -- to which party controls Congress. There's so much more to the VRA than that, and so much more on the line