Brian Edsall
@brianedsall.bsky.social
Photographer & writer | Communications at @counciloncj.org | #BrianEdsall | Views are my own
Subscribe to my Substack https://brianedsall.substack.com/
BrianEdsall.com
Subscribe to my Substack https://brianedsall.substack.com/
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Brian Edsall
@brianedsall.bsky.social
· Jan 10
"Sing Sing" Could Change How We See Justice and Incarceration | Opinion
By inviting audiences to reconsider the harms of punitive justice, "Sing Sing" offers an alternative path toward lasting accountability, healing, and redemption.
www.newsweek.com
I had the honor of speaking with @colmandomingo.bsky.social and Clarence Maclin for this piece on @a24movies.bsky.social's 'Sing Sing.' Beyond acclaim, this film challenges audiences to rethink the traditionally punitive approach of America's criminal justice system: www.newsweek.com/sing-sing-co...
Reposted by Brian Edsall
The federal government stopped releasing detailed arrest data in 2020. What have arrests looked like since then, and what can we learn from long-term analysis? CCJ's Policy Director spoke with @cbsnews.com about the findings of this first-of-its kind analysis.
U.S. arrests plummet 25% since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, analysis finds
Arrests across the U.S. have dropped by 25% compared to the onset of the pandemic in 2019, an analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice released Tuesday found.
www.cbsnews.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The federal government stopped releasing detailed arrest data in 2020. What have arrests looked like since then, and what can we learn from long-term analysis? CCJ's Policy Director spoke with @cbsnews.com about the findings of this first-of-its kind analysis.
Reposted by Brian Edsall
Earlier this year, the DOJ terminated public safety grants initially valued at more than $800 million. How have those funding cuts impacted local nonprofits? CCJ Senior Fellow Amy Solomon spoke with @gothamist.com about the potential implications for nonprofits in New York City.
Federal cuts force NYC nonprofits to reduce services, raising community safety concerns https://gothamist.com/news/federal-cuts-force-nyc-nonprofits-to-reduce-services-raising-community-safety-concerns
Federal cuts force NYC nonprofits to reduce services, raising community safety concerns
Cincere Wilson patrolling East Harlem near Exodus' facility on East 123rd Street and Third Avenue
Nearly 20 organizations in the city lost DOJ funding. Some say they’re worried about potential spikes in neighborhood violence. [ more › ]
gothamist.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Earlier this year, the DOJ terminated public safety grants initially valued at more than $800 million. How have those funding cuts impacted local nonprofits? CCJ Senior Fellow Amy Solomon spoke with @gothamist.com about the potential implications for nonprofits in New York City.
Reposted by Brian Edsall
ICYMI: The Council’s Centering Justice initiative hosted a webinar on the state of crime and justice with panelists @sentencinglaw.bsky.social, Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday, alongside moderators Khalil A. Cumberbatch & @marclevin.bsky.social. Watch the recording at: counciloncj.org/event-record...
Event Recording: The State of Crime and Justice: Year-End Insights - Council on Criminal Justice
Leaders from the Council on Criminal Justice Centering Justice project and other experts discussed what the criminal justice field faced in 2025 and what we might expect in 2026.
counciloncj.org
December 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
ICYMI: The Council’s Centering Justice initiative hosted a webinar on the state of crime and justice with panelists @sentencinglaw.bsky.social, Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday, alongside moderators Khalil A. Cumberbatch & @marclevin.bsky.social. Watch the recording at: counciloncj.org/event-record...
Reposted by Brian Edsall
How does the incarceration of pregnant women compromise the well-being of mothers and their children? This investigation highlights stories that align with findings and subsequent recommendations from the CCJ Women's Justice Commission.
Pregnant women who are jailed, often for petty crimes, are miscarrying or giving birth in excruciating pain and into cell toilets or on filthy jail floors, according to an investigation from @bloomberglaw.com and NBC News.
'Why won't you help me?' Pregnant women and their babies endure inhumane conditions in jails
Dozens of pregnant women locked up in county jails described excruciating pain, saying their cries for help were ignored as they miscarried or gave birth into cell toilets or on filthy jail floors.
nbcnews.to
December 8, 2025 at 6:52 PM
How does the incarceration of pregnant women compromise the well-being of mothers and their children? This investigation highlights stories that align with findings and subsequent recommendations from the CCJ Women's Justice Commission.
Reposted by Brian Edsall
What are the potential consequences of lowering the recruitment and training standards for ICE agents? A perspective from CCJ Senior Fellow Thaddeus Johnson and Natasha Johnson in @usatoday.com examines the ramifications of these shortcuts: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Almost anyone can be an ICE agent now. That's a problem. | Opinion
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are racing to hire 10,000 agents, lowering standards and training for recruits.
www.usatoday.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
What are the potential consequences of lowering the recruitment and training standards for ICE agents? A perspective from CCJ Senior Fellow Thaddeus Johnson and Natasha Johnson in @usatoday.com examines the ramifications of these shortcuts: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
My new Substack, Underexposed, brings visibility to the people and stories that often go overlooked and under explored, with the goal of deepening our understanding of the human experience. If you're interested and inclined, feel free to Subscribe/share with a friend!
Introducing Underexposed
A renewed focus on the people and stories too often overlooked and underexplored.
brianedsall.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:02 PM
My new Substack, Underexposed, brings visibility to the people and stories that often go overlooked and under explored, with the goal of deepening our understanding of the human experience. If you're interested and inclined, feel free to Subscribe/share with a friend!
Reposted by Brian Edsall
ICYMI: Will you be joining us for next week's webinar on the state of crime and justice? Register via the link below ⬇️
What were the top issues facing the criminal justice field in 2025 and what might we expect in 2026?
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
December 1, 2025 at 4:56 PM
ICYMI: Will you be joining us for next week's webinar on the state of crime and justice? Register via the link below ⬇️
Reposted by Brian Edsall
What were the top issues facing the criminal justice field in 2025 and what might we expect in 2026?
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
November 24, 2025 at 7:46 PM
What were the top issues facing the criminal justice field in 2025 and what might we expect in 2026?
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
🗓️Join us 12/9 at 12pm ET for a CCJ Centering Justice webinar featuring Douglas Berman (@sentencinglaw.bsky.social), Shaila Dewan, and Dave Sunday: events.zoom.us/e/view/w1jBI...
Reposted by Brian Edsall
CCJ Women’s Justice Commission Senior Adviser and First Lady of Oklahoma Sarah Stitt reminds us that advancing public safety requires both accountability and an understanding of the factors that influence behavior.
November 20, 2025 at 5:52 PM
CCJ Women’s Justice Commission Senior Adviser and First Lady of Oklahoma Sarah Stitt reminds us that advancing public safety requires both accountability and an understanding of the factors that influence behavior.
Reposted by Brian Edsall
This spring, DOJ canceled public safety grants initially valued at more than $800m, many to local nonprofits. CCJ Senior Fellow Amy Solomon, who previously oversaw DOJ grantmaking, spoke to @npr.org about the critical role these orgs play in community safety: www.npr.org/2025/11/10/n...
November 13, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This spring, DOJ canceled public safety grants initially valued at more than $800m, many to local nonprofits. CCJ Senior Fellow Amy Solomon, who previously oversaw DOJ grantmaking, spoke to @npr.org about the critical role these orgs play in community safety: www.npr.org/2025/11/10/n...
Reposted by Brian Edsall
We honor veterans’ service, but too often overlook them when their invisible wounds lead to the justice system. In @starsandstripes.bsky.social, CCJ Veterans Justice Commission Director David “Mac” MacEwen shares how government can better support them: www.stripes.com/opinion/2025...
We thank veterans for their service. Why don’t we support them when they stumble?
We’ve seen encouraging signs our government is prioritizing veterans who stumble, but more is needed, says David MacEwen, a retired brigadier general.
www.stripes.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:01 PM
We honor veterans’ service, but too often overlook them when their invisible wounds lead to the justice system. In @starsandstripes.bsky.social, CCJ Veterans Justice Commission Director David “Mac” MacEwen shares how government can better support them: www.stripes.com/opinion/2025...
Reposted by Brian Edsall
Has clemency become more about politics than justice?
CCJ's Khalil Cumberbatch and @marclevin.bsky.social write in @newsweek.com that the power of clemency, when used often, fairly and transparently, is an essential tool for a more balanced justice system: www.newsweek.com/clemency-sho...
CCJ's Khalil Cumberbatch and @marclevin.bsky.social write in @newsweek.com that the power of clemency, when used often, fairly and transparently, is an essential tool for a more balanced justice system: www.newsweek.com/clemency-sho...
Clemency Shouldn’t Depend on Who You Know, but it Should Be Used More Often | Opinion
Clemency should not be about fame, politics and special relationships. It should be about redemption, restoration and public safety.
www.newsweek.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Has clemency become more about politics than justice?
CCJ's Khalil Cumberbatch and @marclevin.bsky.social write in @newsweek.com that the power of clemency, when used often, fairly and transparently, is an essential tool for a more balanced justice system: www.newsweek.com/clemency-sho...
CCJ's Khalil Cumberbatch and @marclevin.bsky.social write in @newsweek.com that the power of clemency, when used often, fairly and transparently, is an essential tool for a more balanced justice system: www.newsweek.com/clemency-sho...
The Council on Criminal Justice (@counciloncj.org) is now on Bluesky!
👋 Hi, we're new here!
The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization with two main goals:
1️⃣ Advance understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation
2️⃣ Build consensus for solutions that enhance safety & justice for all
The Council on Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan think tank and invitational membership organization with two main goals:
1️⃣ Advance understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation
2️⃣ Build consensus for solutions that enhance safety & justice for all
October 27, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The Council on Criminal Justice (@counciloncj.org) is now on Bluesky!
"The marks on his instrument resembled those of the aged park bench he sat upon, each scratch and scuff like a single word in a lifetime of stories."
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Ralph - Central Park, New York. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here:
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Ralph - Central Park, New York. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here:
Ralph - Central Park, New York
On the stories we find when we choose to stop and listen.
open.substack.com
August 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
"The marks on his instrument resembled those of the aged park bench he sat upon, each scratch and scuff like a single word in a lifetime of stories."
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Ralph - Central Park, New York. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here:
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Ralph - Central Park, New York. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here:
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Milan - NYC Pride, 2025. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here: open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
July 28, 2025 at 2:28 PM
📝 My latest Substack piece from my Stories from Strangers series: Milan - NYC Pride, 2025. Read 📖 or listen 🎧 here: open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
“We naturally make assumptions as people and oftentimes we get surprised … so [photography] just taught me about being more open-minded, being patient and paying attention to life.” Read 📖 or listen to 🎧 my latest Substack piece: open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
Jabari - Brooklyn, New York
"We naturally make assumptions as people and oftentimes we get surprised. Everybody got a whole world and story that they got going on."
open.substack.com
July 7, 2025 at 1:08 PM
“We naturally make assumptions as people and oftentimes we get surprised … so [photography] just taught me about being more open-minded, being patient and paying attention to life.” Read 📖 or listen to 🎧 my latest Substack piece: open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
“Memories often bring solace in prison, so capturing them in photos brings a layer of permanence. Remembering cherished moments is the best I can do to shield myself from how swiftly time passes on the outside.”
July 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“Memories often bring solace in prison, so capturing them in photos brings a layer of permanence. Remembering cherished moments is the best I can do to shield myself from how swiftly time passes on the outside.”
Reposted by Brian Edsall
Bradley Tusk and Jamie Rubin declare themselves "more optimistic about a potential Zohran Mamdani mayoralty than many of our peers," and offer some ideas about how he can succeed.
www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/how...
www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/how...
Vital City | How Zohran Mamdani Could Succeed as Mayor
The best-case scenario for the Democratic nominee
www.vitalcitynyc.org
June 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Bradley Tusk and Jamie Rubin declare themselves "more optimistic about a potential Zohran Mamdani mayoralty than many of our peers," and offer some ideas about how he can succeed.
www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/how...
www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/how...
I was given a “I’m a Future Voter” sticker this morning, which, technically isn’t wrong…
Anyway…GET OUT AND VOTE!
Today is the NYC primary, with polls open until 9:00 p.m.
Make sure to research the full list of positions and candidates, and find your pollsite: www.nycvotes.org
Anyway…GET OUT AND VOTE!
Today is the NYC primary, with polls open until 9:00 p.m.
Make sure to research the full list of positions and candidates, and find your pollsite: www.nycvotes.org
June 24, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I was given a “I’m a Future Voter” sticker this morning, which, technically isn’t wrong…
Anyway…GET OUT AND VOTE!
Today is the NYC primary, with polls open until 9:00 p.m.
Make sure to research the full list of positions and candidates, and find your pollsite: www.nycvotes.org
Anyway…GET OUT AND VOTE!
Today is the NYC primary, with polls open until 9:00 p.m.
Make sure to research the full list of positions and candidates, and find your pollsite: www.nycvotes.org
“The path forward is rarely clear. You may not see the cracks until you hit them, and you may fall more times than you can count. But balance isn’t found by standing still. It’s found in motion and by enduring the scrapes and bruises.” Read my latest 📝 open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
Collected Moments #2 - If At First You Don't Succeed...
How a father, his son, and their skateboards offered a lesson on persistence and the mistakes we must make in pursuit of our goals.
open.substack.com
May 22, 2025 at 1:49 PM
“The path forward is rarely clear. You may not see the cracks until you hit them, and you may fall more times than you can count. But balance isn’t found by standing still. It’s found in motion and by enduring the scrapes and bruises.” Read my latest 📝 open.substack.com/pub/aspectso...
📝 My latest Substack piece - Isaiah & Ramzy
Isaiah told me that Ramzy was giving him an ASL lesson when I photographed them, something he's been trying to learn so that he and Ramzy can communicate better. Ramzy shared that, to Isaiah's credit, he's picking up sign language quickly.
Read more:
Isaiah told me that Ramzy was giving him an ASL lesson when I photographed them, something he's been trying to learn so that he and Ramzy can communicate better. Ramzy shared that, to Isaiah's credit, he's picking up sign language quickly.
Read more:
Isaiah & Ramzy
"When I was going through some rough patches throughout the last year, Ramzy had always been somebody that I can rely on, so I am forever grateful to him for that."
open.substack.com
May 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
📝 My latest Substack piece - Isaiah & Ramzy
Isaiah told me that Ramzy was giving him an ASL lesson when I photographed them, something he's been trying to learn so that he and Ramzy can communicate better. Ramzy shared that, to Isaiah's credit, he's picking up sign language quickly.
Read more:
Isaiah told me that Ramzy was giving him an ASL lesson when I photographed them, something he's been trying to learn so that he and Ramzy can communicate better. Ramzy shared that, to Isaiah's credit, he's picking up sign language quickly.
Read more:
My latest Substack 📝
I crossed paths with Frank during a day trip to Peekskill, NY in late March. A light appeared to shine in his eyes when he saw the camera around my neck. A shared love for photography led to an unexpected journey into the history of Peekskill and the surrounding Hudson Valley.
I crossed paths with Frank during a day trip to Peekskill, NY in late March. A light appeared to shine in his eyes when he saw the camera around my neck. A shared love for photography led to an unexpected journey into the history of Peekskill and the surrounding Hudson Valley.
Frank
A day trip to Peekskill, New York led to an unexpected connection formed by a shared love for photography and a journey into the Hudson Valley's deep history.
aspectsoflife.substack.com
May 7, 2025 at 3:50 PM
My latest Substack 📝
I crossed paths with Frank during a day trip to Peekskill, NY in late March. A light appeared to shine in his eyes when he saw the camera around my neck. A shared love for photography led to an unexpected journey into the history of Peekskill and the surrounding Hudson Valley.
I crossed paths with Frank during a day trip to Peekskill, NY in late March. A light appeared to shine in his eyes when he saw the camera around my neck. A shared love for photography led to an unexpected journey into the history of Peekskill and the surrounding Hudson Valley.
Sunset in Fort Greene, Brooklyn 🌇
April 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Sunset in Fort Greene, Brooklyn 🌇
My latest Substack piece is live 📝 I crossed paths with Holliday while walking around Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon in March. Our interaction was brief, but it reaffirmed something I deeply believe: serendipitous connections—however fleeting—can leave a lasting impression.
Holliday—With Two Ls!
I spotted a tall, well-dressed man walking towards me on a Sunday afternoon in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Our interaction was brief, but it showed me the affirming power of photography.
open.substack.com
April 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
My latest Substack piece is live 📝 I crossed paths with Holliday while walking around Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon in March. Our interaction was brief, but it reaffirmed something I deeply believe: serendipitous connections—however fleeting—can leave a lasting impression.