CJ Ciaramella
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cjciaramella.bsky.social
CJ Ciaramella
@cjciaramella.bsky.social
9.6K followers 710 following 2.8K posts
Jeopardizing the good order and security of institutions for Reason Magazine. I report on prisons, policing, and civil liberties. Based in the fabulous Florida Keys.
Email: cj@reason.com, cj.ciaramella@protonmail.com.
Signal: cjciaramella.68
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cjciaramella.bsky.social
Updated with comment from Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project:
"Barry Scheck, co-founder and special counsel at the Innocence Project, says in a statement to Reason that the decision is "extremely important," comparing it to a landmark 2011 New Jersey Supreme Court decision, State v. Henderson, that rewrote how courts assessed the reliability of eyewitness identification evidence. "Just as the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision in the Henderson case changed the law in the area of eyewitness identification, was adopted quickly by courts across the country, and brought about an era of science based practices that protected the innocent from wrongful convictions, I believe the Nieves decision will have similar impact," Scheck says.
November 24, 2025 at 9:24 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
*smashing the sign so hard that I break my finger*
screenshot of an old Bluesky post by me: "the rotten fruit of the Supreme Court's decisions in Terry v. Ohio and Whren v. U.S. to allow pretextual traffic stops."
November 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Cool story over at The New York Times, although I liked it better when my coworker @christianb.bsky.social wrote it three years ago reason.com/2022/09/09/t...
November 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
This quote below is from Tom Murton, who was hired in the 1960s to reform Arkansas' worst prison. The governor fired him less than a year later after he started excavating unmarked graves of murdered inmates and inviting national media to write about it. Ended up running a duck farm.
"Integrity is not a very marketable commodity, and the career crusader is not self-sustaining. The true reformer must accept each challenge with the knowledge that ultimately he will be consumed in the process. The cynic quickly steps forward to pose the question: 'Is it worth it?' And by his answer, each man not only determines his destiny, but also declares his view of man."
November 20, 2025 at 2:42 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Screenshot of famous "No! No!!" tweet by Dr. Naomi Wolf
November 19, 2025 at 8:55 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
We love to see reporters working together southsideweekly.com/feds-tear-ga...
November 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
"This Court will stand by its ruling until it receives contrary direction from the Seventh Circuit or the Supreme Court."
screenshot of order text: As stated in open court, this Court recently addressed the issue of whether Section 1226 or Section 1225 governs foreign nationals who are similarly situated to the foreign nationals who have been arrested in connection with Operation Midway Blitz. In that decision, this Court determined that the foreign nationals in question were subject to arrest and detention under Section 1226, and not under Section 1225. See Patel v. Crowley, No. 25-cv-11180, 2025 WL 2996787 (N.D.Ill. Oct. 24, 2025). The Court’s holding to this effect is consistent with the decisions of every one of the 21 district judges in this District who have ruled on this issue as well as with the decisions of well over 100 other district judges from around the country. See, e.g., Berto Mendez v. Noem, No. 2:25-CV-02062-RFB-MDC, 2025 WL 3124285, at *2 (D.Nev. Nov. 7, 2025) (citing Kyle Cheney, More than 100 judges have ruled against the Trump admin’s mandatory detention policy, Politico (Oct. 31, 2025 at 4:29 p.m. EDT) https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/31/trump-administration-mandatory-detentiondeportation-00632086 (last visited November 12, 2025). This Court will stand by its ruling on this issue until it receives contrary direction from the Seventh Circuit or the Supreme Court.
November 13, 2025 at 8:02 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Latest: I wrote about a Portland woman who was dragged out of her car and detained for photographing ICE. reason.com/2025/11/12/o...

She didn't give them an ounce of respect, bless her
Screenshot of article text: Fuller provided Reason with additional cell phone footage taken by Garcia-Hernandez, which shows ICE officers tailing her for two minutes as she's driving. When she stops at a red light, the other car pulls alongside her. "Police department," an ICE officer can be heard saying in the video, "why are you taking photos?" "You're not police," Garcia-Hernandez says. "I know who you are." "You know you're in a government vehicle?" the officer responds. "You just got fired." "Fuck you, keep going," Garcia-Hernandez says as the light changes and she begins driving away. The video ends at this point. Garcia-Hernandez told The Oregonian that when she stopped at another red light, the ICE agents turned on their emergency lights and pulled her over.
November 13, 2025 at 4:39 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
ICE is running all over Key Largo, Florida today. Look at these slobs
November 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 12:51 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
lmao best game ever
Screenshot of a PC Gamer headline dated Nov. 4, 2025: "'The return of baby driver': The Dwarf Fortress Siege Update briefly reintroduced an old bug where dwarf babies pilot their moms like mech suits until they die of dehydration because babies don't know what drinking is"
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Now that Greg Bovino is wearing his court-ordered body cam, he's wide open to FOIA requests, so have fun with that.
Screenshot of court filing from DHS, certifying Greg Bovino's compliance with a court order to wear a body camera and complete body camera training.
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
an illustration of Plato's cave with meme text added. One of the prisoners is saying "Team Amphora" referring to a shadow of a jar on the wall. The other prisoner is saying "Fuck you, Team Horse." Outside the cave, a man is literally touching grass and looking amazed.
November 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
average ICE officer handling their gun in public
November 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Lafayette saw the prisoners freed from the Bastille and later spent 5 years in an Austrian dungeon. He told all the Philadelphia city leaders, architects, and prison reformers as politely as he could that they didn't know what they were talking about when it came to solitary confinement.
may be kept up. This superb establishment was still unfinished, when general Lafayette, accompanied by the committee appoint- ed to do the honours of the city went to visit it, and were received by the respectable directors and managers, who explained to him the improvements made. Onemusthave courage to venture upon contradicting men so virtuous and experienced, as generous in design as in the execution of their benevolent works. The frankness and conviction of the general, overcame his repugnance, and with all the regard and respect which were due, and which his person- al situation rendered still more necessary, he represented to them that solitary confinement was a punishment which should be experienced to be rightly appreciated But in a letter to an American gentleman, dated September, 1826, the General says : " The people of Pennsylvania think, that the system of solitary confinement is a new idea, a new discovery ; not so it is only the revival ofthe system of the Bastile. The State of Pennsylvania, which has given to the world an example of humanity, and whose code of philanthropy has been quoted and canvassed by all Europe, is now about to proclaim to the world, the inefficacy of the system, and revive and restore the cruel code of the most barbarous and unenlightened age. I hope my friends of Pennsylvania will consider the effect this system had on the poor prisoners of the Bastile. I repaired to the scene on the second day ofthe demolition, and found that all the prisoners had been deranged by their solitary confinement, except one, and he had been a prisoner 25 years, and was led forth during the height of the tumultuous riot of the people, whilst engaged in tearing down the building. He looked around in amazement, for he had seen nobody in that space of time ; and before night he was so much affected that he became a confirmed maniac, from which situation he never recovered. "
November 5, 2025 at 4:54 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Man, I love whenever I get to do history research. Today I learned that when Lafayette visited Philadelphia in 1824, city leaders showed him Eastern State Penitentiary, still under construction.

Lafayette's reaction: "What!? have you Bastilles in this country?"
Screenshot of old book text: "The form of the edifice was disapproved by LaFayette, in the memorable expression which he uttered as he crossed its threshold for the first time, " What! have you Bastiles in this country ?" In a letter to a gentleman in England, dated August, 1825, he says, " As to Philadelphia, I had already, on my visit of the last year, expressed my regret, that the great expenses of the new Penitentiary building had been calculated chiefly on a plan of solitary confinement."
November 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
It’s another day. Are you passing the Ms Rachel test?
November 5, 2025 at 12:38 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
lmao
Screenshot of a Nov. 4 tweet by Chris Cuomo: “Italians are the rare ethnics that others can malign and it is ok.”
November 4, 2025 at 11:55 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
lot of sandbags being thrown around! DOJ is also trying to enter its entire discovery production into the record, which plaintiffs are not happy about storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Plaintiffs in the Chicago lawsuit against DHS are asking to unseal an Oct. 20 transcript, and the redactions make it sound kind of juicy storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 3, 2025 at 10:02 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Finished my ork warbikers just in time for Orktober
October 31, 2025 at 5:50 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Motion to compel discovery of DHS video and drone footage in Chicago granted. lol, lmao storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Inevitable: plaintiffs in Chicago lawsuit against DHS ask why the feds can put together fashy video edits for social media but not give them any of the raw footage through discovery storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 29, 2025 at 6:45 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
"Before Tuesday, CNS was not aware of a requirement that the press notify the DOJ or its Executive Office for Immigration Review of its plans to observe hearings."

That's because it's not a legally enforceable requirement! DOJ "requires" media to check in so that court staff can prioritize them
October 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
cjciaramella.bsky.social
Immigration courts are generally open to the public, and advance notice is only *suggested* by DOJ. They can't outright require it. I know this because I got blocked from going to the Krome Immigration Court earlier this year and emailed EOIR. They wouldn't respond to my direct question about it.
Screenshot of March 31 email from DOJ EOIR: Good afternoon, CJ, Thank you for letting us know, and we have notified DHS that the Miami Krome Immigration Court is open daily to the public. Since EOIR does not control entry to the detention facilities in which immigration courts are located, we recommend that visitors contact DHS/Immigration and Customs Enforcement at least two business days in advance to learn of any security requirements for entry to the building. This advance notice will allow facility personnel sufficient time to process your visit request and to arrange for an escort as indicated in our fact sheet, Observing Immigration Court Hearings. Please let me know when you would like to return, and I would be happy to coordinate your visit so that you can observe hearings there. Thanks, Kathryn
October 29, 2025 at 3:49 PM