Articles By: Elizabeth Renter

Elizabeth Renter is a writer who studied criminal justice at Bellevue University in her home state of Nebraska. She's worked in case management for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and as a probation/parole officer in North Carolina. Now, she works to affect change through her writing with Change.org. She also blogs for several defense attorneys.

A “war on drugs” or a war on people of color?

A “war on drugs” or a war on people of color?
When the head of the California division of the NAACP spoke out in support of that state’s Proposition 19 this summer, there seemed to be an equal amount of immediate praise and backlash. Alice Huffman labeled the drug war as a “civil rights issue” getting attention both on a state and national...
October 21st, 2010 | Criminal Justice, Featured | Read More

In defense of indigent defense-how the broken public defense system exacerbates racial disparities

In defense of indigent defense-how the broken public defense system exacerbates racial disparities
The 6th Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to representation when accused of a criminal offense. While Supreme Court decisions have clarified this to mean “effective” representation, the system has often failed to live up to this standard. With the majority of criminal...
September 24th, 2010 | Criminal Justice, Featured | Read More

North Carolina inmates allege bias, challenge death sentences

North Carolina inmates allege bias, challenge death sentences
By Elizabeth Renter The Racial Justice Act, only the second of its kind in the United States, has given inmates sentenced to death in North Carolina a potential route to relief. As of today, 114 death row inmates there have filed motions asserting their sentences were tainted by racial bias. While the...
August 23rd, 2010 | Criminal Justice, Featured | Read More