logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
27m 16s

A Word: Cruel and Usual Punishment

Slate Podcasts
About this episode

With more than one and half million people behind bars, the U.S. is second only to China in the number of citizens who are incarcerated. And an estimated one of three African American men spend some part of their lives under the control or supervision of the criminal justice system. The consequences of incarceration for individuals, families, and communities are devastating…and little understood. Even the worst outcomes in prison –sickness, suicide and other deaths– are frequently overlooked because the victims aren’t valued and the incidents aren’t documented.


On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Andrea Armstrong. She’s a professor at Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, and the chair of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She also recently won a MacArthur Fellowship –widely known as a genius award– for her work.


Guest: Andrea Armstrong, professor at Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, and the chair of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.


Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel


You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Today
Care & Feeding | When Your Teen Thinks They're the Parent
On this episode: Zak Rosen, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Lucy Lopez dive into a letter from a parent with three kids spanning college to preschool — and two of them are acting like they run the nursery. What do you do when your teens become self-appointed disciplinarians for your four- ... Show More
45m 15s
Today
What Next | Stage Managing Sex in Hollywood
In the wake of #MeToo, Hollywood productions began hiring “intimacy coordinators,” people who work to ensure sex scenes are safe and comfortable for performers. How are they working out so far? Guest: Jennifer Wilson, staff writer at the New Yorker. Want more What Next? Subscribe ... Show More
33m 51s
Yesterday
What Next | Was the Flash Flooding in Texas Preventable?
After one of the deadliest floods in American history in central Texas, people are looking at cuts to the National Weather Service and FEMA’s absence contributing to the devastation. But one looming problem is much, much bigger. Guest: Jeff Goodell, writer covering climate change ... Show More
27m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
When Your Criminal Gets Out
Original Air Date: January 9, 1987Oprah talks to a three-member panel about the crimes committed against them, how their perpetrators were sentenced to lengthy prison terms and how they feel knowing that the criminals can be out or are already out, in one person's case, much soon ... Show More
41m 16s
Aug 2022
The Journal of Higher Education in Prison
Welcome to The Academic Life! In this episode you’ll hear about: How both of today’s guests became involved in higher education in prison. Why this work is personal to them. Funding and representation issues in higher education in prison. The complexities of supporting students w ... Show More
50m 39s
May 2021
Hard Truths: Finding a job after prison
We're back with another episode of our Hard Truths series looking at the criminal justice system in the U.S. Today. Specifically, what happens when people of color make it out of that system and try to rebuild their lives. People of color are disproportionately imprisoned in the ... Show More
11m 29s
Feb 2023
Inside Story: Life in Prison, As Told by Formerly Incarcerated People
For people who have not experienced it, life in prison can seem unimaginable. So reporters who have themselves been incarcerated can offer an important perspective when covering the prison system. NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Lawrence Bartley, host of the new series Inside Story ... Show More
10m 40s
Jun 2021
Teen girl attacked by bully in gym class; Kids open Christmas gifts in front of mom's dead body
This week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: Charlee Funes, a 13-year-old girl who was attacked during gym class in Illinois, joins us. And a California man is sentenced to prison for killing his wife, then propping her dead body on the couch on Christmas morning while her kids ope ... Show More
59m 11s
Apr 2024
Eyedrop killer sentenced to life; Chilling video of paroled felon hunting women in night of terror
This Week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: A woman who killed a family friend with eye drops before stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars is sentenced to life. Plus, a repeat offender is caught on camera stalking multiple women before he brutally assaults and slays his victim ... Show More
1h 31m
Apr 2021
America’s solitary inmates
Since the pandemic struck, millions around the world have endured lockdowns, with many finding it hard to tolerate long periods indoors. But what if lockdown meant years on end spent entirely alone, in a single room, sometimes no bigger than a large elevator? In many US states, j ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2020
Alabama mom gets jail for killing accused rapist; confined kid burns bed to escape room
An Alabama woman who pleaded guilty to murdering her accused rapist was sentenced to 20 years after her Stand Your Ground self-defense appeal was denied. Brittany Smith had more than 30 injuries on her body, and her alleged assailant had “very high amounts of methamphetamine in h ... Show More
55m 56s
Jan 2022
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina: The Future of Justice Part 1
Dr. Phil talks to one of the most important and influential judges in recent American history. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina was the first female JAG officer in the U.S. military justice system and the first female commencement speaker at Michigan State University. She presided over t ... Show More
45m 2s
Aug 2019
Judge pleads to wife's murder; Arrest after girl killed by dogs
With guest Loni Coombs: Update to North Carolina's Dontae Sharpe case. Discussing Brian Banks' story, now in theaters. Former Ohio judge pleads guilty to murdering wife to spare family a trial. Paralegal working in U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey accused of leaking sensitive ... Show More
39m 5s