Slipping Through the Cracks
Clay Carey of The Tennessean has written an eye-opener on failures in the state's criminal justice system that have allowed more than 150 prison escapees to remain free — even after repeated contacts with law enforcement. The failures are so widespread that until pressed by The Tennessean, prison officials did not know how many inmates were on the loose. The lead, about a man shot by such a fugitive, pulls the reader right in. Part 1, "Poor Oversight Allows Tenn. Escapees to Evade Capture," spells out the problem. Part 2, "New Approach, More Money Needed to Track Fugitives," explores solutions.
For another chilling aspect of the Tennessee criminal justice system, see "Death in the Chair, Step by Remorseless Step" by Dan Barry of The New York Times.