Detroit Free Press Hundreds of people gathered at Michigan and Third avenues near Detroit Police Department headquarters in downtown Detroit Thursday night for the seventh night of protests before taking to the streets.George Floyd's death has sparked a reckoning over systemic racism and how to address it across the country and in Detroit. The city has not seen the destruction and looting of other places, but there have been tense periods and hundreds of arrests. However, on Wednesday night, a peaceful march was permitted to go on for hours after the city's 8 p.m curfew. And...…Detroit Free Press Hundreds of people gathered at Michigan and Third avenues near Detroit Police Department headquarters in downtown Detroit Thursday night for the seventh night of protests before taking to the streets.George Floyd's death has sparked a reckoning over systemic racism and how to address it across the country and in Detroit. The city has not seen the destruction and looting of other places, but there have been tense periods and hundreds of arrests. However, on Wednesday night, a peaceful march was permitted to go on for hours after the city's 8 p.m curfew. And...WW…

Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County is wiping out more than half a million dollars in debt owed by more than 31,000 people who have been incarcerated at the jail within the last eight years.Sheriff Jerry Clayton announced the decision Thursday, saying in a news release that "the burden of jail debt is an added negative factor" that can undermine attempts at a successful reentry and "feed the cycle of incarceration."In conjunction with the county Board of Commissioners, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is forgiving $509,888 in debt owed by 31,614 people for things...…Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County is wiping out more than half a million dollars in debt owed by more than 31,000 people who have been incarcerated at the jail within the last eight years.Sheriff Jerry Clayton announced the decision Thursday, saying in a news release that "the burden of jail debt is an added negative factor" that can undermine attempts at a successful reentry and "feed the cycle of incarceration."In conjunction with the county Board of Commissioners, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is forgiving $509,888 in debt owed by 31,614 people for things...WW…

Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County's new prosecutor says his office will no longer pursue charges against adults who engage in consensual sex work, a move that national advocates praised as a win for marginalized people.The that Prosecutor Eli Savit issued Thursday applies to both people who sell sex and those who solicit it.Savit's policy cites research showing that criminalization forces sex workers to operate in a black market and in isolated areas, exposing them to violence and exploitation. The threat of prosecution makes sex workers and survivors of trafficking less...…Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County's new prosecutor says his office will no longer pursue charges against adults who engage in consensual sex work, a move that national advocates praised as a win for marginalized people.The that Prosecutor Eli Savit issued Thursday applies to both people who sell sex and those who solicit it.Savit's policy cites research showing that criminalization forces sex workers to operate in a black market and in isolated areas, exposing them to violence and exploitation. The threat of prosecution makes sex workers and survivors of trafficking less...WW…

Detroit Free Press Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include more detail on what happened based on other videos of the incident posted on social media.More:Update:What had been a mostly peaceful protest in Southwest Detroit took a dangerous turn late Sunday when a Detroit police officer drove an SUV through a crowd of protesters after they surrounded the vehicle and began pounding on it.With the overhead lights flashing, the officer behind the wheel gunned the accelerator, sending protesters flying onto the pavement while others scurried out of the...…Detroit Free Press Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include more detail on what happened based on other videos of the incident posted on social media.More:Update:What had been a mostly peaceful protest in Southwest Detroit took a dangerous turn late Sunday when a Detroit police officer drove an SUV through a crowd of protesters after they surrounded the vehicle and began pounding on it.With the overhead lights flashing, the officer behind the wheel gunned the accelerator, sending protesters flying onto the pavement while others scurried out of the...WW…

Detroit Free Press A new report evaluating how states have responded to the coronavirus crisis in prisons and jails gave Michigan a D- grade, one of the highest scores in an analysis that concluded states have "largely failed" to protect incarcerated populations and staff. Michigan was one of nine states to receive a D-. The remaining states earned an F+ or F for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic behind bars, according to the  published Thursday by the Prison Policy Initiative, a criminal justice think tank, and the ACLU."We find that most states have...…Detroit Free Press A new report evaluating how states have responded to the coronavirus crisis in prisons and jails gave Michigan a D- grade, one of the highest scores in an analysis that concluded states have "largely failed" to protect incarcerated populations and staff. Michigan was one of nine states to receive a D-. The remaining states earned an F+ or F for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic behind bars, according to the  published Thursday by the Prison Policy Initiative, a criminal justice think tank, and the ACLU."We find that most states have...WW…

Detroit Free Press The Detroit Police Department will conduct community outreach about facial recognition technology before city leaders vote on extending the software contract, City Council President Brenda Jones said Tuesday before blasting a one day earlier.Jones spoke at a city council meeting, where the proposed contract extension was originally scheduled to be referred to the council's Public Health and Safety committee. The item, which she said wasn't planned for a vote, was pulled from the agenda by Monday.Protesters who've marched daily in Detroit...…Detroit Free Press The Detroit Police Department will conduct community outreach about facial recognition technology before city leaders vote on extending the software contract, City Council President Brenda Jones said Tuesday before blasting a one day earlier.Jones spoke at a city council meeting, where the proposed contract extension was originally scheduled to be referred to the council's Public Health and Safety committee. The item, which she said wasn't planned for a vote, was pulled from the agenda by Monday.Protesters who've marched daily in Detroit...WW…

Detroit Free Press UPDATE:A Michigan senator has apologized for wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag during a Senate vote at the state Capitol on Friday. Sen. Dale Zorn, R-Ida, previously denied that the face covering — a red mask with blue stripes and white stars — was the Confederate flag, telling  that his wife made the face covering and told him the mask was more similar to the or flag. In a statement released Saturday, Zorn said he was sorry for his "choice of pattern" on the face mask. “I did not intend to offend anyone;...…Detroit Free Press UPDATE:A Michigan senator has apologized for wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag during a Senate vote at the state Capitol on Friday. Sen. Dale Zorn, R-Ida, previously denied that the face covering — a red mask with blue stripes and white stars — was the Confederate flag, telling  that his wife made the face covering and told him the mask was more similar to the or flag. In a statement released Saturday, Zorn said he was sorry for his "choice of pattern" on the face mask. “I did not intend to offend anyone;...WW…