Episode 38: Keri Blakinger Reports on the Criminal Justice System That Once Held Her

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keri Blakinger has worked for years as a journalist (currently at</span> <a href= "https://www.themarshallproject.org/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Marshall Project</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">) covering the criminal justice system and exposing the abuses within it. She comes with experience that most reporters don’t -- in 2010, she was arrested for drug possession and spent two years in the system herself. Matt Sutton, DPA's Director of Media Relations, who also has first-hand experience of the system due to a drug charge, sat down to talk with her. In their discussion, they reflect on the obstacles they have faced in their lives as a result of having a record, how it affects Keri’s reporting, and what changes are needed in a system that still prioritizes punitive measures over anything else.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can follow Keri @keribla on Twitter. To learn more about DPA’s work on these issues, visit</span> <a href= "http://www.drugpolicy.org/criminaljustice"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">drugpolicy.org/criminaljustice</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>