Laura Dimon

Bio

Laura graduated from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in 2013. She has been published in the Economist, the Atlantic, and the Daily Beast. www.lauradimon.com / @lauradimon
7 Celebrities Share the Advice They'd Give Their 20-Year-Old Selves
By Laura Dimon
PolicyMic asked the following people one simple question: "If you could give your 20-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?" Here are their written answers, and, for some, there is a common theme: Re. Lax.   1. Francis Ford Coppola…
Missouri Will Execute a Man This Week – But Not if These Groups Can Help It
By Laura Dimon
On Monday, anesthesiologist and physician Joel Zivot traveled to Potosi, Missouri to perform a somewhat peculiar medical exam. He was not in a hospital, but a prison; he was not examining a patient preparing for procedure, but an inmate preparing…
The Disturbing Piece of Our Justice System That's Hurting Black Americans
By Laura Dimon
As sentient human beings, as Americans, and as members of society, we have a moral and emotional need to believe that our judicial system is functional and fair. It's disconcerting to think that two men who commit identical crimes would face…
One of America’s Biggest Banks Is Getting Into the Prison Business — But in a Good Way
By Laura Dimon
It's not uncommon to hear "bankers" and "prison" in the same sentence, but this time it's for a different reason. Goldman Sachs is taking part in a $21 million plan to help a Boston nonprofit, Roca, keep young, at-risk men out of trouble. They've…
It's All Riding on This Doctor to Prevent Another Botched Execution This Month
By Laura Dimon
To anesthesiologist and physician Joel Zivot, the use of lethal injection is a blatant insult to his profession. Practicing anesthesia is an art, one he studied for many, many years to master. And it's designed to save lives, not take them. In…
A Modern Day Slave Plantation Exists, and It's Thriving in the Heart of America
By Laura Dimon
It was 1972. Thousands of American troops were battling communist forces in Vietnam. Nixon had won re-election by a landslide, but Watergate would soon usher in his demise. Space travel and technology were advancing rapidly. Change was brewing…
John Oliver Captures the Death Penalty's Twisted Logic Better Than Any Pundit
By Laura Dimon
Last week, Fox News reported, "A convicted killer from Oklahoma dies after a botched execution." "Forty three-minute execution fails, inmate dies anyway," CNN's chyron screamed. Reuters columnist Jack Shafer jumped on the opportunity to point out…
Executioners’ Reflections Reveal a Twisted Side of the Death Penalty
By Laura Dimon
"Man … I'm not … something's wrong." Those were some of Clayton Lockett's last words on Tuesday during his botched execution in Oklahoma, according to a KFOR reporter. Lockett's attorney said his body started to twitch before "the convulsing got…
What Women Have to Go Through In Prison Leaves Zero Doubt Our System Is Broken
By Laura Dimon
"Women are not just small men," Stacy Burnett said. But they're treated like it in prison. "The indoctrination begins the minute we put on our clothes," Burnett said. The pants will be too tight in the hips or bust, too loose in the waist or just…
What Life Is Like For Kids in the Worst School in Chicago
By Laura Dimon
It opens with scenes of cop cars and flashing lights, blocked off crime scenes and dilapidated areas covered with graffiti. Through Lil Chris rapping "Lost My Mind" in the background, a newscaster announces, "Chicago is now the murder capital of…