Welcome
Criminal informants provide important information to the justice system, but they also pose serious risks. We hope this website will help attorneys, journalists, advocates, and families to better understand this vital area of public policy.
Reform
Numerous states are rethinking their criminal informant policies. Some have passed laws restricting the use of jailhouse snitch witnesses. Some have created new rules for disclosure and accountability. The law governing criminal informants has changed enormously over the past ten years, and will look very different again in another decade.
Families and Youth
Many families and young people must grapple with informant issues. Police may pressure college students, or even children as young as 14, into becoming informants. Very few states have laws protecting minors or other vulnerable people from the pressures and consequences of informing.