Jessica Pishko

Jessica Pishko is an independent journalist and lawyer who has been writing about the criminal legal system for a decade with a focus on the political power of law enforcement officials. Since 2018, she has been focused on American sheriffs and their role—past and present—in perpetuating mass incarceration and white supremacy as well as how sheriffs present a growing threat to democracy in this country. Previously, Pishko was a fellow at the Rule of Law Collaborative at the University of South Carolina, researching sheriff accountability. She has received grants from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and Type Investigations. Her work has appeared in The New York Times op-ed section, Politico, Slate, The Atlantic, and The Appeal. In addition, her newsletter on sheriffs and their political power has been recognized by the NYU American Journalism Online Awards. She is the author of The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy, a book for Dutton on the history and growing political power of sheriffs.

This bio reflects the fellow’s work and affiliations as of the completion of their fellowship project.

• Here’s the Secret “Sheriff Fellowship” Curriculum From the Country’s Most Prominent MAGA Think Tank: A piece in Slate about the Claremont Institute’s first class of Sheriff Fellows.
• She Wants to Fix One of Louisiana’s Deadliest Jails. She Needs to Beat the Sheriff First.: A profile for Politico of New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson who ran as a reform-minded sheriff.
• He Calls Himself the ‘American Sheriff.’ Whose Law Is He Following?: A profile in Politico of Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb, who made a name for himself as a Trump-aligned lawman intent on advancing his political career.
• Sheriffs Helped Lead This Insurrection: A story for Slate about how county sheriffs were integral to January 6th and ongoing threats to democracy in America.
• Why Can’t We Get Rid of Bad Sheriffs?: A piece for The New York Times examining why it is so difficult to replace or recall elected sheriffs who break the law.