Pope Francis has visited other prisons, but this was the first time on his travels as pope that he visited one just for women. He was greeted by women standing with their babies in their arms. 

The Justice Department is vowing to enforce a federal ban on marijuana, even as some states try to move toward full legalization.

Discussions of capital punishment do not often address how death sentences affect the people who are left behind.

Bishop Pates heard a cry for help in the detention center. After he left, he called on Congress to pass the DREAM Act.

Mr. Cardenas’s lawyers argued that Texas authorities had not properly informed him that as a Mexican citizen he was entitled to legal aid from the Mexican consulate.

Except for crimes committed on federal land, state law governs what constitutes a sex crime, and the definitions vary.