Investigate This! is a new initiative from The Marshall Project to empower criminal justice journalism in local communities. By connecting journalists and other storytellers with data and other resources in our toolkits, we aim to support original reporting with the potential for local impact.

Marshall Project toolkits include data downloads, shareable illustrations, multimedia assets, FOIA guidance, expert sources, style guidance, and more. Additionally, we are in the early stages of piloting audio and video assets for broadcast newsrooms, podcasts, and social media storytelling.

If there are assets you would like to see, please let us know.

Each toolkit will be accompanied by a live webinar and video demos to guide reporters through the nuances of covering the criminal justice system.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive occasional updates when future toolkits drop!

The toolkits are free. We ask that you review and follow our Terms of Use and cite The Marshall Project somewhere in your published piece.

Example citations include:

• According to The Marshall Project
• This story is based on reporting from The Marshall Project
• According to new data collected by The Marshall Project
• As reported by The Marshall Project
• As reflected in data from The Marshall Project

If you produce any local stories from Investigate This! toolkits, please let us know. You can also schedule a call with Michelle Billman to chat about what types of criminal justice reporting is possible for your newsroom.

We also invite you to check out our growing collection of resources, including instructional videos on how to humanely cover the criminal justice system and how we think about style and standards.

Terms of Use

The Marshall Project is pleased to offer, at no charge, this Toolkit as a framework for local newsrooms to pursue strong, original criminal justice stories.

As a condition of your accessing the Toolkit, you acknowledge your understanding of and agreement to the following:

• If you use this Toolkit, you must credit The Marshall Project with phrasing noted above and include in the attribution to the authors the following: “The Marshall Project is not an author.”

• You may use the materials in the Toolkit for any investigative and reporting purpose as you decide. You may not sell or re-license any of these materials.

• You will use diligence and sound editorial judgment to investigate and report stories using the Toolkit. You are fully responsible for your use of the advice and materials in the Toolkit, including all risks arising from your news-gathering and publication.

• The Marshall Project does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any of the Toolkit materials, and does not vet or control any third party database or platform to which the Toolkit links. You acknowledge the materials might contain untimely data, errors and omissions. The Marshall Project disclaims and is not responsible for any loss or injury arising from your use of the Toolkit.

• You may not change the Toolkit data. Please reach out to us if you become aware of any updates that should be made.

• The Marshall Project has the right to use work that originates from the Toolkit for marketing and promotional purposes.

• For each Toolkit, you are welcome to republish the provided illustration within any stories derived from the toolkit materials, along with any related social media and newsletter promotion of those stories. The illustration should be accompanied by the name of the illustrator in a credit line. In cases where the illustration was produced by The Marshall Project, please include a credit to The Marshall Project. The art should not be published in unrelated stories. The illustrations should not be cropped or altered in any way.