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News
December 20, 2015
Spotting the ‘Red Flags’ of Abusive Prison Guards
Under pressure, New York says it will better track correctional officers
By
Tom Robbins
Commentary
May 28, 2015
How Nebraska Repealed the Death Penalty
A deep-red state shows the way, with conservatives in the lead.
By
Shari Silberstein
Jackson
June 20
Mississippi Wants to Allow Some Votes From Jails and Prisons. Red Tape May Stop It.
A new state law will allow more people in jails and prisons to cast absentee ballots, but many obstacles remain.
By
Caleb Bedillion
Commentary
October 8, 2018
Forget The Ticket — Could You Get Arrested For A Parking Violation?
Supreme Court lets stand lower court ruling extending pretextual stops to parking infractions.
By
Katy Naples-Mitchell
Election 2024
August 7
Tim Walz on Criminal Justice: 5 Things to Know
Where Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, stands on policing, guns, prison reform and other issues.
By
Shannon Heffernan
and
Beth Schwartzapfel
News and Awards
June 27
Kristin Bausch and Chris Vazquez Join The Marshall Project as Audience Engagement Producers
Bausch and Vazquez will bolster, in particular, the newsroom’s journalistic visuals and videos on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
November 27
Aala Abdullahi Joins The Marshall Project as Engagement Reporter
Abdullahi comes to The Marshall Project with a track record of reaching underserved audiences.
By
The Marshall Project
Southside
October 31, 2018
The Waiting Room
For many released into the harsh environment outside Chicago’s Cook County Jail, it can be impossible to find their way home.
By
Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve
Commentary
May 22, 2016
Pretty in Pink Handcuffs
We’re going to shackle you while you give birth, but you’ll look great.
By
Bill Keller
News
February 2, 2017
Watch: A New Documentary’s Rare Access Inside Solitary
A filmmaker spends a year inside a Virginia supermax facility.
By
Celina Fang
Analysis
June 16, 2016
Could Removing Brock Turner’s Judge Hurt Poor and Minority Defendants?
A group of public defenders says yes.
By
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
July 10, 2017
To Be Good Employees, the Formerly Incarcerated Must First Become Bosses
For the incarcerated, personal agency is a deciding factor in success after release.
Marlon Peterson
Commentary
July 11, 2018
This Call May be Monopolized and Recorded
Advocates say prison phone companies’ merger diminishes competition
By
Bianca Tylek
and
Connor Mccleskey
News
April 25, 2019
Indiana Safeguards Rights of Parents in Prison
The Marshall Project reported that some incarcerated parents were losing their children forever. Now one state is acting to prevent the severing of family ties.
By
Eli Hager
Closing Argument
January 13
More Police Are Using Your Cameras for Video Evidence
Police “nerve centers” are blurring the line between public and private surveillance.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
May 23
Out of the Blue: The Rise and Fall of a Black Cop
After Cleveland officer Vincent Montague shot a Black man, he got promoted. Then he allied with Black Lives Matter, and his life went off the rails.
By
Wilbert L. Cooper
Closing Argument
November 11, 2023
Supreme Court Takes on Gun Cases as State Laws Shift
The court is considering the safety of victims of domestic violence, bump stocks and more.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News and Awards
January 7, 2022
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion, 2021
Our fifth annual diversity report notes significant developments in 2021 and lays out our goals for the year ahead.
error in byline
News
June 19, 2015
How Germany Treats Juveniles
Inside the German prison system, day four.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
May 27, 2015
Out of Prison, Out of Luck
When the test of innocence is withheld.
By
Christie Thompson
Life Inside
December 22, 2016
‘I’ll Be Waiting’
In cell 62, another birthday turns into another day alone.
By
John Francis
Coronavirus
March 24, 2020
Coronavirus Leaves Foster Children With Nowhere to Go
New placements, family visits and child-abuse investigations falter across the country.
By
Eli Hager
Closing Argument
May 25
A Legal Doctrine That Shields Police From Many Lawsuits May Be Losing Support
A federal judge in Mississippi joined other courts in recently rejecting police arguments that qualified immunity protected their actions.
By
Jamiles Lartey
The Frame
March 13, 2016
The Radio Show That Reunited Inmates and Families
“Shout outs” on the air led to van rides to the supermax.
by
Lisa Iaboni
Life Inside
January 26, 2017
The Implications of Trying to Kill Yourself on Death Row
Is dying sooner better than being executed later?
By
George T. Wilkerson
News
November 23, 2020
Biden Will Try to Unmake Trump’s Immigration Agenda. It Won’t Be Easy.
Restoring asylum claims and judges’ independence will be uphill work.
By
Julia Preston
Analysis
September 1, 2017
The Dreamers Won’t Go Quietly
And they’ve got a lot of allies.
By
Julia Preston
News
August 12, 2018
The Right Age to Die?
For some, science is outpacing the High Court on juveniles and the death penalty.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Commentary
March 21, 2019
“Medicare for All” Is Missing a Vital Group: The Incarcerated
“Can criminal justice reform succeed without addressing the health of incarcerated people?"
By
Ashwin Vasan
Closing Argument
January 6
Federal Prisons Are Over Capacity — Yet Efforts to Ease Overcrowding Are Ending
The Bureau of Prisons’ system is in trouble and needs serious upgrades on several fronts.
By
Shannon Heffernan
News
August 14, 2017
Crowdsourcing the Charlottesville Investigation
The mixed blessing of an internet posse.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Simone Weichselbaum
Life Inside
October 6, 2016
How a Phone Changed My Life on Death Row
“I felt like a virgin on my wedding night — eager to put this thing to use, not sure if it’ll hurt.”
By
George T. Wilkerson
Life Inside
October 25, 2018
Freaky Friday, Prison-Style
At a Kentucky prison, inmates and staff switch places during a “re-entry to society” role-playing game.
By
Derek R. Trumbo, Sr.
News
December 23, 2014
PowerPoint Justice
When prosecutors slide around the law.
By
Ken Armstrong
Feature
August 30, 2021
The Black Mortality Gap, and a Century-Old Document
1 in 5 African American deaths happens earlier than if they were White. Black doctors say the Flexner Report holds clues to the health system’s role in racial health disparities.
By
Anna Flagg
Feature
July 2, 2015
California’s Jail-building Boom
What comes after mass incarceration? Local incarceration.
By
Anat Rubin
Case in Point
July 17, 2017
Who Pays for Jail Rape?
Under “qualified immunity,” often no one.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
July 16, 2019
Trump Tried to Deport People Faster. Immigration Courts Slowed Down Instead.
A series of policy changes has failed to reduce the ever-growing backlog of cases waiting to be resolved.
By
Julia Preston
and
Andrew R. Calderon
Cleveland
October 1
Cleveland Police Stop and Search Black Drivers at Higher Rates Despite DOJ Oversight
Review of 17,000 Cleveland police stops shows Black people are searched three times as often, yet White people have contraband at near equal rates.
By
Mark Puente
, The Marshall Project,
Sarah Buduson
, News 5 Cleveland
Life Inside
August 4, 2022
Prison Money Diaries: What People Really Make (and Spend) Behind Bars
We asked people in prison to track their earning and spending — and bartering and side hustles — for 30 days. Their accounts reveal a thriving underground economy behind bars.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Life Inside
December 6, 2018
Should I Have Let My Friend on Death Row Kill Himself?
“We don’t live on death row; we wait to die.”
By
Paul Brown
The Lowdown
November 19, 2014
Fakeup
How women in prison remake makeup.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
News
January 20, 2015
The Near Death of Mark Christeson
He was nearly executed because his lawyers missed a filing deadline. Now the Supreme Court has weighed in on what should happen next.
By
Ken Armstrong
Crime on the Ballot
November 9, 2016
Law and Order Trumps Reform
There’s a new sheriff in town.
By
Bill Keller
Commentary
November 13, 2018
Voters Want Criminal Justice Reform. Are Politicians Listening?
Midterms show wide support across party lines for changing the system.
Daniel Gotoff
and
Celinda Lake
Life Inside
January 22, 2016
How I Experience Female Contact in Prison
On being pent up.
By
Rahsaan Thomas
Commentary
May 21, 2015
The ‘South Texas Family Residential Center’ Is No Haven
It’s an internment camp.
By
Carl Takei
Life Inside
January 10, 2019
Why Showering in Prison Is Hell
“Step by step, I shuffle forward amid the mass of bodies, waiting to get inside.”
By
Jason Wright
Analysis
August 28, 2019
Is It Time to Remove Immigration Courts From Presidential Control?
Calls grow to create an independent court system that protects immigration judges from political pressure.
By
Julia Preston
The Lowdown
June 16, 2021
Biden Could Have Taken the War on Drugs Down a Notch. He Didn’t.
A little-noticed law could make it easier to punish people for low-level drug crimes — and put them in prison for longer with less proof.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Feature
September 8, 2023
Migrants Desperate for Jobs Trapped in Asylum Maze
Hundreds of thousands were eligible to apply earlier for work permits, but the government only began alerting them last week.
By
Julia Preston
Feature
February 3, 2016
Policing the Future
In the aftermath of Michael Brown's death, St. Louis cops embrace crime-predicting software.
By
Maurice Chammah
, with additional reporting by
Mark Hansen
Español
March 5, 2021
Lo que las personas en prisión deben saber sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19
Más de 100 personas encarceladas en todo el país nos plantearon sus preguntas sobre la vacuna. A continuación explicamos si es segura, cuándo estará disponible y más
Por
Ariel Goodman
.
Life Inside
January 11, 2018
The Curious Case of the Prisoners in the Wrong Cellblock
A mystery unfolds during an urgent phone call.
By
Sterling R. Cunio
Life Inside
July 19, 2018
It’s Surprisingly Tough to Avoid Snitching in Prison
How hard could it be not to betray your friends?
By
George T. Wilkerson
Life Inside
November 15, 2018
Even My Dreams Are Behind Bars
After being locked up for years, a prisoner’s ability to see freedom fades.
By
Felix Rosado
Closing Argument
August 3
They Exposed Police Misconduct. Now They’re Paying a Steep Price.
Whistleblower laws have advanced in public and private sectors, but protections for police who report illegal or unethical behavior lag far behind.
By
Daphne Duret
Feature
March 24, 2016
The Deadly Consequences of Solitary With a Cellmate
Imagine living in a cell that’s smaller than a parking space — with a homicidal roommate.
By
Christie Thompson
and
Joe Shapiro
Feature
March 22, 2017
“Harmless Errors”
Eight young men and the murder story that sent them away for life
By
Thomas Dybdahl
Analysis
November 6, 2020
“Law and Order” Still Reigns in State Supreme Court Elections
A Nevada state supreme court candidate was one of very few nationwide to run on a message of reform. Most campaigns leaned on “tough on crime” strategy yet again.
By
Christie Thompson
News and Awards
May 26, 2020
The Marshall Project and Sundance Institute Announce Short Film Grantees
Films offering new perspectives on criminal justice in the United States to be made through a new initiative from The Sundance Institute and The Marshall Project
By
The Marshall Project
News
March 12, 2015
Why Is the FBI so White?
The nation diversifies. The bureau, not so much.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
News
July 1, 2015
How the Law Will Adapt to Oregon’s Legalized Pot
Expunged arrest records, and new jobs for police dogs.
By
Maura Ewing
,
Carl Stoffers
,
Simone Seiver
and
Eli Hager
Life Inside
May 5, 2016
My Father Killed Two People
On living with, and sharing, that information for a lifetime.
By
Pamela Brunskill
Analysis
July 13, 2015
The President Goes to Prison
But Congress is the place to watch.
By
Andrew Cohen
Life Inside
January 29, 2016
What It’s Like to Be Moved From Cell to Cell, Prison to Prison
An endless shuffle takes a toll.
By
Arthur Longworth
News
March 29, 2016
DOJ Tells Prisons to Put Safety First in Housing Transgender Inmates
Rules from 2012 are too often ignored, advocates say.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Q&A
March 2, 2016
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Remembers Rodney King and the L.A. Riots
‘Rodney King is in the lineage of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Trayvon Martin — that lineage of violation.’
By
Bill Keller
Commentary
August 12, 2016
End Prisons-for-Profit
A scathing report calls for “better oversight.” That’s not enough.
By
Carl Takei
Life Inside
August 25, 2016
What I've Learned Cutting Hair in Jail
“They look tired, ragged, and sick, more so than they thought they would.”
By
Andre Lyons
Analysis
December 16, 2016
Why Congress May Bring Criminal Justice Reform Back to Life
Four reasons a bipartisan bill has a better chance than you think
By
Bill Keller
Life Inside
January 12, 2017
My Best Friends in Prison are Frogs, Turtles, and Raccoons
Sharing space with open-minded visitors from beyond the walls.
By
Joseph Dole
Feature
September 24, 2017
How Conservatives Learned to Love Free Lawyers for the Poor
By reframing the issue around the evils of big government, Republicans are notching victories that have eluded more liberal legislatures.
By
Alysia Santo
News
October 24, 2017
Innocent, Disabled and Vulnerable
A judge protects an exonerated man from his lawyer.
By
Joseph Neff
News
January 4, 2018
The Latest Big Win for Prison Privatization
It just got a lot harder to send a care package to New York prisoners.
By
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
Commentary
July 3, 2018
Revolutionary Moments in Law Enforcement
Had British authorities and their soldiers exercised de-escalation tactics, would the United States exist today?
By
Robin Washington
Life Inside
May 17, 2018
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things on Death Row
Not even an extra boiled egg.
By
Timothy White
News
August 6, 2018
Senators Take Aim at Bail Industry Backers
Cory Booker and Sherrod Brown, both Democrats, want answers from the insurance industry.
By
Joseph Neff
Commentary
August 15, 2018
What ‘Enemies Of The People’ Truly Means — And Why The Media Are Not
Journalists expose systems that don’t work, and officials often agree.
By
Carroll Bogert
Jackson Newsletter
June 20
Mississippi Court Elections: What Do You Want to Know?
Two Mississippi Supreme Court seats and other posts are up for election on Nov. 5. What would you ask the candidates?
By
The Marshall Project - Jackson
Jackson Newsletter
July 25
Mississippi Felony Voting Ban Will Remain This November
Not being allowed to vote is not “cruel and unusual” punishment under the Constitution, an appeals court ruled.
By
The Marshall Project - Jackson
Southside
October 30, 2018
Payback
Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and his crew tortured false confessions out of hundreds of black men. Decades later, the survivors fought for reparations.
By
Natalie Y. Moore
Coronavirus
May 21, 2020
Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort Got to Leave Federal Prison Due to COVID-19. They’re The Exception.
Just a small fraction of federal prisoners have been sent home. Many others lack legal help and connections to make their case.
By
Joseph Neff
and
Keri Blakinger
Feature
October 31, 2023
Prosecutors in These States Can Review Sentences They Deem Extreme. Few Do.
Five states now allow prosecutors to seek shorter sentences in old cases. Louisiana shows why many DAs haven’t.
By
Matt Nadel
and
Charlie Lee
Commentary
June 26, 2015
Fact-Checking Season 3 of Orange Is the New Black
A former CO — and first-time OITNB-watcher — weighs in.
By
Carl Stoffers
News
August 3, 2015
How the Supreme Court Made It Legal for Cops to Pull You Over for Just About Anything
Even hanging an air freshener.
By
Ken Armstrong
Commentary
July 21, 2015
What Harper Lee Got Right
“Go Set a Watchman” puts the “white savior” notion in its place.
By
Gilbert King
News
December 14, 2016
Let’s Go to Prison!
A national field trip to Incarceration Nation, under the shadow of Donald Trump
By
Eli Hager
Feature
April 7, 2018
The Price of Innocence
Two brothers did 31 years for someone else’s crime. Then things went bad.
By
Joseph Neff
Violation
December 11, 2023
The Court Ruling Jacob Wideman Was Waiting For
A “Violation” podcast update brings listeners the latest news in Wideman’s case, including his reaction to a ruling that leaves him few paths to freedom.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
December 15, 2014
A Vet and His Demons
Does he belong in a prison or a hospital?
By
Maurice Chammah
News
December 19, 2014
Havana vs. Rikers Island
Where would you rather do time?
By
Clare Sestanovich
Life Inside
April 8, 2021
“Nobody Wants to Be Identified as a Victim”
Oakland activist Carl Chan reveals how fear of retaliation, mistrust of police, language barriers and technology gaps fuel underreporting of anti-Asian violence.
By
Carl Chan
as told to
Michelle Pitcher
Life Inside
April 29, 2021
Nothing Has Made Me Feel More American Than Going to Jail
I was born in D.C. to South Indian parents. But it wasn’t until I had to negotiate the criminal justice system that I fully realized what many Americans of color have to deal with.
By
Ravi Shankar
The Frame
August 3, 2021
“Espacios de reclusión” se adentra en los lugares que criminalizan a los inmigrantes indocumentados
La fotógrafa, artista y antropóloga Cinthya Santos-Briones colabora con inmigrantes ex reclusos para arrojar luz sobre la insular “arquitectura del castigo” en Nueva Jersey.
by
Ariel Goodman
Coronavirus
November 22, 2020
Where Coronavirus Is Surging—And Electronic Surveillance, Too
In Chicago and elsewhere, the number of people wearing an ankle monitor has jumped in recent months due to the pandemic.
By
Eli Hager
Closing Argument
September 3, 2022
Thousands of Migrants Are Now Pawns in Immigration Politics
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s policy of busing migrants to other states has ignited heated political debate. People are caught in the middle.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Life Inside
May 13, 2022
I Got the Prison Transfer I Fought For. My Feelings Were Surprisingly Mixed
Demetrius Buckley’s long-awaited transfer to a lower-security prison means more time outside of his cell and a chance to see his daughter. But the transport process was like everything else in prison: slow, confusing and casually cruel.
By
Demetrius Buckley
Inside Out
September 2, 2021
Some prison labor programs lose money — even when prisoners work for pennies
Officials claim programs provide skills, but critics say there’s little evidence.
By
Keri Blakinger
Commentary
March 19, 2015
The Petri Dish
Georgia has become the laboratory of criminal justice reform.
By
Andrew Cohen