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News
December 19, 2018
Okay, What’s the Second Step?
Now that the First Step Act passed, prison reformers are already making lists.
By
Justin George
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
Coronavirus
April 3, 2020
Coronavirus Ended His Shot at a Second Chance
The case of Patrick Jones, the first federal prisoner to die from COVID-19, epitomizes national debates about criminal justice reform.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
May 28, 2015
How Nebraska Repealed the Death Penalty
A deep-red state shows the way, with conservatives in the lead.
By
Shari Silberstein
Coronavirus
June 3, 2020
“Juvenile Lifers” Were Meant to Get a Second Chance. COVID-19 Could Get Them First.
The Supreme Court gave teens sentenced to life in prison a shot at freedom. Many are still waiting.
By
Eli Hager
Life Inside
June 21, 2018
I Survived a Violent Crime, Then the Justice System Let Me Down
"I was made to feel like a second-class victim."
By
Patricia Wenskunas
, as told to
Eli Hager
Quiz
February 2, 2016
Is it O.K. to Quote Scripture When the Death Penalty Is at Stake?
Some judges say yes, some say no. Care to second guess?
By
Maurice Chammah
Closing Argument
July 20
How Project 2025 Plans for Trump to Have Unprecedented Power Over the Justice Department
The policy plan for a second Trump term would turn the department against progressive local prosecutors.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
December 19, 2019
Can You Hear Me Now?
Prison officials tout video visitation’s convenience. Families say they’re paying high rates for second-rate service
By
Beatrix Lockwood
and
Nicole Lewis
Life Inside
October 11, 2018
I Met My Friend in Prison. Now I Doubt His Innocence.
A prison volunteer's belief in second chances faces a difficult test.
By
Damian Zurro
News
August 18, 2015
A Second Jailhouse Snitch Claims a Secret Deal With Texas Prosecutor
Another death penalty case, another accusation of misconduct.
By
Maurice Possley
and
Maurice Chammah
News Inside
October 24, 2019
News Inside Issue Two
The second edition of The Marshall Project’s print publication explores the concept of freedom: mental, physical and spiritual.
By
Lawrence Bartley
Testify
March 23
What Are the ‘Exit Ramps’ From Incarceration in Cuyahoga County?
Help us report on how well the courts provide people charged with low-level felonies a second chance.
By
Alexandra Arriaga
News
October 2, 2018
Louisiana’s Taurus Buchanan Wins Parole After 25 Years
At 16, one deadly punch sent him away for life. The Supreme Court gave him a second chance at freedom.
By
Nicole Lewis
Life Inside
May 21, 2020
While I Wasted Time in Prison, My Mom Died of a Broken Heart
My mom was by my side the first time I went away. The second time was just too much.
By
Daniel Mcmann
News and Awards
January 3, 2019
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion
Our second annual diversity report, a chance to update the numbers and lay out some plans and ambitions for 2019.
error in byline
Closing Argument
May 11
When Bad Cops Become Private Security Guards
There’s growing evidence that former officers with troubling histories of abuse can easily find second careers in private security.
By
Shoshana Walter
The California Experiment
June 27, 2018
Can It Be Murder If You Didn’t Kill Anyone?
A distinctly American legal doctrine holds getaway drivers and lookouts as responsible for a death as the actual killer. California is having second thoughts.
By
Abbie VanSickle
Life Inside
June 10, 2022
The ‘Foul-Mouthed Pagan Lesbian’ Who Inspired My Jail Memoir
Keri Blakinger’s new book, “Corrections in Ink,” began with Susan Begg, an older woman the author met on her second day in jail. If only Susan had lived to see it in print.
By
Keri Blakinger
Feature
June 9, 2022
Rethinking Prison Tourism
Many former prison sites draw on the spooky and salacious to entertain visitors. But some are having second thoughts.
By
Hope Corrigan
News and Awards
May 16
Susan Chira to Step Down as The Marshall Project’s Editor-in-Chief in January
Under her stewardship, the news nonprofit more than doubled in size, opened local newsrooms and won its second Pulitzer Prize.
By
The Marshall Project
The Marshall Project Inside
May 14, 2021
COVID-19 and Vaccine Mistrust Behind Bars
The second episode of The Marshall Project’s new video series, designed for audiences inside and outside of prison, reflects on how the COVID-19 vaccine has been received in lockups.
By
Donald Washington, Jr.
and
Lawrence Bartley
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
Inside Out
November 11, 2021
Mugshots Stay Online Forever. Some Say the Police Should Stop Making Them Public.
As many news outlets cut back on publishing mugshots, some states and cities are grappling with a more fundamental question: Why do police release the images — and should they be allowed to?
By
Keri Blakinger
Closing Argument
August 19, 2023
Battles Over ‘Progressive’ Prosecutors’ Decisions Heating Up
Conservatives target local elected officials in fights over marijuana, abortion and sentencing
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
August 14, 2017
Crowdsourcing the Charlottesville Investigation
The mixed blessing of an internet posse.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Simone Weichselbaum
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
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
Closing Argument
May 27
How Tech Like ShotSpotter Thrives Despite Public Pushback
Police around the country have invested in the gunshot-detection system using Covid relief dollars.
By
Geoff Hing
Feature
October 29, 2020
Police Wanted “A Dog That Would Bite A Black Person”
The terrifying reign of a small town’s police dog.
By
Challen Stephens
News
August 2, 2017
Guess Who’s Tracking Your Prescription Drugs?
Your doctor, your pharmacist... and the police.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Case in Point
July 18, 2016
Letting Prosecutors Write the Law
It’s more common than you think.
By
Andrew Cohen
Cleveland Newsletter
August 22
Promises, Promises. Where’s the Surveillance Committee?
After months of promises, civil rights, privacy concerns remain unfulfilled.
By
The Marshall Project - Cleveland
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.
Feature
January 21
It’s Not Just a Police Problem, Americans Are Opting Out of Government Jobs
Data shows declines in public-sector employment, even as the private job market has rebounded.
By
Daphne Duret
and
Weihua Li
News
December 23, 2014
PowerPoint Justice
When prosecutors slide around the law.
By
Ken Armstrong
Feature
March 14
Aggressive Policing in Memphis Goes Far Beyond the Scorpion Unit
Data shows Memphis police arrested more people – mostly Black men – than other Tennessee cities.
By
Daphne Duret
,
Weihua Li
and
Marc Perrusquia
Closing Argument
April 20
The Enduring Use of Solitary, and New Proposed Limits That Will Likely Fail (Again)
Isolation’s damaging effects are widely known. But many facilities confine people — even youth — virtually all day, sometimes in shower stalls.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Cleveland Newsletter
July 11
Don’t Waste Our Time, Says Advisory Panel
Cuyahoga County councilman taps 5 to review juvenile court issues.
By
The Marshall Project - Cleveland
Life Inside
May 5, 2016
My Father Killed Two People
On living with, and sharing, that information for a lifetime.
By
Pamela Brunskill
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
Feature
December 14, 2020
Police Use Painful Dog Bites To Make People Obey
Police are allowed to use “pain compliance.” But experts say dog bites are too unpredictable and severe.
By
Abbie VanSickle
and
Challen Stephens
Life Inside
November 17, 2023
Being a Corrections Officer Is Hard Enough. Doing the Job While Pregnant Is a Nightmare.
Lia McKeown says a California prison refused to adjust her job duties to accommodate her pregnancies. Now she’s suing for discrimination.
By
Lia McKeown
as told to
Nicole Lewis
Commentary
February 8, 2016
Black and Unarmed: Behind the Numbers
What the Black Lives Matter movement misses about those police shootings.
By
Heather Mac Donald
News
August 25, 2017
The Great Escape? Par for the Course.
“These guys were absolutely jaw-dropping in their incompetence.”
By
Alysia Santo
and
Eli Hager
Closing Argument
August 20, 2022
How Conservatives Are Trying to Shut Down the Progressive Prosecutor Movement
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis removed an elected prosecutor from office. Will this become the right’s new tactic?
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
November 18
Four Suicides in L.A. and the Mental Health Problem in Law Enforcement
Four suspected suicides in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department highlight a problem affecting agencies across the country.
By
Daphne Duret
Closing Argument
April 13
The Parents Paying for Their Children’s Crimes
Experts warn about a wave of legal consequences for parents like the Crumbleys, while some states consider prosecutions for kids as young as 10.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
October 30, 2017
‘Restorative Justice’ for Shoplifting? A Court Calls It Extortion
A company’s program, used by Walmart and others, bypasses the cops.
By
Jessica Pishko
Analysis
March 24
What Irvo Otieno’s Killing Tells Us about Mental Healthcare in the U.S.
The system can end up prosecuting patients and relying on police — with sometimes fatal results.
By
Christie Thompson
Closing Argument
April 1
How Criminal Records Hold Back Millions of People
More than 70 million Americans with arrest records face barriers to find work or a decent place to live.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Crime on the Ballot
October 17, 2016
It’s Not Just Pot and the Death Penalty
Four important ballot measures you probably haven’t heard of.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
News
October 24, 2017
Innocent, Disabled and Vulnerable
A judge protects an exonerated man from his lawyer.
By
Joseph Neff
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
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
Life Inside
August 16, 2018
What It’s Like to be a Cutter in Prison
"This isn’t a place that provides treatment, help, or even empathy to those who suffer from stress, depression, and mental illness."
By
Deidre Mcdonald
Coronavirus
April 8, 2020
Trump Administration Tells Some Business Owners “Do Not Apply” for Coronavirus Loans
SBA says people with criminal records aren't eligible for some emergency loans, even though experts say the law doesn't exclude them.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
April 16, 2017
Drinking While Jurying
What happens when juries decide to tie one on.
By
Ken Armstrong
The Rules
August 18, 2015
Why You Can’t Use Dictionaries in Court
The many shifting definitions of “malice” and “rape.”
By
Christie Thompson
News
April 28, 2017
Just Another Week in Hell
The news from your local lockup is not good.
By
Ken Armstrong
Life Inside
October 23, 2020
Shame Is Ever-Present When You’re Sitting in a Cell
Between a strained relationship with my family and the death of a good friend, I’ve struggled to feel like I’m worth something.
By Demetrius A. Buckley
News
October 28, 2015
Is Halloween Really More Dangerous for Kids?
A lack of evidence doesn’t stop cities from rounding up sexual offenders on the holiday.
By
Anat Rubin
Analysis
February 12, 2016
Justice Reform, RIP?
The vaunted bipartisan drive to enact federal criminal justice reform is not quite dead. But its pulse is faint.
By
Bill Keller
Life Inside
July 31, 2015
Bored in Jail? Walk to Canada.
The imagined journey of Steven Ray Epperson.
By
Maurice Chammah
Life Inside
March 16, 2017
The Death Row Basketball League
Always playing against the clock.
By
Lyle May
News
November 4, 2019
How More Than 50 Women Walked Out of a Prison in Oklahoma
The state slashed sentences for more than 500 people convicted in low-level drug and theft cases.
By
Cary Aspinwall
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
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
Case in Point
June 12, 2017
The Man Who Spent 35 Years in Prison Without a Trial
The Jerry Hartfield case is an extraordinary tale of justice delayed and denied.
By
Andrew Cohen
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
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
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
News
February 24, 2015
Debtors’ Prisons, Then and Now: FAQ
Congress outlawed them. The Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. Yet they live on.
By
Eli Hager
Life Inside
June 27, 2019
We Thought Our Prison Strike Was a Success. Then Came the Officers in Riot Gear
“Panic ensued as everyone braced for the inevitable attack.”
By
Mangaaka Ade
Life Inside
August 29, 2019
In My Prison, Summer is “Ticket Season”
“If you move the wrong way—ticket. You look the wrong way—ticket. Breathe—ticket.”
By
Demetrius Buckley
News
June 4, 2020
As George Floyd Died, Officer Wondered About “Excited Delirium”
Now experts say the controversial diagnosis may become part of the police defense.
By
Alysia Santo
Life Inside
February 4, 2021
I’ve Been Strip-Frisked Over 1,000 Times in Prison. I Consider It Sexual Assault
Strip-searching us for contraband is a perfectly legal way to rob incarcerated people of our humanity.
By
Corey Devon Arthur
Just Say You’re Sorry
May 29, 2023
As a Texas Ranger Gains National Fame, His Interrogations Draw Skepticism
James Holland’s star rises after he coaxes killer Samuel Little to confess to 90 murders. But his work in Larry Driskill’s case comes into question.
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
April 12, 2016
The Prison Visit That Cost My Family $2,370
How loved ones bear the hidden cost of shipping inmates out of state.
by
Eli Hager
and
Rui Kaneya
Feature
February 12, 2016
Kendrick Lamar, the Grammys and the Year in Socially Conscious Music
Black Lives Matter took center stage in 2015’s hip-hop and R&B.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
and
Pedro Burgos
Analysis
September 29, 2016
Criminal Justice Reform: An Obituary
Obama and Newt Gingrich. Koch Industries and the ACLU. With friends like that, how could it lose?
By
Bill Keller
Analysis
July 19, 2017
Nine Lessons About Criminal Justice Reform
What Washington can learn from the states.
By
Bill Keller
Case in Point
August 8, 2017
The Weakest Link Standard
A Massachusetts case suggests a different way of judging evidence.
By
Andrew Cohen
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
News
April 10, 2017
Here are the 7 men Arkansas plans to execute this month
The cases of the condemned capture much of the debate for and against the death penalty.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
Feature
July 29, 2020
Your Local Jail May Be A House of Horrors
But you probably wouldn’t know it, because sheriffs rule them with little accountability. After one man’s death in a notorious lockup, residents of a Missouri town fought back.
By
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
December 17, 2015
Raphael Holiday was Put to Death, and His Lawyers Should Have Tried Harder to Stop It
Gretchen Sween was hired a month before Holiday was executed. This is what she saw.
By
Gretchen Sween
Case in Point
April 10, 2017
About the Gun-toting, One-legged Kentucky Woman Seeking Justice...
...and the detective she says cooked the case.
By
Andrew Cohen
Election 2020
March 12, 2020
Trump's Surprising Popularity in Prison
Many incarcerated white people said they'd re-elect the president—if given the chance.
By
Nicole Lewis
and
Christina Cauterucci
with data analysis by
Anna Flagg
Life Inside
February 10
I Write About Bad Prison Conditions. That Doesn’t Mean I Hate All Cops.
As a kid in Pakistan, police treated Tariq MaQbool like a nephew. As an adult in solitary confinement, the kindness of one New Jersey corrections officer made him feel human.
By
Tariq MaQbool
Life Inside
March 15
Boxer Shorts Blues: My Path to Gender-Affirming Underwear in Prison
Nonbinary writer K.C. Johnson soon learned that behind bars, even their underwear was subject to deliberations.
By
K.C. Johnson
Case in Point
January 23, 2017
An Oklahoma Horror Story
The last six days of Elliott Earl Williams.
By
Andrew Cohen
Feature
September 1, 2022
They Lost Their Pregnancies. Then Prosecutors Sent Them to Prison.
Dozens of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges. Experts expect even more cases now that Roe has been overturned.
By
Cary Aspinwall
,
Brianna Bailey
, and
Amy Yurkanin
Testify
September 11, 2023
Cuyahoga County Judges Vowed to Reform the Bail System. Here’s What Happened.
Court officials informally changed their bail-setting practices for felony cases. Now, fewer people have to pay to get out of jail, a Marshall Project analysis shows.
By
Ilica Mahajan
and
Rachel Dissell