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The Rules
August 18, 2015
Why You Can’t Use Dictionaries in Court
The many shifting definitions of “malice” and “rape.”
By
Christie Thompson
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
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
News and Awards
October 19, 2016
The Marshall Project Releases Its CMS
EndRun is now available to developers.
By
The Marshall Project
Commentary
October 7, 2015
The Clintons Aren’t the Only Ones to Blame for the Crime Bill
Black leaders also embraced it.
By
Michael Fortner
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
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
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
News
April 5, 2016
Can the Troubled Cleveland Police Handle a Volatile Republican Convention?
Operating under federal oversight, officers will be scrutinized for how they use force.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Crime on the Ballot
October 19, 2016
Three States to Watch if You Care About the Death Penalty
Nebraska, Oklahoma, and California will test the prospects of abolition.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
August 8, 2020
Why It’s Not So Simple To Arrest The Cops Who Shot Breonna Taylor
Memes and billboards are calling for arresting the three officers. But what does Kentucky law say?
By
Jamiles Lartey
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
The Lowdown
March 31, 2015
Public Shamings
Why judges sometimes opt for sandwich boards, chicken suits, and other embarrassing punishments.
By
Christie Thompson
Commentary
July 26, 2017
Our Long, Troubling History of Sterilizing the Incarcerated
State-sanctioned efforts to keep the incarcerated from reproducing began in the early 20th century and continue today.
By
David M. Perry
News
August 14, 2017
Crowdsourcing the Charlottesville Investigation
The mixed blessing of an internet posse.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Simone Weichselbaum
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
News
November 4, 2022
Why So Many Jails Are in a ‘State of Complete Meltdown’
Overcrowding, violence and abuse proliferate at jails across the country, as staffing problems make long-simmering problems worse.
By
Keri Blakinger
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
News
January 10
New Data Shows How Dire the Prison Staffing Shortage Really Is
The stubborn staffing crisis affects almost every aspect of life in prison, for employees and the incarcerated alike.
By
Shannon Heffernan
and
Weihua Li
Feature
June 3
Why 1,000 Homicides in St. Louis Remain Unsolved
In one of America’s deadliest cities, police have struggled to solve killings due to staffing shortages, shoddy detective work and lack of community trust.
By
Alysia Santo
, The Marshall Project;
Tom Scheck
and
Jennifer Lu
, APM Reports;
Rachel Lippmann
, St. Louis Public Radio
Justice Talk
April 25, 2016
Join Today’s Discussion on Juvenile Justice
Today from 11 AM to 5 PM EST, we’ll be talking juvenile justice with Digg. Brush up by reading some of the best reporting we could find on the topic, and then bring your questions for the experts.
By
Eli Hager
and
Blair Hickman
News
April 14, 2016
Should Prisoners Be Allowed to Have Facebook Pages?
A new policy in Texas limits inmates’ access to social media, creating a First Amendment conundrum.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
November 21, 2014
The Corrections
Tales from a week of overturned convictions.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
January 6, 2015
A Short History of Police Protest
From Calvin Coolidge to Bill de Blasio.
By
Clare Sestanovich
News
October 6, 2015
A Rural Sheriff Stares Down the Justice Department
In North Carolina case on racial profiling, U.S. suffers its first loss.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Crime on the Ballot
November 1, 2016
A Look at this Year’s Soft-on-Crime Attack Ads
Campaign ads in the age of criminal justice reform.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
January 25, 2017
Against the Trump Tide
Away from Washington, a new breed of prosecutors takes first steps.
By
Eli Hager
News
August 2, 2017
Guess Who’s Tracking Your Prescription Drugs?
Your doctor, your pharmacist... and the police.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
News
May 16, 2019
California Law Says This Man Isn’t a Murderer. Prosecutors Disagree
When lawmakers said accomplices aren't the same as killers, Neko Wilson was the first person freed. Now he may go back to jail.
By
Abbie VanSickle
News
May 22, 2023
We Spent Two Years Investigating Abuse by Prison Guards in New York. Here Are Five Takeaways.
The state fails to fire most corrections officers it accuses of violence against prisoners or covering up abuse.
By
Alysia Santo
and
Joseph Neff
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
August 26
Cruel Summer: When Basic Survival Can Become Illegal
Extreme heat heightens the tensions between homeless communities and the police.
By
Geoff Hing
Closing Argument
February 25
Fighting the High Cost of Prison Phone Calls
Tired of exorbitant phone bills, prisoners and their families are pushing to lower costs.
By
Christie Thompson
Coronavirus
March 23, 2020
How Coronavirus is Disrupting the Death Penalty
Colorado abolished capital punishment. But COVID-19 is pausing it everywhere else.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Keri Blakinger
Closing Argument
September 23
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
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
January 20
Texas vs. the USA: Inside the Immigration Showdown
The Southern border is now an open battle between Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden Administration.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
February 17
What Crime Data Says About the Effects of Texas Busing Migrants
The influx has sparked fears of rising crime in some cities. The Marshall Project looked at policing data to see if the anxiety reflects reality.
By
Geoff Hing
,
Weihua Li
and
Ilica Mahajan
Closing Argument
April 6
What an Eclipse Lockdown Reveals about Dignity in Prisons and Jails
Recent lawsuits regarding the rights of incarcerated people and guards include gender, religious discrimination, and the right to watch the eclipse
By
Jamiles Lartey
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
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
The Frame
July 25
Photos: Three Years of a Family’s Grief and Healing After a Fatal Police Shooting
Photographer Michael Indriolo documents an East Cleveland family’s search for peace after the 2021 police shooting of their 19-year-old brother.
Photographs and text by
Michael Indriolo
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
News
May 14, 2015
Would You Rather …
... die a (probably) painless death or live 50 years in solitary?
By
The Marshall Project
Commentary
December 17, 2014
Handling, Not Manhandling, the Mentally Ill
A close look at the L.A. County Jail settlement
By
Andrew Cohen
News
February 4, 2015
When Police Go Rogue on Facebook
And you thought it was only teenagers...
By
Ken Armstrong
News
June 9, 2016
The Scandal-Singed DAs Who Want to Be Judges
For decades, California prosecutors covered up unethical deals with jailhouse informers.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
November 3, 2015
Will Pennsylvania Do Away With Elections for Supreme Court?
An expensive, tough-on-crime race tests the current system.
By
Christie Thompson
News
April 28, 2017
Just Another Week in Hell
The news from your local lockup is not good.
By
Ken Armstrong
News
November 9, 2017
The Unique Sexual Harassment Problem Female Prison Workers Face
When women report abuse from the men in their custody.
By
Alysia Santo
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
Life Inside
May 26, 2023
My Friend Jordan Neely Was Homeless and in Mental Distress. But He Was Not Expendable.
Jordan Neely was choked to death on a New York City subway car. Mentor and fellow Michael Jackson enthusiast Moses Harper recalls who he was in life.
By
Moses Harper
, as told to
Nicole Lewis
Death Sentences
April 5, 2021
Death Penalty for Mass Shooters? Depends On Where They Strike.
The men arrested in recent killings in Atlanta, Boulder, Colorado, and Orange, California, could face very different sentences if convicted.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Keri Blakinger
News
June 11, 2021
31,000 Prisoners Sought Compassionate Release During COVID-19. The Bureau of Prisons Approved 36.
As the pandemic worsened inside federal prisons, officials granted fewer releases.
By
Keri Blakinger
AND
Joseph Neff
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
October 15, 2022
Don’t Expect Mass Prison Releases From Biden’s Marijuana Clemency
The president’s mass pardon may signal a shift in the federal approach to cannabis, but it won’t let anyone out of prison.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
October 29, 2022
Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left Out of the Midterms
Even in states where some people with felony convictions — and those awaiting trial in jail — have the right to vote, actually casting a ballot remains difficult.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Death Sentences
October 31, 2022
Would a Death Sentence Help The Parkland Families Heal?
Outrage around the school shooter’s sentence reveals tensions between what some victims’ families want and the justice system’s limits.
By
Maurice Chammah
Closing Argument
July 15
For Many, a Lawyer Is a Luxury Out of Reach
Sixty years after a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the promise of legal representation for everyone is largely unrealized.
By
Jamiles Lartey
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
Closing Argument
February 4, 2023
Biden Promised a Police Misconduct Database. He’s Yet to Deliver.
In the aftermath of Tyre Nichols’ killing, some are questioning the administration’s urgency on police reform.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
June 9, 2020
Support For Defunding The Police Department Is Growing. Here’s Why It’s Not A Silver Bullet.
Past budget cuts have had unintended consequences. Now, proponents say it’s time to fundamentally reimagine the role of the police.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
and
Nicole Lewis
Analysis
June 10, 2020
A Major Obstacle to Police Reform: The Whiteness of Their Union Bosses
Even in the 15 largest departments where the majority of officers are people of color, only one union leader is black, our analysis shows.
By
Eli Hager
and
Weihua Li
News
August 11, 2020
Breaking Out With A Bar of Soap
In Texas, prisoners are opening their cells to chat—and to riot.
By
Keri Blakinger
Coronavirus
May 4, 2020
Prisons Are Coronavirus Hotspots. This Town’s Got Five of Them.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” says the former mayor of Palestine, Texas.
By
Keri Blakinger
Coronavirus
May 13, 2020
Jails Turn to UVC Robots To Fight Coronavirus
Some sheriffs are buying ultraviolet light machines traditionally used by hospitals.
By
Alysia Santo
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
Closing Argument
March 16
When Police Encounters With Autistic People Turn Fatal
The death of a 15-year-old is once again raising questions about training on neurodivergent and mental health diagnoses among law enforcement agencies.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Jackson
July 24
Who Can and Can’t Vote in Mississippi: A Guide to the State’s Lifetime Voting Ban
This guide offers details about the state’s disenfranchisement laws and how you may still be able to vote from jail, even with a conviction.
By
Caleb Bedillion
Closing Argument
March 23
They’re Not Cops. They Don’t Have Guns. But They’re Responding to More 911 Calls.
A new generation of first responders is handling mental health calls and other emergencies in cities across the U.S.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
April 10
This Supreme Court Case on Homelessness May Limit Prisoner Rights and Expand Executions
In Grants Pass v. Johnson, a town in Oregon asks the court to reconsider what constitutes “cruel and unusual punishments.”
By
Maurice Chammah
,
Shannon Heffernan
and
Beth Schwartzapfel
Cleveland Newsletter
May 2
‘I Can’t Breathe,’ Man Tells Canton Police Before Dying
Ohio AG probes a third deadly encounter with Canton police.
By
The Marshall Project - Cleveland
Closing Argument
August 10
‘Deliberate Indifference’: Court Rulings Challenge Extreme Heat Conditions in Prisons
“If it’s 103 outside, it may be 107 to -8 inside of your cell,” said a man who worked in the fields while imprisoned in Texas.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
August 24
How a Drop in Border Crossings May Change the Presidential Campaign
The Democratic National Convention sought to address one of the party’s biggest weaknesses with voters.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Case in Point
July 17, 2017
Who Pays for Jail Rape?
Under “qualified immunity,” often no one.
By
Andrew Cohen
Death Sentences
July 16, 2021
Everyone on Death Row Gets a Lawyer. Not Everyone Gets a Kim Kardashian.
The case of Rodney Reed — whose innocence claims were championed by the reality TV star — raises questions about celebrities’ role in the criminal justice system.
by
Keri Blakinger
and
Maurice Chammah
News
September 1, 2021
Police Say Demoralized Officers Are Quitting In Droves. Labor Data Says No.
While other industries were devastated by the pandemic last year, police departments felt a much smaller impact.
By
Weihua Li
and
Ilica Mahajan
Feature
September 22, 2021
Doing No Harm
Criminal charges against paramedics in Elijah McClain’s death raise questions about when emergency medical responders should be held accountable for fatalities in police custody.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Cary Aspinwall
Feature
September 12
What Federal Judges’ Rulings Reveal About the Memphis Police Tactics
Five judges in recent years have found that officers violated residents’ constitutional rights during traffic and pedestrian stops.
By
Daphne Duret
and
Marc Perrusquia
Life Inside
January 14, 2022
People in the Scandal-Plagued Federal Prison System Reveal What They Need in a New Director
“This is kind of like AA: To move forward, first you have to admit there’s a problem.”
By
Keri Blakinger
Coronavirus
March 21, 2020
Coronavirus Transforming Jails Across the Country
Some sheriffs, prosecutors and defenders scramble to move people from local jails, potential petri dishes for infection.
By
Cary Aspinwall
,
Keri Blakinger
,
Abbie VanSickle
and
Christie Thompson
Feature
November 20, 2020
Superpredator: The Media Myth That Demonized a Generation of Black Youth
25 years ago this month, “superpredator” was coined in The Weekly Standard. Media spread the term like wildfire, creating repercussions on policy and culture we are still reckoning with today.
By
Carroll Bogert
and
Lynnell Hancock
Death Sentences
April 3
He Faces Execution. His Lawyers May Have Earned Less Than $4 per Hour.
Some death penalty lawyers get paid the same no matter how long they work on a case. Critics say it’s a perverse incentive when a life is at stake.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Keri Blakinger
Cleveland
June 13
Behind the Black Shield: The History of a Cleveland Institution
How one of the oldest Black policing organizations in the country shaped law enforcement in Cleveland.
By
Wilbert L. Cooper
Analysis
July 25
Sending Unarmed Responders Instead of Police: What We’ve Learned
There are more than 100 response teams nationwide, but experts say more research on their impact is needed.
By
Christie Thompson
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
News
September 25, 2020
Is Violent Crime Rising In Cities Like Trump Says? Well, It’s Complicated.
Trump speaks of "anarchy and mayhem" in cities. Here's what the data really shows.
By
Weihua Li
Investigate This
July 25
How to Investigate the Trend of Declining Prison Staff and Deteriorating Conditions Behind Bars
Our toolkit helps you report on how this employment crisis impacts safety and local budgets in your state.
By
The Marshall Project
Case in Point
January 23, 2017
An Oklahoma Horror Story
The last six days of Elliott Earl Williams.
By
Andrew Cohen
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
Feature
May 22, 2018
The Billionaire's Crusade
Broadcom's Henry Nicholas is spending millions to give victims a bigger voice, but not everyone agrees.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
Cleveland
January 31, 2023
‘You Ain’t No Big Man’: Videos Show Disparities in Cleveland Police Response to Kids in Crisis
Body cam footage reveals that officers don’t always follow department guidelines or training.
By
Cid Standifer
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
Feature
May 1
In This Police Youth Program, a Trail of Sexual Abuse Across the U.S.
Explorer posts, overseen by the Boy Scouts, are supposed to foster an interest in policing. They have faced nearly 200 allegations of misconduct.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
,
Daphne Duret
and
Joseph Neff
Feature
June 16
The Minneapolis Cop Who Beat Him Pleaded Guilty. He Still Fears the Department Won’t Change.
Jaleel Stallings was swept up in the chaos of protests over George Floyd’s murder. The outcome changed his life.
By
Jamiles Lartey