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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How Nebraska Repealed the Death Penalty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
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
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
News
December 15, 2014
A Vet and His Demons
Does he belong in a prison or a hospital?
By
Maurice Chammah
News
June 8, 2020
The Short, Fraught History of the ‘Thin Blue Line’ American Flag
The controversial version of the U.S. flag has been hailed as a sign of police solidarity and criticized as a symbol of white supremacy.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Cary Aspinwall
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
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
Feature
September 23, 2015
Alternatives to Bullets
From liquids that smell like dead animals to high-temperature heat rays, the present and future of non-lethal weapons.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
February 10, 2022
The Rise and Fall of a Prison Town Queen
A family feud over drugs, money and fried fish roils the heart of the Texas prison system.
By
Keri Blakinger
Feature
July 29, 2015
A One-Man Justice Crusade in North Carolina
Before there was a conservative push for reform, there was ‘Bev’ Lake.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
June 13
Serving Time for Their Abusers’ Crimes
The Marshall Project found nearly 100 people who were punished for the actions of their abusers under little-known laws like “accomplice liability.”
By
Shannon Heffernan
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
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
Commentary
February 5, 2018
Reentry: a Triptych
“What name for this thing we’ve become? For stigma, close as kin?”
By
Reginald Dwayne Betts
Feature
September 17, 2018
When Trying to Help Gets You Fired
For some cops, offering a hand could mean losing your job.
By
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
Life Inside
March 28, 2019
In Military Prison I Learned The True Meaning of Service
It took me more than 20 years to become a lieutenant colonel. Then I was sent to Leavenworth.
By
Ken Pinkela
as told to Joseph Darius Jaafari
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
Q&A
November 25, 2015
Will the ‘21 Foot’ Defense Work for the Chicago Cop Who Shot Laquan McDonald?
Revisiting a 30-year concept that is used to justify deadly force.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Closing Argument
January 14
Virginia School Shooting Tests How Young Is Too Young to be Prosecuted
Nearly half of U.S. states have no minimum age for prosecution, unlike most nations.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
August 14, 2017
Crowdsourcing the Charlottesville Investigation
The mixed blessing of an internet posse.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Simone Weichselbaum
Feature
December 7, 2016
In Alabama, You Can Be Sentenced to Death Even if Jurors Don’t Agree
Judges have uniquely uncommon power in the state.
By
Kent Faulk
Case in Point
September 12, 2016
The Man With the Bleeding Brain
William Palmer was “severely mentally impaired” when he clashed with police. Should that matter?
By
Andrew Cohen
News
April 17, 2018
Should America Give Refuge to Abused Women?
Trump seems to say, not anymore.
By
Julia Preston
Life Inside
July 29, 2021
A Filthy New Orleans Jail Made My Son Sick. The ‘Cruel and Unusual’ Medical Treatment at Angola Prison Killed Him.
This spring, a judge ruled that the healthcare at the Louisiana State Penitentiary violated prisoners’ Eighth Amendment rights. Lois Ratcliff tells the horrifying story of her son Farrell’s decline and death.
By
Lois Ratcliff
as told by
Jamiles Lartey
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
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
Feature
March 23, 2023
The War on Gun Violence Has Failed. And Black Men Are Paying the Price.
In Chicago and elsewhere, gun possession arrests are rising as shootings go unsolved.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
and
Geoff Hing
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
Case in Point
January 29, 2018
Justice Poker
Sometimes capital punishment is just the luck of the draw.
By
Andrew Cohen
Looking Back
September 5, 2018
A Police Pioneer on Her Unfinished Business
Portland’s first female chief, Penny Harrington, recalls the steep climb to the top.
By
Ivonne Roman
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
Commentary
May 21, 2015
The ‘South Texas Family Residential Center’ Is No Haven
It’s an internment camp.
By
Carl Takei
Life Inside
January 22, 2016
How I Experience Female Contact in Prison
On being pent up.
By
Rahsaan Thomas
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
Feature
November 6, 2017
Can Prosecutors Put the Same Gun in the Hands of More Than One Shooter?
They can, and they do.
By
Ken Armstrong
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
Q&A
April 9, 2015
30 Years on Death Row: A Conversation with Anthony Ray Hinton
‘They tell you justice is blind. I am telling you that justice can see.'
By
Corey G. Johnson
Commentary
September 9, 2016
Revisiting the Ghosts of Attica
A wrenching new book recounts the bloodiest prison battle in our history.
By
Tom Robbins
Feature
July 30, 2017
Fearful of Court, Asylum Seekers are Banished in Absentia
Under Trump, an Obama strategy unravels
By
Julia Preston
Feature
October 31, 2019
Why Some Police Departments Are Leaving Federal Task Forces
Cities say the feds won’t follow their rules about using force, body cams.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Feature
December 6, 2022
How Texas Failed To Prevent One of the Nation’s Deadliest Prison Escapes
“Staff complacency” allowed a man to break out of a prison bus — and kill a family.
By
Keri Blakinger
and
John Tedesco
Jackson
February 22
This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment
Mississippi is known as one of the worst states for public defense. In one lower court, most defendants went without any lawyer before indictment.
By
Caleb Bedillion
Life Inside
April 26
What Being Trans in Prison Is Really Like
Amid a wave of anti-trans legislation, and the violence that often follows, four people share their experiences in the criminal justice system.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
Analysis
July 13, 2015
The President Goes to Prison
But Congress is the place to watch.
By
Andrew Cohen
Life Inside
May 5, 2016
My Father Killed Two People
On living with, and sharing, that information for a lifetime.
By
Pamela Brunskill
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
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
Commentary
August 12, 2016
End Prisons-for-Profit
A scathing report calls for “better oversight.” That’s not enough.
By
Carl Takei
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
Life Inside
May 17, 2018
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things on Death Row
Not even an extra boiled egg.
By
Timothy White
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
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
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
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
Feature
May 26, 2015
Policing the Police
As the Justice Department pushes reform, some changes don't last.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
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
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
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
Commentary
July 21, 2015
What Harper Lee Got Right
“Go Set a Watchman” puts the “white savior” notion in its place.
By
Gilbert King
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
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
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
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 19, 2014
Havana vs. Rikers Island
Where would you rather do time?
By
Clare Sestanovich
Commentary
March 19, 2015
The Petri Dish
Georgia has become the laboratory of criminal justice reform.
By
Andrew Cohen
Analysis
August 12, 2015
When Heroin Hits the White Suburbs
Suddenly it’s not a crime problem, it’s a health problem.
By
Andrew Cohen
Life Inside
July 31, 2015
Bored in Jail? Walk to Canada.
The imagined journey of Steven Ray Epperson.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
Analysis
July 18, 2016
Two Parties, Two Platforms on Criminal Justice
The Republicans nod to reforms, then take a sharp right turn.
By
Maurice Chammah
Life Inside
December 1, 2016
‘Please Find My Grandson’
What I saw tracking down the mentally ill in jail.
By
Margaret Altman
News
July 13, 2015
For the First Time, Vermont Will Search Prison Staffers
The drug use that plagues the state now haunts its cellblocks.
By
Carl Stoffers
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
Life Inside
May 12, 2016
What I’ve Learned as a Jail Doctor
And the case I’ll never forget.
By
Alia Moore
The Lowdown
September 25, 2016
What Trump and Others Get Wrong About ‘Sanctuary Cities’
Ahead of the presidential debate, setting the record straight on a hot-button immigration issue.
By
Christie Thompson
Life Inside
March 16, 2017
The Death Row Basketball League
Always playing against the clock.
By
Lyle May