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"Flint Town" is an eight-part documentary series on the Flint police department, directed by Zackary Canepari, Jessica Dimmock and Drea Cooper.

Police Accountability

Zackary Canepari
Cleveland
All Stick, No Carrot: Ohio’s Reagan Tokes Law Acts as a ‘One-Way Ratchet’ for Prison Time
Intended to curb prison violence with promises of early release, the law is turning out as unbalanced as critics feared, with sentences extended at every turn.
An illustration shows a silhouette of a man with his hands up in frustration as he looks at a woman on a laptop screen. The background is a large representation, blurred with color, of the same woman, who is White with shoulder-length gray hair.
An illustration shows a man with medium skin tone and black hair wearing a blue prison uniform in four scenarios. Clockwise from the top left: The man raises his fists in front of a White man in a prison uniform who is yelling and pointing at him; the man sits on his bed with his head down, looking at a piece of paper; the man sits at a table in front of a woman with a ponytail and medium-dark skin tone; the man stands in an office in front of a laptop, where a woman on a screen is speaking to him. There are four quotes around the figures that read: “It’s a dangerous place here. It got to the point where I had to defend myself.” - Giovanni Lee, “Long story short, they never investigated what happened. They just found me guilty.” - Lamont Clark, “You all had my fate sealed before I even got in the room.” - Edward Navone, and “I’m about to go home. They ended up maxing me out, giving me my whole time.’”- Giovanni Lee
Cleveland April 10
How Ohio’s Reagan Tokes Law Keeps People in Prison Longer
It came as a response by lawmakers to a horrific crime. Now, thousands of people imprisoned since 2019 risk more time behind bars for breaking rules.
By
A photo shows a line of police officers standing on a corner while wearing riot gear and holding batons.
News March 12
Trump Is Backing Away From Police Reform. Here’s What That Means for 12 Places.
The administration appears set to end federal oversight of police, including agencies that have committed systemic civil rights violations.
By , , , , and
Sheriff Harold Pretel, a man with medium-toned skin, wearing a sheriff's uniform, sits in front of a blue background with a sheriff's star printed on it.
Cleveland March 4
Sheriff: Bodycam Footage From Cuyahoga County Deputies Will Now Come Out Within 7 Days
Policy shift follows a Marshall Project - Cleveland and News 5 Cleveland investigation into the October shooting of a teen by a deputy.
By , The Marshall Project and Tara Morgan, News 5 Cleveland
Malik Shabazz, a Black man in a gray suit, speaks to reporters, as Michael Corey Jenkins, a Black man in a gray suit, stands next to him. A group of other people stand near them, in front of microphones held up by reporters.
Closing Argument March 1
Law And Disorder: Police Oversight and Training Confront A Changing landscape
The future of police accountability remains uncertain as misconduct persists and focus shifts from reforms.
By
A Black woman in a blue shirt stands in a kitchen.
Cleveland February 5
Under Pressure, Cuyahoga County Releases Video of Teen’s Shooting by Deputy
After four months, the county provided body cam footage, and is weighing policy changes amid a Marshall Project and News 5 Cleveland investigation.
By , The Marshall Project and Tara Morgan, News 5 Cleveland
A collage of, clockwise from top left: a photo of a woman with two children in their home; drawings of the faces of judicial candidates in circles with the text “Judicial Election Guide” in the center; an illustration of a surveillance device with a projection of a car coming out of a camera; drawings of four trans people, and above them an audio waveform; a collage of pictures, a gun, a police baton and helmet for The Marshall Project's story on the Black Shield organization; and a drawing of a school chair, with the words “The Hardest Case for Mercy” around it.
Analysis December 16, 2024
Some of Our Best Work for 2024
Online, in print, and on radio and TV, we delved into prison health care, political views of people behind bars, arrests of women who miscarry and more.
By
Michael Bell Sr., a White man, looks at a high school photo of his son, Michael Bell Jr., a White man, while sitting at a table. Four other photos of Michael are visible beneath the high school photo of Michael Bell Jr.
Feature September 25, 2024
A Wisconsin Board Says the Real Victim of Police Misconduct Is … the Government
Michael Bell says Kenosha police killed his son and covered up the truth. A victims rights board had a different takeaway.
By
Signs lie on the ground as a person hovers over one on the left side of the photo, and another person holds one with a gloved hand. A sign in the center reads: "Justice for Sandra Birchmore", and shows a picture of Sandra, a White young woman with brown hair and red-rimmed glasses.
Feature August 30, 2024
How a Massachusetts Cop Allegedly Groomed, Controlled and Killed Sandra Birchmore
Matthew Farwell met her in a police Explorer program. Prosecutors say he abused her for years before she became pregnant and he killed her.
By
Three Black women looking pensive toward the right.
Life Inside August 16, 2024
A Mother on a Mission for Full Police Transparency
Troy, Alabama, police severely beat Ulysses Wilkerson when he was 17. Seven years later, his mom, Angela Williams, is still fighting for answers.
By Angela Williams as told to
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