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Prison Abuse

A photo illustration with a black and white photograph of the exterior of a prison in the background with red rectangles overlaying it. In the middle is a semi-circle with the typewritten text from several phrases, including “tortured for 18 hours with an..” and “I began to feel a sharp pain on the left side of my chest.” Below the text is a photo of an officer's hands on the wrist of a man in handcuffs.
Feature December 17
Dozens of Prisoners Allege a Culture of Violence by Guards at Federal Facility in Virginia
In lawsuits and interviews, people held at Lee penitentiary described correctional officers breaking teeth, fracturing ribs and using the N-word.
By
A collage shows a black-and-white image of Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, Colo.; a clipping of a letter to the president from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel; a black-and-white head shot of a White man wearing a blazer and tie; a ripped page detailing work experience; and a black-and-white image of U.S. Penitentiary, Thomson, Ill.
News October 16
Warden Who Ran Federal Prisons With Abusive Practices Now Directs National Training Center
A Bureau of Prisons investigation found that Andrew Ciolli failed to stop violations of the use of force policy at one prison. Now he’s running an agency training center.
By , , The Marshall Project and Joseph Shapiro, NPR
News and Awards May 21
The Marshall Project Wins Prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Criminal Justice
The award recognizes our 2023 investigation exposing lax prison discipline for abusive guards in New York state prisons.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows a group of tiny figures of correctional officers in light blue shirts and dark blue pants interacting in small groups with incarcerated people in orange prison uniforms. Some of the officers are kicking, punching, or threatening incarcerated people. A larger group of tiny figures of correctional officers and incarcerated people surround the center group but are grayed out.
News February 9
Bill Would Change How New York Disciplines Abusive Prison Guards
A 2023 investigation by The Marshall Project exposed how the prison department failed to fire officers it accused of abuse.
By and
Correctional officers are being blocked on the left side of an illustration. They walk around a corner, removing their uniforms, only to be welcomed back on the right side of the illustration. Their uniforms are returned to them in the process.
Feature December 14, 2023
How We Investigated Abusive Prison Guards Getting Their Jobs Back in New York
The Marshall Project analyzed 12 years of arbitration cases that involved officers committing abuse or covering it up.
By and
Correctional officers are being blocked from a door of a prison on the left side of an illustration. They walk around the corner, removing their uniforms, only to be welcomed back to a door on the right side of the prison. Their uniforms are returned to them in the process.
Feature December 14, 2023
‘A Crazy System’: How Arbitration Returns Abusive Guards to New York Prisons
Over a 12-year span, three out of every four state correctional officers fired for abuse or covering it up got their jobs back.
By and
An illustration shows three correctional officers in the foreground, in shades of dark gray. In the background, there are three correctional officers in light gray. Two of the officers are holding up the arms of an incarcerated person in an orange uniform, while one officer covers the incarcerated person's mouth.
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 and
An illustration shows a line of correctional officers with their arms linked, in shades of gray, There's an opening in the line, which shows a correctional officer being protected and escorted away by two other officers, in shades of blue and purple.
Feature May 22, 2023
How a ‘Blue Wall’ Inside New York State Prisons Protects Abusive Guards
Records and interviews reveal a culture of cover-ups among corrections officers who falsify reports and send beating victims to solitary confinement.
By , and
An illustration shows a correctional officer's light blue shirt and dark blue pants neatly folded in a pile. Loose sheets of paper fly above the shirt.
News May 19, 2023
What Do People Not Understand About Working in Prisons and Jails?
Fill out a short form to let us know what issues matter most in your workplace.
By The Marshall Project
Analysis May 19, 2023
How We Investigated Abuse by Prison Guards in New York
The Marshall Project examined 12 years of employee discipline data and hundreds of prisoner lawsuits.
By
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