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Redemption Songs
‘Music From the Big House’ Frees Blues, Soul and Gospel from the Walls of Angola Prison
Closing Argument
Curfews, Drones, and Criminal Charges: Cities Differ on Approaches to ‘Teen Takeovers’
News
New Jersey Adopts Major Reforms Around Hospital Drug Testing of Pregnant Patients

The Marshall Project

Melissa Robinson, a Black woman wearing a teal blue, magenta and black dress, smiles as she holds her daughter.
Feature July 16
Moms of Black Babies More Likely to Be Flagged to Police Over Alleged Pregnancy Drug Use
Child welfare referred Black parents to law enforcement 14,000 times in 7 years, despite no findings of abuse or neglect.
By and
A photo shows several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, wearing helmets, masks and vests, standing in front of a military truck and a gray building.
News July 15
Amid Increased Scrutiny, ICE Detention and Deportation Data Goes Dark
ICE says ‘millions’ of immigrants have left or been deported in Trump’s crackdown. But where are the receipts?
By
A photo of a group of six middle-aged Black people in front of a building. In the front row, two people in blue, one of them a lawyer in a suit, hold signs that read, "Justice for Jennifer!" with a photo of a smiling Black woman.
Cleveland July 14
State Reverses Course, Finds Cuyahoga Jail Staff Failed to Start CPR in Wade’s Death
State inspectors said jail staff failed to provide CPR to Jennifer Wade after finding her unresponsive in her cell in February 2025.
By , and
An illustration with a pale yellow background shows, at center, a woman in an orange prison uniform reaching towards a manila folder with papers coming out of it. In the upper left corner of the illustration, there is a man in a prison uniform holding a paper plane above his head. Below him and to the right, there is a prison official looking at his hands while leaning on an hourglass whose sand has run to the bottom. Next to that is another hourglass that has a little bit of sand remaining at the top that is flowing to the bottom. On the right side of the illustration is a courthouse and a person in a prison uniform trying to push against a door frame. Above that are birds. Scattered around the illustration are gray and green blocks and shapes, and over the entire illustration, there is a grid made up of thin light green lines.
Feature July 14
Grievances in Federal Prison Rarely Succeed. Here’s How Prisoners Would Change That.
The Marshall Project surveyed people in federal facilities for advice about the complaint process — and how to fix it.
By and
Sending Kites July 14
The Prison Rules You Won’t Find in Any Handbook
There are unofficial rules in every prison and jail. Here’s what you need to know before you go in.
By and
An illustration with a pale yellow background shows, at center, a man in an orange prison uniform pulling on a string that is connected to a postage stamp, which is then connected to the bottom of a prison cell door, and then connected to a letter on the floor, which is connected to another prison cell door. From left to right, there is a calendar with most of the days of the month crossed off; a document envelope and some documents behind it; a prison official shredding a document; and an incarcerated person with his hands shackled to a slab while a correctional officer holds his left hand down. Scattered around the illustration are gray and blue blocks, and over the entire illustration, there is a grid made up of thin light blue lines.
Feature July 13
In Federal Prisons, Some Guards Use Fear and Violence to Stifle Complaints
Prisoners in federal facilities must file most grievances with the guards — a system they say exposes them to retaliation, including physical abuse.
By and Joseph Shapiro
Redemption Songs July 12
An Opera Explores the Strain of Prison on a Marriage
In “9131,” incarcerated composer Joseph Wilson depicts a wife’s infidelity while her husband is up for parole.
By
A photo shows a car with the label "Palm Beach County Sheriff" parked in front of a gray building.
Closing Argument July 11
How Helping Detectives Led a Florida Woman to ICE Detention
Non-traditional state agencies, from college police to wildlife protection, have been pulled into immigration enforcement.
By
A photo shows two chairs facing a glass panel, through which part of a white gurney with black straps is visible in a mostly empty room.
Cleveland July 9
We Asked Ohio’s Death Row What They Think of Governor’s Death Penalty Reversal
Like Gov. Mike DeWine, most agreed the death penalty is broken and does not deter crime, but not always with the same reasoning.
By , and
The Frame July 9
Made in America: The Products of U.S. Prison Labor Are All Around Us
A project by photographer Daniella Zalcman shows the casual prevalence of goods made by prison labor in public and private spaces.
Photographs and text by Daniella Zalcman
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