Did you know that if you are arrested in Los Angeles and find the notorious county jail terrifying, you can buy your way into a safer, cozier jail in Beverly Hills or Seal Beach?
You’ve probably heard of for-profit prisons, but have you heard about the private transport companies that ferry suspects from city to city, and their record of deaths, rapes, crashes and escapes?
Bringing stories like these to light is what we live for at The Marshall Project. We are a nonprofit, independent news organization with a single mission — to sustain a sense of urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system, from policing to courts to prisons and parole.
We produce deeply reported investigative, explanatory and narrative journalism; we publish commentaries that offer fresh perspectives; and we give voice to those enmeshed in the system. But this kind of reporting takes persistence, skill and, above all, time, which is why we need your support.
In an effort to sustain our journalism and its impact, The Marshall Project has launched an exclusive new membership program. The best way to show your support is through a recurring donation, which makes our future more secure. By joining us, you strengthen a growing community of people who care about improving our national systems of crime and punishment.
Your contribution means that we can continue to publish journalism that changes lives. When Philadelphia decided to stop billing the parents of juveniles for time spent in detention, the announcement came just hours after our front-page story on the practice was published with The Washington Post.
In June, we reported that the Department of Justice opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of systemic abuse and neglect within the private prison transport industry. In calling for the probe, Florida Rep. Ted Deutch cited ourstories on the issue.
In three short years, we have been awarded some of the most prestigious prizes in journalism, including a Pulitzer prize, two George Polk awards and a National Magazine Award for general excellence. We share our stories with scores of media organizations — print, broadcast and online — to assure a large and influential audience for our work.
We depend on reader contributions to sustain our journalism. If you share our belief that honest, independent reporting is essential to a healthy democracy, support us. Become a member of The Marshall Project today.