Search About Newsletters Donate
Donate today. Double your impact.

Through December 31, Marshall Project board member Abby Pucker is matching all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $75,000. Double your donation and receive a special thank-you gift by making your gift today.

News and Awards

Introducing “The System”

Our new limited-run email series explores how the criminal justice system actually works.

Today The Marshall Project launches “The System,” a new limited-run newsletter that explores different facets of our criminal justice system.

Through years of reporting and lived experience, our staff understands how complex the justice system actually is, and how hard it can be to navigate and decipher. In “The System,” we’re casting a light onto some of the most common, but frequently misunderstood, issues—from race and policing, to the difference between prisons and jails, to better understanding cash bail.

Each strikingly designed newsletter gives historical context, a breakdown of current practices and an overview of policy ideas and proposals. Along with essential stats and facts, we’ve pulled from our own reporting to bring you the voices and experiences of people inside or affected by the criminal justice system. Sign up here.

Each week, you will receive one or two emails covering the following topics:

To better understand the current realities of the America criminal justice system, and its potential for transformation, there’s no better starting point than “The System.”

This is not a paywall.

We’ll never put our work behind a paywall, and we’ll never put a limit on the number of articles you can read. Our ability to take on big, groundbreaking investigations — the kind that can lead to real impact — doesn’t depend on advertisers or corporate owners. It depends on people like you. Our independence is our strength, and your donation makes us stronger.

When you donate by December 31, your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar, by Marshall Project board member Abby Pucker. As a special thank-you gift, we'll also send you one of our exclusive Marshall Project tote bags.

Donate