The Marshall Project is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering America's criminal justice system. https://www.themarshallproject.org/ en-us The Marshall Project Fri, 01 May 2026 02:00:47 -0400 60 https://www.themarshallproject.org/assets/full-logo-black-81003ee8126b3b92e65278d82a9ad4c2ff7215a3fbe516d4c4df287036fdc789.png https://www.themarshallproject.org/ https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/26/sonny-james-prison-concert-redemption-songs https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/26/sonny-james-prison-concert-redemption-songs Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:00:06 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah Sonny James’ 1977 cover of “In the Jailhouse Now” was part of an innovative collaboration with incarcerated musicians, stagehands and photographers. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/25/trump-supreme-court-immigration-haiti https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/25/trump-supreme-court-immigration-haiti Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Daphne Duret Trump’s move to end Haitians’ protected status is the latest chapter in a long history of the government treating them differently from other immigrants, some argue. An immigration officer guides Haitian refugees at the Immigration & Naturalization Service office on March 10, 1987 in Miami, Fla., where they were given forms to apply for legal residency. UPI/Bettmann/Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/24/alabama-prison-mirror-distortion-faces https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/24/alabama-prison-mirror-distortion-faces Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:52 -0400 en-us Destry McKinney The metal mirrors that Alabama prisons use distort our faces. When a glass one suddenly appeared, I truly saw myself for the first time in 26 years. Sophia Deng for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/22/ohio-columbus-residential-youth-treatment https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/22/ohio-columbus-residential-youth-treatment Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Brittany Hailer The proposal comes just months after The Marshall Project - Cleveland exposed violence at a residential youth facility northeast of Columbus. Mohican Young Star Academy, a youth residential treatment facility in Ashland County, Ohio, in August 2025. The facility rebranded as Empowering to Elevate Academy in late 2025. Nate Smallwood for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/22/north-carolina-trooper-shooting https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/22/north-carolina-trooper-shooting Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Joseph Neff In 2019, a state trooper killed Brandon Webster, claiming self-defense. Evidence contradicted that account but wasn’t made public — until now. Towanda Webster-Reed stands next to her son Brandon Webster’s grave near Shallotte, N.C., in February 2026. Webster was killed by Highway Patrol Trooper Scott Collins in 2019. Madeline Gray for The Assembly https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/19/pride-musicambia-christian-prison-rap https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/19/pride-musicambia-christian-prison-rap Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:00:04 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah Written by a man at Sing Sing prison, ‘Pride’ is a highlight of the first album by famed prison program Musicambia. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/18/police-kentucky-new-york-911-mental-health https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/18/police-kentucky-new-york-911-mental-health Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Jamiles Lartey More than 40 of the largest U.S. cities have launched some alternative response, but questions remain about how to pay for it. Shamso Iman, left, and Dane Haverly, with the Minneapolis Behavioral Crisis Response team, respond to a welfare check, in 2023. Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune, via Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/17/prison-barber-men-womens-hairstyling https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/17/prison-barber-men-womens-hairstyling Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:58 -0400 en-us Joseph Wilson At New York’s Green Haven lockup, student barbers must overcome their machismo — and annoyance — to sharpen their craft. Erin Robinson for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/14/cuyahoga-jail-death-wade-ohio https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/14/cuyahoga-jail-death-wade-ohio Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:12 -0400 en-us Doug Livingston Mark Puente Brittany Hailer Ohio reopens review of Jennifer Wade’s death after county officials failed to provide body cam footage. Corrections officers found Jennifer Wade unresponsive after she was left facedown for hours on the concrete floor of her cell in the Cuyahoga County Jail’s mental health unit in 2025. Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/14/menopause-perimenopause-prison-life-women https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/14/menopause-perimenopause-prison-life-women Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Rebecca McCray Limited information and a lack of informed health care providers make this life transition even more difficult for incarcerated people. Collage by Vanessa Saba; components: Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/12/hattie-ellis-prison-blues-redemption-songs https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/12/hattie-ellis-prison-blues-redemption-songs Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:00:00 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah Hattie Ellis was poised for post-prison fame. Then she encountered shotcallers who didn’t value her voice. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/11/trump-money-ice-police https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/11/trump-money-ice-police Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Jamiles Lartey Facing public backlash, the Trump administration is outsourcing more immigration enforcement to local agencies and politically connected contractors. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents walk through a gas station in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in February 2026. Ryan Murphy/Associated Press https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/06/ice-kids-detention-over-6200-trump https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/06/ice-kids-detention-over-6200-trump Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:00:57 -0400 en-us Anna Flagg Shannon Heffernan Advocates warn trauma from detentions will cause kids lifelong damage. Protesters gather on Jan. 28, 2026, outside the South Texas Family Residential Center detention facility in Dilley, Texas, where thousands of children have been detained since the beginning of the second Trump administration in 2025. Eric Gay/Associated Press https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/05/mac-dre-jail-phone-redemption-songs https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/05/mac-dre-jail-phone-redemption-songs Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:00:22 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah In his signature trickster style, the Vallejo, California, rapper recorded an album on jail phones — and even called out cops by name. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/04/new-york-police-mental-health-mamdani https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/04/new-york-police-mental-health-mamdani Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Wilbert L. Cooper Deputy Mayor Renita Francois will lead a new office that plans to dispatch more mental health professionals instead of police. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shakes hands with Renita Francois after appointing her as Deputy Mayor for Community Safety during a press conference at City Hall in March of 2026. Derek French/SOPA Images/Sipa USA, via Associated Press https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/03/mario-monteiro-tree-steward-rhode-island https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/03/mario-monteiro-tree-steward-rhode-island Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Mario Monteiro “Each sprout was a quiet victory,” writes the tree steward. “Each harvest was a reminder that even in unexpected places, growth was possible.” At the Garden Time office in Providence, R.I., tree steward Mario Monteiro (right) greets Victor Fabian (left), a graduate of the group’s Green Reentry Job Training program. Monteiro is the namesake for Rhode Island’s “Mario’s Law,” which gives people who receive long sentences for crimes they committed as children a chance at parole after serving 20 years. Sophie Park for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/01/ice-arrests-child-separation-settlement https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/04/01/ice-arrests-child-separation-settlement Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:00:29 -0400 en-us Cary Aspinwall Federal officials have detained or deported at least 25 people whose families were granted temporary legal status under a court settlement. Idalia is the mother of a 23-year-old Honduran man detained in Louisiana — one of at least 25 people ICE has detained or deported in recent months despite their having legal status and protections granted by the child separation settlement. Annie Flanagan for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/prison-band-power-of-attorney-redemption-songs https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/prison-band-power-of-attorney-redemption-songs Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:00:33 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah The Power of Attorney played shows with superstars, went to industry parties, and wore outside clothes — all under the watch of armed guards. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-overdose-deaths-prison-conditions https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-overdose-deaths-prison-conditions Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:46 -0400 en-us Laura A. Bischoff Doug Livingston K2 use is soaring behind bars, causing unpredictable behavior, violence and death. So, why can’t prison officials stop the flow of the drug? https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-corrections-officer-deaths-smuggling https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-corrections-officer-deaths-smuggling Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:11 -0400 en-us Doug Livingston In a common story of targeted coercion behind bars, Barbara Devine was fed up and quitting her prison job when incarcerated drug dealers pounced. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-prosecution-smuggle https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-prosecution-smuggle Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:06 -0400 en-us Doug Livingston Laura A. Bischoff Guards and other employees bring in drugs that fuel a multimillion-dollar prison economy, leading to chaos, violence and death. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-overdose-deaths-smuggling https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-overdose-deaths-smuggling Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Laura A. Bischoff Now he has an insider’s view of the havoc drug smuggling is unleashing behind bars. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/28/texas-music-supreme-court-rap-execution https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/28/texas-music-supreme-court-rap-execution Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah The rappers argue that James Broadnax’s case exemplifies a larger problem in American courtrooms: The use of rap lyrics as evidence. Young Thug during the 2025 Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in Bridgeview, Illinois. Young Thug, Travis Scott, T.I. and other rappers filed briefs at the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month to argue against the use of rap lyrics as evidence. Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/27/prison-sexual-misconduct-bryan-bop https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/27/prison-sexual-misconduct-bryan-bop Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:36 -0400 en-us Beth Schwartzapfel Erik Ortiz Some employees at a Texas federal prison that holds high-profile women including Ghislaine Maxwell said they faced retaliation for reporting abuse. Ashley Anderson, a former senior officer specialist at Federal Prison Camp Bryan. Photo composite by Bethany Mollenkof for NBC and The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/27/trans-missouri-prisons-pride-history https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/27/trans-missouri-prisons-pride-history Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:00:42 -0400 en-us Lexie Handlang “Although there are still instances of transphobia, I no longer let it break me down,” writes Lexie Handlang. “I feel sorry for those people.” Jasjyot Singh Hans for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/22/redemption-songs-b-alexis-black-barbie https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/22/redemption-songs-b-alexis-black-barbie Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah She fearlessly raps about traumas like being trafficked at 13. But she’s so scared of institutional retaliation, she’s concealing her identity. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/21/old-california-release-prison-louisiana https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/21/old-california-release-prison-louisiana Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Jamiles Lartey Research shows people often “age out” of crime, and health care costs are ballooning. But still, many states oppose releasing elderly prisoners. An incarcerated man sits in his wheelchair, reading a newspaper in his cell block at California State Prison, Solano in Vacaville, California, in 2013. Andrew Burton/Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/20/long-hair-identity-oklahoma-prison https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/20/long-hair-identity-oklahoma-prison Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:00:21 -0400 en-us Lindsey Smith In this foreign landscape of state-issued orange, my hair feels like all I have left of my identity. Islenia Mil for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/18/ice-children-deportation-detention-trump https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/18/ice-children-deportation-detention-trump Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Shannon Heffernan Jesse Bogan Anna Flagg Families left behind keepsakes, medicine, pets, cars and homes, sometimes leaving the U.S. with little more than the clothes on their backs. Yerson and Kelly Vargas and their 6-year-old daughter, Maria Paula, were deported to Colombia in 2025 after being held in the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. Hannah Yoon for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/14/hospital-police-pregnant-south-carolina https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/14/hospital-police-pregnant-south-carolina Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0400 en-us Shoshana Walter Criminal prosecutions sparked by hospital drug testing helped advance the legal concept that the fetus had interests the state could protect. Demonstrators at an anti-drug rally in East Los Angeles, California, in 1990. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group, via Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/13/charles-sonny-burton-death-sentence-commuted https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/13/charles-sonny-burton-death-sentence-commuted Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:00:00 -0400 en-us Carolyn Amanda Shavers Justice has long been as elusive as Bigfoot, Carolyn Amanda Shavers writes. But when Alabama’s governor spared her dad’s life, she caught a glimpse. Charles “Sonny” Burton sits in a wheelchair as his daughter, Carolyn Amanda Shavers, hugs him. Courtesy of Carolyn Amanda Shavers https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/12/sunshine-week-foia-open-records https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/12/sunshine-week-foia-open-records Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:46:00 -0400 en-us Katie Moore The government has stalled on FOIAs for years in some cases. In others, agencies have said public records will cost thousands of dollars. Ana Galvañ for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/11/the-marshall-project-hires-reem-akkad-as-managing-editor https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/11/the-marshall-project-hires-reem-akkad-as-managing-editor Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us The Marshall Project Akkad, veteran of The Washington Post, becomes key leader of investigative newsroom. Reem Akkad Marvin Joseph https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/10/missouri-dna-testing-law https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/10/missouri-dna-testing-law Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Katie Moore Lance Shockley died by lethal injection last year. State courts have rejected prisoners’ requests for DNA testing in recent years. Luisa Jung for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/10/prison-music-texas-rodeo-redemption-songs https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/10/prison-music-texas-rodeo-redemption-songs Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 en-us Maurice Chammah Until the 1980s, an annual prison rodeo offered a chance for men inside to perform and sell albums. Now we’re making them available to you. The famous Texas burlesque dancer Candy Barr (born Juanita Dale Slusher) performs with a band of incarcerated musicians, including drummer Morgan White, at the 1967 Texas Prison Rodeo. Barr had previously served three years in the Texas Department of Corrections for marijuana possession. Courtesy of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/07/police-camera-wisconsin-california-colorado https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/07/police-camera-wisconsin-california-colorado Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0500 en-us Jamiles Lartey Law enforcement cameras are popping up everywhere, but many agencies have little safeguards to prevent abuse by individual officers. Cars drive past a Flock automated license plate reader in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2024. Kendall Warner/TNS, via Newscom https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/06/gun-oregon-mom-mental-illness https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/06/gun-oregon-mom-mental-illness Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:03 -0500 en-us Kelli Caldwell My mother has severe mental illness. Our family has spent decades trying to keep her from using firearms to hurt herself and others. Blane Asrat for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/05/st-louis-missouri-prison-opioid-addiction-lawsuit https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/05/st-louis-missouri-prison-opioid-addiction-lawsuit Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:16:00 -0500 en-us Ivy Scott In a prison system rife with drugs, a new civil rights lawsuit accuses the Missouri DOC of punishing people for addiction, rather than treating it. John Whitlock for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/05/news-inside-issue-22 https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/05/news-inside-issue-22 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0500 en-us Lawrence Bartley News Inside Issue 22 takes a hard look at how incarcerated women face unique challenges — and why their stories deserve to be heard. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/03/it-s-dangerous-to-feel-this-desperate-how-to-ease-the-chaos-in-new-york-s-prisons https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/03/it-s-dangerous-to-feel-this-desperate-how-to-ease-the-chaos-in-new-york-s-prisons Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0500 en-us John J. Lennon When the governor doesn’t commute sentences, and the legislature won’t act, the carrot-and-stick system of rehabilitation disintegrates. Michelle Perez for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/02/immigration-detention-releases-family-dilley https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/02/immigration-detention-releases-family-dilley Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:00:57 -0500 en-us Shannon Heffernan Jesse Bogan Anna Flagg Parents and children from a detention center in Texas found themselves dropped at a border town shelter with few means to leave. A migrant carries a child outside the Holding Institute shelter in Laredo, Texas in 2021. Jonathan Alpeyrie/Bloomberg via Getty Images https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/28/texas-houston-jail-bail-tennessee https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/28/texas-houston-jail-bail-tennessee Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500 en-us Jamiles Lartey Despite evidence that cashless bail doesn’t increase crime, several states are moving to restrict it. A bail bonds office in Houston, Texas, in February 2026. Jamiles Lartey/The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/27/exodus-documentary-film-reentry-copeland-serrano https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/27/exodus-documentary-film-reentry-copeland-serrano Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:40:37 -0500 en-us Aala Abdullahi Shot over two years, the Critics’ Choice-nominated film values quiet moments. “We’re trying to refuse a spectacle,” says director Nimco Sheikhaden. In an image from “Exodus,” Assia Serrano (at right) stands with her children, Omar and Giovanni. Courtesy of Skyler Knutzen https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/26/mississippi-voting-rights-act-supreme-court https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/26/mississippi-voting-rights-act-supreme-court Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500 en-us Caleb Bedillion Black Mississippians won a Voting Rights Act case that challenges how the state elects supreme court justices. But that victory may be in jeopardy. Mark Harris for The Marshall Project and Bolts https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/24/mississippi-prison-beating-death-investigation https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/24/mississippi-prison-beating-death-investigation Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:15 -0500 en-us Jerry Mitchell Daja E. Henry FBI is now investigating after a report showed that Mississippi guards beat an incarcerated person to death. Melvin Cancer, who was incarcerated at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, died from the use of physical force by a corrections officer in January 2025, according to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/23/mamdani-rikers-prison-jail-conditions-new-york https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/23/mamdani-rikers-prison-jail-conditions-new-york Mon, 23 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500 en-us Wilbert L. Cooper For New York City’s mayor, the hard part isn’t deciding whether or not to shut down Rikers, but figuring out how to do it safely and in a timely way. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York on Feb. 17, 2026. Seth Wenig/AP Photo https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/21/california-new-york-teen-jail https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/21/california-new-york-teen-jail Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500 en-us Jamiles Lartey From California to New York, juvenile detention systems struggle to protect the youth they house. Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, Calif. Jamiles Lartey/The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/20/prison-homophobia-love-relationships https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/20/prison-homophobia-love-relationships Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500 en-us Joseph Wilson Assumptions and rumors determine the social hierarchy and the wrong friendship can be dangerous. Laura Lannes for The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/19/police-misconduct-accountability-missouri-journalism https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/19/police-misconduct-accountability-missouri-journalism Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:00:47 -0500 en-us Katie Moore Ivy Scott Use The Marshall Project’s database of more than 600 police misconduct cases in Missouri to power your reporting. Melanie Garcia for The Marshall Project. Source images: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP, via Getty Images; iStock; and Jimmy Woo, via Unsplash. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/19/transgender-federal-prisons-care-ban-policy https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/19/transgender-federal-prisons-care-ban-policy Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:45:00 -0500 en-us Beth Schwartzapfel ‘People will die,’ an advocate warns, as standard treatments for gender dysphoria are replaced with therapy and antidepressants after Trump’s order. A person holds a transgender pride flag as they protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in January 2026. A new policy released by the Bureau of Prisons states transgender people incarcerated at federal prisons will no longer have access to gender-affirming care. Heather Diehl/Getty Images