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News
October 7, 2020
Thousands of Sick Federal Prisoners Sought Compassionate Release. 98 Percent Were Denied.
Wardens blocked bids for freedom as COVID-19 spread behind bars, data shows.
By
Joseph Neff
and
Keri Blakinger
Analysis
April 26, 2016
What Happens When There Aren’t Enough Judges to Go Around
84 federal vacancies, and a glacial confirmation rate, put extra stress on some districts
By
Eli Hager
News
March 3, 2016
There Are Still 80 ‘Youth Prisons’ in the U.S. Here Are Five Things to Know About Them
They’re harsh, dangerous and isolated — and may be around for a while.
By
Eli Hager
Life Inside
April 8, 2022
Surviving Prison is 90% Mental. That’s Why I Teach Workouts That Strengthen the Mind
The sessions I lead are intense enough to match the mental strain that we endure daily: the rejected phone calls, denied visits, humiliating random pat-downs and other microaggressions.
By
Aaron M. Kinzer
News
December 17, 2019
The Hidden Cost of Incarceration
Prison costs taxpayers $80 billion a year. It costs some families everything they have.
By
Beatrix Lockwood
and
Nicole Lewis
Feature
October 24, 2019
The Kim Foxx Effect: How Prosecutions Have Changed in Cook County
The state’s attorney promised to transform the office. Data shows she’s dismissed thousands of felonies that would have been pursued in the past.
By
Matt Daniels
Just Say You’re Sorry
May 29
As a Texas Ranger Gains National Fame, His Interrogations Draw Skepticism
James Holland’s star rises after he coaxes killer Samuel Little to confess to 90 murders. But his work in Larry Driskill’s case comes into question.
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
July 23, 2018
New York on ICE
How Donald Trump’s war on immigrants is playing out in his hometown.
By
The Marshall Project
Feature
December 21, 2017
The Big Business of Prisoner Care Packages
Inside the booming market for food in pouches, clear electronics, pocket-less clothing and other corrections-approved goods.
By
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
Feature
June 24, 2015
The Surprisingly Imperfect Science of DNA Testing
How a proven tool may be anything but.
By
Katie Worth
News
October 22, 2015
The FCC Looks into the Prison Telephone Racket
Phone home, go broke.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Analysis
February 22, 2017
The Case of Duane Buck
Was he sentenced to death “because he is black”?
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
July 8, 2020
She Said Her Husband Hit Her. She Lost Custody of Their Kids
How reporting domestic violence works against women in family court.
By
Kathryn Joyce
Feature
February 15, 2018
Too Sick for Jail — But Not for Solitary
Tennessee locks ailing, mentally ill, pregnant and juvenile prisoners in isolation to help jails save money.
By
Allen Arthur
with additional reporting by
Dave Boucher
Analysis
April 18, 2022
Texans Spend Billions on Border Operations. What Do They Get in Return?
Rick Perry and Greg Abbott have launched widely publicized and costly border initiatives for nearly two decades — often during reelection season or while eyeing higher office.
BY
Lomi Kriel
AND
Perla Trevizo
, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune AND
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
The Lowdown
May 26, 2022
The 1990s Law That Keeps People in Prison on Technicalities
How the Supreme Court expanded the most important law you’ve never heard of.
By
Keri Blakinger
and
Beth Schwartzapfel
Closing Argument
September 10, 2022
Why Record Heat Can Be Deadlier in Prisons
Corrections officials across most of the nation have not prepared for warmer summers and record heat waves.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
October 26, 2017
We are Witnesses
The American criminal justice system consists of 2.2 million people behind bars, plus tens of millions of family members, corrections and police officers, parolees, victims of crime, judges, prosecutors and defenders.
By
The Marshall Project
News
April 6, 2015
A Battle for the Bench
Who is the toughest judge in all of Wisconsin?
By
Christie Thompson
News
October 9, 2015
Meet the Federal Prisoners About to be Released
A profile of the 6,000.
By
The Marshall Project
Closing Argument
August 5
Federal Judge Eyes a ‘Last Resort’ Fix for New York City’s Jails
Record deaths at Rikers Island may lead to a federal takeover as criticism mounts.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Closing Argument
March 18
New Scrutiny on Murder Charges Against People Who Don’t Actually Kill
The U.S. is the only country that still uses the “felony murder” legal doctrine.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
October 28, 2023
They Shot at Police. Were They Standing Their Ground?
No-knock raids often end in tragedy — and some civilians face prosecution for shooting back.
By
Maurice Chammah
Analysis
June 26, 2015
Scott Walker on Crime and Punishment: Back to the ‘90s
As his rivals ease up, one candidate hangs tough
By
Eli Hager
Feature
November 11, 2021
Two Strikes and You’re in Prison Forever
Why Florida leads the nation in people serving life without chance of parole.
By
Cary Aspinwall
,
Weihua Li
and
Dan Sullivan
Inside Out
September 23, 2021
Experts Say the Culture Is Often to Blame When Lock-ups Spin Out of Control
Could changes in jailers’ attitudes lead to better jail conditions and fewer deaths?
By
Keri Blakinger
Q&A
April 29, 2015
David Simon on Baltimore’s Anguish
Freddie Gray, the drug war, and the decline of “real policing.”
By
Bill Keller
Feature
September 7, 2016
When the Money Runs out for Public Defense, What Happens Next?
Massive caseloads, long wait lists, group plea deals, and other realities of a funding crisis.
By
Oliver Laughland
Cleveland
December 12, 2022
How Children End Up in Cleveland’s Adult Courts: A Bindover Explainer
Cuyahoga County transfers more children — most of whom are Black — to adult court than any other Ohio county.
By
Abbey Marshall
,
Stephanie Casanova
,
Helen Maynard
,
Rachel Dissell
and
Cid Standifer
Feature
November 20, 2020
Superpredator: The Media Myth That Demonized a Generation of Black Youth
25 years ago this month, “superpredator” was coined in The Weekly Standard. Media spread the term like wildfire, creating repercussions on policy and culture we are still reckoning with today.
By
Carroll Bogert
and
Lynnell Hancock
Commentary
October 7, 2015
The Clintons Aren’t the Only Ones to Blame for the Crime Bill
Black leaders also embraced it.
By
Michael Fortner
Feature
November 16, 2014
Death by Deadline, Part Two
When lawyers stumble, only their clients fall.
By
Ken Armstrong
Closing Argument
October 15, 2022
Don’t Expect Mass Prison Releases From Biden’s Marijuana Clemency
The president’s mass pardon may signal a shift in the federal approach to cannabis, but it won’t let anyone out of prison.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
October 7, 2020
What Trump Really Means When He Tweets “LAW & ORDER!!!”
A brief history of a political dog whistle.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
October 11, 2017
California Ends Practice of Billing Parents for Kids in Detention
The change comes months after a Marshall Project investigation.
By
Eli Hager
News
January 30, 2020
Colin Absolam, an Immigrant Facing Deportation, Pardoned by Gov. Cuomo
His lawyer said he remained in custody in an ICE detention facility.
By
Marshall Project Staff
News and Awards
November 1, 2018
Bill Keller to retire from The Marshall Project
He built the country’s leading, award-winning destination for criminal justice news.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
September 15, 2021
The Marshall Project Wins Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism
National Press Club Award recognizes overall body of investigative reporting, citing impact of “Mauled,” coverage of Mississippi prisons and more.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
October 7, 2021
The Marshall Project Founder Neil Barsky to Step Down as Board Chair
Liz Simons announced as next chair for Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom covering criminal justice.
By
The Marshall Project
Case in Point
July 18, 2016
Letting Prosecutors Write the Law
It’s more common than you think.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
July 6, 2022
New Orleans Battled Mass Incarceration. Then Came the Backlash Over Violent Crime.
After decades of a “lock them up” approach, voters put progressives in key criminal justice posts. Now a rise in violent crime is their toughest challenge yet.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
March 8, 2018
Convicted of a Drug Crime, Registered with Sex Offenders
In Kansas, even many minor drug offenders must appear on the state’s public registry. A new bill would change that.
By
Maurice Chammah
Analysis
June 14, 2016
So You Think a New Prison Will Save Your Town?
Six reasons you’re likely to be disappointed
By
Tom Meagher
&
Christie Thompson
The System
November 4, 2020
The Truth About Trials
“We put together the most cumbersome and expensive trial system that the world has ever seen, and then we decided we can’t do it for all but a tiny, tiny portion of people.”
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
,
Abbie VanSickle
and
Annaliese Griffin
Analysis
September 23, 2020
RBG’s Mixed Record on Race and Criminal Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a revered feminist icon. Her legacy on issues such as prisoners’ rights, capital punishment, racial justice and tribal sovereignty has been less examined.
By
Marshall Project Staff
Commentary
December 5, 2018
California Passed a Law to Put Me Out of Business—And Taxpayers Will Get the Bill
Why eliminating bail is bad for my industry, defendants and everyone else.
By
Bill Armstrong
Feature
June 28, 2016
The Day My Brother Took a Life and Changed Mine Forever
I grew up idolizing my brother. Then he killed a man.
By
Issac Bailey
Coronavirus
March 31, 2020
Why Jails Are So Important in the Fight Against Coronavirus
With about 200,000 people flowing into and out of jails every week, there are great risks not only for the detained, but also for jail workers and surrounding communities.
By
Anna Flagg
and
Joseph Neff
News
July 10, 2015
Nine Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Parole
For example: Most states don’t require board members to have any experience with the criminal justice system.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Analysis
May 13, 2019
Is There a Connection Between Undocumented Immigrants and Crime?
It’s a widely held perception, but a new analysis finds no evidence to support it.
By
Anna Flagg
Analysis
February 27, 2023
What the Panic Over Shoplifting Reveals About American Crime Policy
Lawmakers consider bills to crack down on people ripping off retailers, even as some stores walk back claims about a growing theft problem.
By
Nicole Lewis
Feature
March 7, 2018
Old, Sick and Dying in Shackles
“Compassionate release” has bipartisan support as a way to reduce the federal prison population and save taxpayer money. New data shows that it’s rarely used.
By
Christie Thompson
Looking Back
August 19, 2019
In Sickness, In Health—and In Prison
A Nebraska couple fighting to marry behind bars wouldn’t be the first: Three decades ago, two prisoners took their bid to marry all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
By
Mia Armstrong
News
August 1, 2017
Ending Solitary for Juveniles: A Goal Grows Closer
Recent rulings in a half-dozen states signal new momentum.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
April 19, 2018
Framed for Murder By His Own DNA
We leave traces of our genetic material everywhere, even on things we’ve never touched. That got Lukis Anderson charged with a brutal crime he didn’t commit.
By
Katie Worth
Analysis
November 30, 2016
Who’s in Solitary Confinement?
By
Anna Flagg
,
Alex Tatusian
and
Christie Thompson
Jackson
April 4
Terror, Murder and Jim Crow Laws: Inside Mississippi’s Racial Voter Intimidation History
Black Mississippians’ right to vote has constantly been under threat. A recent bill that would have restored voting rights to thousands died in committee.
By
Daja E. Henry
Feature
March 23, 2023
The War on Gun Violence Has Failed. And Black Men Are Paying the Price.
In Chicago and elsewhere, gun possession arrests are rising as shootings go unsolved.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
and
Geoff Hing
Feature
December 7, 2016
In Alabama, You Can Be Sentenced to Death Even if Jurors Don’t Agree
Judges have uniquely uncommon power in the state.
By
Kent Faulk
Coronavirus
March 21, 2020
Coronavirus Transforming Jails Across the Country
Some sheriffs, prosecutors and defenders scramble to move people from local jails, potential petri dishes for infection.
By
Cary Aspinwall
,
Keri Blakinger
,
Abbie VanSickle
and
Christie Thompson
News
December 14, 2016
Let’s Go to Prison!
A national field trip to Incarceration Nation, under the shadow of Donald Trump
By
Eli Hager
Analysis
June 25, 2015
What Prisons Can Learn From Schools
Lessons from education reform on transforming an expensive, ineffective system.
By
Eli Hager
News
February 12, 2017
If Kids Ran Juvie
Suggestions from the people who know juvenile detention best.
By
Eli Hager
News
December 13, 2017
What the Doug Jones Election Means for Criminal Justice Reform
The Alabama Democrat represents the flip-side of his predecessor.
By
Justin George
News
August 19, 2019
California Governor Promises More Changes to “Biased, Random” Justice System
Signing a new law on police shootings, Gavin Newsom says he’s sending a message.
By
Abbie VanSickle
News
April 16, 2017
The Immigration Policy That Ate the Justice Department
Under Sessions’ latest orders, the border is everywhere.
By
Julia Preston
Commentary
October 28, 2018
Chicago Cop Jason Van Dyke's Record Was a Warning Sign
Can the conviction of Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke finally force policing into the 21st century?
Johanna Wald
Analysis
May 20, 2018
Sending Even More Immigrants to Prison
Despite Jeff Sessions’ new zero-tolerance mandate along the border, the Justice Department has prioritized immigration offenses for years.
By
Yolanda Martinez
Closing Argument
July 22
‘Concrete Coffins’: Surviving Extreme Heat Behind Bars
Record temperatures in much of the U.S. threatening more people in prisons.
By
Jamiles Lartey
The System
October 30, 2020
The State of Bail Reform
Bail reform is state-by-state and full of fits and starts. Some activists are taking direct action, raising funds to bail out defendants too poor to pay.
By
Beatrix Lockwood
and
Annaliese Griffin
The System
November 13, 2020
Life Behind the Wall
Sure, prisons and jails are dangerous places. But everyday life inside isn’t as explosive as TV and movies make it look.
By
Nicole Lewis
and
Annaliese Griffin
News
April 8, 2021
Murders Rose Last Year. Black and Hispanic Neighborhoods Were Hit Hardest.
A COVID-strained social safety net. Entrenched distrust between cops and communities of color. "2020 was a tinderbox."
By
Weihua Li
and
Beth Schwartzapfel
Feature
July 10, 2020
Freed From Prison, Dead from COVID-19, Not Even Counted
Officials’ missteps at Butner made it the deadliest federal lockup.
By
Joseph Neff
and
Dan Kane
Life Inside
January 20
How an Illicit Cell Phone Helped Me Take College Courses from Prison
“I didn’t want to give any type of indication that I am in prison, because I didn’t want to be kicked out.”
By
Anonymous
as told to
Charlotte West
Q&A
August 16, 2016
Milwaukee’s Police Chief on Open-Carry Gun Laws
“It’s lunacy in an urban environment.”
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Case in Point
December 5, 2016
How America’s Most Famous Federal Prison Faced a Dirty Secret
The case that awakened us to the mental health trauma of “Supermax”
By
Andrew Cohen
Q&A
May 5, 2016
How ‘The Good Wife’ Got the Law Right
‘Don’t take the easy way out, don’t take shortcuts.’
By
Raha Naddaf
News
March 15, 2018
If You Can’t Kill It, Join It
Trump’s nominee to this panel called it “an overfed lemur.”
By
Justin George
Commentary
September 20, 2017
When Backing the Blue Backfires
The DOJ’s most recent attempt to appear pro-cop actually hurts law enforcement.
Chiraag Bains
News
April 14, 2016
Should Prisoners Be Allowed to Have Facebook Pages?
A new policy in Texas limits inmates’ access to social media, creating a First Amendment conundrum.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
December 19, 2018
Okay, What’s the Second Step?
Now that the First Step Act passed, prison reformers are already making lists.
By
Justin George
Justice Lab
October 14, 2015
Politicians Still Say Longer Prison Sentences Prevent Gun Violence — But Do They?
What we know about “gun enhancements.”
By
Dana Goldstein
News
January 17, 2018
Trump Justice, Year One: The Demolition Derby
Here are nine ways the law-and-order president has smashed Obama’s legacy.
By
Justin George
Coronavirus
June 18, 2020
“I Begged Them To Let Me Die”: How Federal Prisons Became Coronavirus Death Traps.
The Bureau of Prisons was unprepared and slow to respond. Then officials took steps that helped spread the virus.
By
Keri Blakinger
and
Keegan Hamilton
Case in Point
February 28, 2019
The Father, the Son and the Holy Buck
A capital case in Alabama raises the question: are you entitled to a conflict-free lawyer?
By
Andrew Cohen
News
June 16, 2015
Get Caught with Pot, Face Deportation
As states loosen marijuana laws, the consequences for noncitizens remain as strict as ever.
By
Christie Thompson
Analysis
May 23, 2016
Can Courtroom Prejudice Be Proved?
The Supreme Court considers what it takes to show that prosecutors, when they pick juries, are discriminating against minorities.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
May 11, 2020
A Growing Number of State Courts Are Confronting Unconscious Racism In Jury Selection
“A judge who deals with prosecutors every day is not going to say, ‘You intentionally discriminated on the basis of race, and you lied about it with pretextual reasons.’”
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Looking Back
April 9, 2019
When Prisons Cut Off Visits—Indefinitely
It’s been nearly 25 years since Michigan adopted a controversial visitation policy. Families have been fighting it ever since.
By
Christie Thompson
News
April 28, 2022
Solitary Confinement Harms Teens. Louisiana Lawmakers Took a Step to Limit It.
An investigation by The Marshall Project, NBC News and ProPublica found that youth in a Louisiana lockup were held in isolation around the clock for weeks.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
, The Marshall Project;
Erin Einhorn
, NBC News; and
Annie Waldman
, ProPublica
News and Awards
January 10
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion, 2022
A year of growth gives way to big opportunities.
error in byline
Analysis
September 23, 2020
Trump’s Crime and Carnage Ad Blitz Is Going Unanswered on Facebook
The president has spent millions on misleading Facebook ads targeting undecided voters, while Joe Biden has been virtually silent.
By
Jeremy B. Merrill
and
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
February 2, 2016
What’s Justice for Kids Who Kill?
Kahton Anderson and the raging raise-the-age debate.
By
Dana Goldstein
News
August 10, 2015
The Woman Who Spent Six Years Fighting a Traffic Stop
Getting caught in a speed trap in a small Louisiana town.
By
Ken Armstrong
News
April 23, 2020
New York Rolled Back Bail Reform. What Will The Rest Of The Country Do?
Bail reform advocates are adapting in light of COVID-19 releases and the lessons from New York’s no-bail flop.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
November 21, 2018
Treatment Denied: The Mental Health Crisis in Federal Prisons
The Bureau of Prisons set higher standards for psychiatric care. But instead of helping more inmates, the agency dropped thousands from its caseload, data shows.
By
Christie Thompson
and
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
Feature
May 13, 2015
Willie Horton Revisited
We talk to the man who became our national nightmare. Thirty years later, does he still matter?
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Bill Keller
Feature
March 14
Aggressive Policing in Memphis Goes Far Beyond the Scorpion Unit
Data shows Memphis police arrested more people – mostly Black men – than other Tennessee cities.
By
Daphne Duret
,
Weihua Li
and
Marc Perrusquia
Feature
March 2
The Mercy Workers
For three decades, a little-known group of “mitigation specialists” has helped save death-penalty defendants by documenting their childhood traumas. A rare look inside one case.
By
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
December 17, 2014
Handling, Not Manhandling, the Mentally Ill
A close look at the L.A. County Jail settlement
By
Andrew Cohen