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Life Inside
April 6, 2017
My Execution, 20 Days Away
In Arkansas, 8 men are scheduled to die by lethal injection this month.
By
Kenneth Williams
The Lowdown
June 25, 2015
What Will You Look Like 20 Years From Now?
For forensic artists, a sketch is more than just gray hair and wrinkles.
By
Simone Seiver
Life Inside
October 26, 2017
After 20 Years, Still Haunted by a Drug Conviction
“The criminal justice system has become an ever-present shadow looming over my life.”
By
Jason Bost
Life Inside
May 12
My Brother Was Wrongfully Convicted for Murder. 20 Years Later, So Was My Son.
Although it was a coincidence, I knew it wasn’t a mistake. What Louisiana was doing to men like my brother Elvis and my son Cedric was intentional.
By
Earline Brooks Colbert
, as told to
Jamiles Lartey
Commentary
April 6, 2016
Oops, We Took 20 Years of Your Life by Mistake. Have a Nice Day.
What society owes the exonerated.
By
Jarrett Adams
Life Inside
April 13, 2017
After 20 Years in Prison, All I Can Write Is Fantasy
An inmate, his typewriter and dreams of the Internet.
By
Jerry Metcalf
Life Inside
October 27, 2016
After Nearly 20 Years in Prison, a Parking Lot Was Heaven
The terror and joy of stepping outside.
By
Carlos Flores
Looking Back
July 8, 2016
Bill Clinton’s Dissident
On criminal justice, Abner Mikva was about 20 years early.
By
Ken Armstrong
Life Inside
November 10, 2016
When Your Cellmate is Mentally Ill
Spending 20 hours a day with someone else’s delusions.
By
Johnathan Byrd
News
December 14, 2015
What Angola's Resigning Warden Is Leaving Behind
For 20 years, Burl Cain both punished and preached.
By
Maurice Chammah
Life Inside
March 29, 2018
When You’re 16 and It’s Your First Time in Solitary
“I felt like I aged 10 years just by doing 20 days in there.”
By
Jordan
as told to
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
Feature
September 13, 2017
From Prison to Ph.D.: The Redemption and Rejection of Michelle Jones
In prison for 20 years, Michelle was chosen for Harvard's elite graduate history program. Then she was unchosen.
By
Eli Hager
Life Inside
March 28, 2019
In Military Prison I Learned The True Meaning of Service
It took me more than 20 years to become a lieutenant colonel. Then I was sent to Leavenworth.
By
Ken Pinkela
as told to Joseph Darius Jaafari
Analysis
June 12, 2018
Is Domestic Violence Private?
It took 20 years for courts to say no. It took Jeff Sessions no time to say yes.
By
Julia Preston
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
Asked and Answered
March 25, 2015
‘People Forget that We Are Human Beings.’
A New York City cop of over 20 years on the media’s ignorance, the benefits of stop-and-frisk, and why he wishes he could live in New Jersey.
By
The Marshall Project
Life Inside
December 18, 2020
A Question of Violence
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas is barred from COVID-related release from San Quentin because his 20-year-old crime was violent. GoFundMe cancelled his legal defense campaign for the same reason. Here’s what it’s like to live with the scarlet letter V.
By
Rahsaan "New York" Thomas
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
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
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
Analysis
February 22, 2017
The Case of Duane Buck
Was he sentenced to death “because he is black”?
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
June 24, 2015
The Surprisingly Imperfect Science of DNA Testing
How a proven tool may be anything but.
By
Katie Worth
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
News
October 9, 2015
Meet the Federal Prisoners About to be Released
A profile of the 6,000.
By
The Marshall Project
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
News
October 22, 2015
The FCC Looks into the Prison Telephone Racket
Phone home, go broke.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
Closing Argument
February 24
Knock, Knock! Who’s There? The Police.
What happens when a joke carries criminal charges?
By
Lakeidra Chavis
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
News
February 27, 2015
Untested Rape Kits: FAQ
Why cities are struggling with backlogs, and what they’re doing about them.
By
Clare Sestanovich
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
November 20, 2018
The Jerry Brown Way of Pardoning
Former inmates facing deportation place their hope in California's outgoing governor.
By
Abbie VanSickle
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
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
Feature
June 6, 2017
Can This Marriage Be Saved?
Left and right came together on criminal justice reform. Then Trump happened.
By
Justin George
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
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
Analysis
October 7, 2020
What Trump Really Means When He Tweets “LAW & ORDER!!!”
A brief history of a political dog whistle.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
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
April 24, 2020
The 470,000 Potential Voters Most Likely To Be Disenfranchised Next Election
Voting rights for people in jail is becoming another casualty of COVID-19.
By
Eli Hager
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
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
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
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
Feature
September 24, 2019
Detained
How the United States created the largest immigrant detention system in the world.
By
Emily Kassie
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
August 4, 2015
The New Science of Sentencing
Should prison sentences be based on crimes that haven’t been committed yet?
By
Anna Maria Barry-Jester
,
Ben Casselman
and
Dana Goldstein
News
April 6, 2015
A Battle for the Bench
Who is the toughest judge in all of Wisconsin?
By
Christie Thompson
Looking Back
September 5, 2018
A Police Pioneer on Her Unfinished Business
Portland’s first female chief, Penny Harrington, recalls the steep climb to the top.
By
Ivonne Roman
Feature
January 7, 2016
How to Get Out of Solitary — One Step at a Time
New programs are easing inmates out of years of solitary confinement with surprising outcomes for both prisoners and corrections officers.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
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
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
Looking Back
December 29, 2014
The Willie Bosket Case
How children became adults in the eyes of the law.
By
Eli Hager
Q&A
January 7, 2019
The Case Against Cannabis
A journalist’s pursuit of the truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence.
error in byline
Coronavirus
June 3, 2020
Jails Are Coronavirus Hotbeds. How Many People Should Be Released To Slow The Spread?
As officials cut jail populations, researchers and advocates explore what more can be done.
By
Anna Flagg
Coronavirus
June 1, 2020
What COVID-19 Prison Outbreaks Could Teach Us About Herd Immunity
Prisons turn out to be a key place to study how coronavirus spreads and how immunity to it works.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
March 2, 2017
Your Kid Goes to Jail, You Get the Bill
For 40 years, many parents have had to pay for their children's incarceration, but that may be changing.
By
Eli Hager
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
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
August 4, 2020
Half of Oklahoma Is Now Indian Country. What Does That Mean for Criminal Justice There?
Tribal courts and federal prosecutors face a flood of new cases after the Supreme Court ruling.
By
Cary Aspinwall
and
Graham Lee Brewer
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
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
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
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
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
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
News
March 16, 2016
Should Hard-line Prosecutors Be Nervous?
After voters oust two prosecutors for failing to hold police accountable, maybe.
By
Christie Thompson
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
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
Coronavirus
March 28, 2020
How Is The Justice System Responding to the Coronavirus? It Depends On Where You Live.
While some cities free people from jail and stop arrests, others are much more business as usual.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
July 22, 2016
Truth-testing Trump on Law and Order
“These are the facts,” he says. Mmmm, not so fast.
By
The Marshall Project
Q&A
February 21, 2016
‘I’ll Believe It When I See It.’
After 42 years in solitary, Albert Woodfox walks free.
By
Andrew Cohen
Analysis
September 29, 2016
Criminal Justice Reform: An Obituary
Obama and Newt Gingrich. Koch Industries and the ACLU. With friends like that, how could it lose?
By
Bill Keller
Looking Back
March 13, 2015
Broken on the Wheel
The gruesome 18th Century legal case that turned a famed philosopher into a crusader for the innocent.
By
Ken Armstrong
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
Closing Argument
April 29, 2023
When ‘Shoot-First Culture’ Meets ‘Fear and Paranoia’
In less than a week, seven people were shot after doing the ordinary — ringing a doorbell or turning around in a driveway.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
April 7, 2015
Unfreed
The man who was accidentally released from prison 88 years early.
By
Robert Kolker
News
October 5, 2016
Making the Case Against Banishing Sex Offenders
Legislators won’t touch the subject, but courts are proving more sympathetic.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
News
April 16, 2017
The Immigration Policy That Ate the Justice Department
Under Sessions’ latest orders, the border is everywhere.
By
Julia Preston