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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
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
July 23, 2018
New York on ICE
How Donald Trump’s war on immigrants is playing out in his hometown.
By
The Marshall Project
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
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
Feature
April 7, 2015
Unfreed
The man who was accidentally released from prison 88 years early.
By
Robert Kolker
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
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
Analysis
February 22, 2017
The Case of Duane Buck
Was he sentenced to death “because he is black”?
By
Maurice Chammah
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
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
News
February 7, 2018
Mississippi Moonlighting
Congressional hopeful, district attorney, debt collector.
By
Nicole Lewis
Feature
July 13, 2018
Petty Charges, Princely Profits
But a haven for bail bondsmen is getting less friendly.
By
Joseph Neff
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
Coronavirus
May 6, 2020
A Dangerous Limbo: Probation and Parole in the Time of COVID-19
Closed courts, faulty technology and delays in post-release programs are among a range of barriers keeping a population prime for release behind bars.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
Feature
November 15, 2014
Death by Deadline, Part One
How bad lawyering and an unforgiving law cost condemned men their last appeal.
By
Ken Armstrong
Feature
November 16, 2014
Death by Deadline, Part Two
When lawyers stumble, only their clients fall.
By
Ken Armstrong
News
February 27, 2015
Untested Rape Kits: FAQ
Why cities are struggling with backlogs, and what they’re doing about them.
By
Clare Sestanovich
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
September 24, 2019
Detained
How the United States created the largest immigrant detention system in the world.
By
Emily Kassie
News
February 5, 2017
Sessions May Resist Federal Oversight of Police, But There’s Another Option
A California law offers a way for states to reshape troubled departments.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
News
July 22, 2022
Decades After Leaving Foster Care, She Learned She Was Owed Benefits. Where Did The Money Go?
After reading a Marshall Project/NPR investigation, former foster youth are asking what happened to their benefits — and the government isn’t helping.
By
Alexandra Arriaga
News
April 6, 2015
A Battle for the Bench
Who is the toughest judge in all of Wisconsin?
By
Christie Thompson
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
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
Death Sentences
April 8, 2022
The Return of the Firing Squad?
With a scarcity of lethal injection drugs, South Carolina has brought back an archaic execution method. In other states, men on death row are asking for it.
By
Maurice Chammah
Closing Argument
February 24
Knock, Knock! Who’s There? The Police.
What happens when a joke carries criminal charges?
By
Lakeidra Chavis
Feature
December 17, 2021
‘The Only Way We Get Out of There Is in a Pine Box’
Elderly, ailing and expensive, lifetime prisoners cost Louisiana taxpayers millions a year.
By
John Simerman
News
September 27, 2016
A Primer on the Nationwide Prisoners’ Strike
Prisoners can be forced to work without pay — the Constitution says so.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Analysis
February 4, 2021
They Were Accused of Messing With Local Officers. Should the Feds Intervene?
In Oregon and across the country, protesters charged with “civil disorder” say the vague federal law is unconstitutional.
By
Christie Thompson
Closing Argument
September 23
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
News
May 14, 2015
The ‘Madison Model’
A shooting death spotlights Wisconsin’s legacy of police reform.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Commentary
November 21, 2014
Is the Criminal Justice System Defensible?
A debate between Judge Harvie Wilkinson III and Stephen Bright.
By
Andrew Cohen
News and Awards
June 4, 2018
How You Can Support Our Work
By
Bill Keller
Looking Back
March 1, 2018
The Kerner Omission
How a landmark report on the 1960s race riots fell short on police reform
By
Nicole Lewis
Commentary
December 14, 2016
What Chris Christie Got Wrong About Solitary Confinement
Scope, purpose, duration — in short, everything
By
Daniel Teehan
Closing Argument
February 10
The AI Lawyer is Here
How Artificial Intelligence is making its way into the legal system.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
July 15
For Many, a Lawyer Is a Luxury Out of Reach
Sixty years after a landmark Supreme Court ruling, the promise of legal representation for everyone is largely unrealized.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Life Inside
November 10, 2017
The Singular Sorrow of Grieving Behind Bars
“I had no idea how much pain I would be forced to carry alone.”
By
Dwayne Hurd
Death Sentences
April 5, 2021
Death Penalty for Mass Shooters? Depends On Where They Strike.
The men arrested in recent killings in Atlanta, Boulder, Colorado, and Orange, California, could face very different sentences if convicted.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Keri Blakinger
Jackson
February 22
This Mississippi Court Appoints Lawyers for Just 1 in 5 Defendants Before Indictment
Mississippi is known as one of the worst states for public defense. In one lower court, most defendants went without any lawyer before indictment.
By
Caleb Bedillion
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
December 10, 2015
The Marshall Project’s Holiday Gift Guide
From prison pups to personal trainers with rap sheets.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Commentary
November 3, 2017
What About the ‘Lost Children’ (and Mothers) of America?
It’s time for their voices to be heard.
By
Rheann Kelly
,
Christina Kovats
, and
Natalie Medley
First & Latest
September 30, 2015
Georgia Executed its First Woman in 70 Years
A closer look at why female executions are so rare.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
The Lowdown
August 1, 2019
Beyond One-Liners: A Guide to the Democratic Debate on Criminal Justice
By
The Marshall Project
News
December 22, 2015
Deck the Dorm: A Christmas Contest in a Kentucky Jail
The Louisville jail holds an annual competition to bring cheer to a tough time of year
By
Alysia Santo
&
mashable
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
Cleveland
March 13
He’s in an Ohio Prison for Exposing Someone to HIV - Even Though He Couldn’t Transmit the Virus
Ohio has six laws that criminalize living with HIV, leading to at least 200 prosecutions in recent years.
By
Ken Schneck
, The Buckeye Flame, and
Rachel Dissell
, The Marshall Project
Q&A
April 2, 2015
Why Are American Cops So Bad at Catching Killers?
“Every year, more than 5,000 murderers walk free.”
By
Tom Meagher
News
June 10, 2019
More Families of Murder Victims in Louisiana Will Qualify for Financial Help
Lawmakers change rules after Marshall Project report on compensation fund.
By
Alysia Santo
News and Awards
April 25, 2017
John Carlos Frey joins The Marshall Project
He will report on the intersection of immigration and criminal justice.
By
The Marshall Project
Coronavirus
March 27, 2020
Photos Show Some Prison Beds Are Only Three Feet Apart
Despite coronavirus, crowding continues inside California’s system.
By
Abbie VanSickle
Analysis
August 8, 2016
Why is Arkansas Flailing in Juvenile Justice?
Blame the good guys.
By
Dick Mendel
Closing Argument
January 6
Federal Prisons Are Over Capacity — Yet Efforts to Ease Overcrowding Are Ending
The Bureau of Prisons’ system is in trouble and needs serious upgrades on several fronts.
By
Shannon Heffernan
Commentary
April 2, 2018
I Was Too Young to Own a Gun
“I take full responsibility for my actions. I killed a man. Still, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if we’d met just a few years later...if I didn’t have a gun.”
Jerry Metcalf
Analysis
July 15, 2015
‘Justice and Redemption Go Hand in Hand.’
A closer look at the president’s speech on criminal justice reform.
By
Andrew Cohen
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
Violation
February 6
‘The Fullness of Time’: Jacob Wideman Confronts His Fate
Part Eight of the “Violation” podcast explores what time means behind bars. And listeners respond to the question: Did Jake get what he deserves?
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Feature
July 9, 2015
The Sex-Offender Test
Can the Abel Assessment tell if you're a potential child-molester?
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
June 26, 2019
Corporate Confession: Gangs Ran This Private Prison
What happened in Mississippi when no one wanted dangerous, low-paying guard jobs.
By
Joseph Neff
and
Alysia Santo
Feature
December 6, 2018
Bookshelf
An inexhaustive list of books on criminal justice, curated by The Marshall Project staff until 2019.
By
The Marshall Project
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
Life Inside
January 3, 2019
I Was a Doctor Addicted to Pills. So Were My Patients.
“I had no idea if I would get caught. It didn't matter.”
By
Lou Ortenzio
as told to
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
November 9, 2016
What Trump’s Win Means for Chicago and Baltimore’s Cops
The president-elect may soon upend an Obama-era police reform tactic.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
January 20, 2015
The Near Death of Mark Christeson
He was nearly executed because his lawyers missed a filing deadline. Now the Supreme Court has weighed in on what should happen next.
By
Ken Armstrong
Feature
August 11, 2020
“Nowhere Else to Go”
A Marshall Project / FRONTLINE film that follows an undocumented family’s struggle to survive homelessness, immigrant detention and a rapidly spreading virus.
By
Emily Kassie
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
Q&A
June 18, 2018
Van Jones Answers His Critics
The CNN host defends his involvement with a controversial prison reform bill and the Trump White House.
By
Justin George
Life Inside
April 8, 2021
“Nobody Wants to Be Identified as a Victim”
Oakland activist Carl Chan reveals how fear of retaliation, mistrust of police, language barriers and technology gaps fuel underreporting of anti-Asian violence.
By
Carl Chan
as told to
Michelle Pitcher
Life Inside
May 13, 2021
Parole Is Better Than Prison. But That Doesn’t Mean I’m Free.
At age 17, I was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. I got out due to Supreme Court decisions, but there was one catch: Parole for the rest of my life.
By
Abd’allah Lateef
News
November 1, 2021
As Corrections Officers Quit in Droves, Prisons Get Even More Dangerous
Fewer guards lead to more lockdowns, rising tensions and scant access to healthcare.
By
Keri Blakinger
,
Jamiles Lartey
,
Beth Schwartzapfel
,
Mike Sisak
and
Christie Thompson
Q&A
January 20, 2016
Is Charles Koch a Closet Liberal?
Not hardly. But he’s for rolling back the war on drugs, ending mass incarceration, and letting former convicts vote.
By
Bill Keller
Death Sentences
February 24, 2022
How Melissa Lucio Went From Abuse Survivor to Death Row
Why some trauma victims are more likely to take responsibility for crimes, even when they may be innocent.
By
Maurice Chammah
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
Commentary
February 17, 2016
Scalia and the Right to Counsel
He would defend your liberty, but not your right to a lawyer.
By
David Carroll
Feature
May 24, 2016
Nothing But The Truth
A radical new interrogation technique is transforming the art of detective work: Shut up and let the suspect do the talking.
By
Robert Kolker
Closing Argument
March 23
They’re Not Cops. They Don’t Have Guns. But They’re Responding to More 911 Calls.
A new generation of first responders is handling mental health calls and other emergencies in cities across the U.S.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News
November 24, 2015
The $33 Test in Prison That Could Save Countless Lives on the Outside
Treating Hep C isn’t cheap, but experts say it’s cost-effective.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
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
Feature
January 30, 2020
The Cheer Team Caught Between Two Worlds
For these Texas high schoolers who live in Mexico, the border wall debate is more about daily logistics than politics.
Photos by Sara Naomi Lewkowicz
Words by Nina Strochlic
Closing Argument
October 14, 2023
A Chaotic Moment For The Death Penalty
Political and legal opinions are shifting on mental illness and capital punishment, but those on death row may be left behind.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
October 29, 2015
What You Need to Know About the New Federal Prisoner Release
Five reasons it is (and is not) a big deal.
By
The Marshall Project
Life Inside
October 5, 2017
Working in the Prison System Took Over My Life
The 24/7 nature of corrections work can make it all-consuming.
By
Brent Parker
as told to
Maurice Chammah
News
June 25, 2015
Ohio Gets a Third Chance to Kill Michael Keenan
A case so messy one judge says it’s an argument for abolishing the death penalty.
By
Ken Armstrong
Life Inside
July 14, 2016
My Life With Settlement Cash After Cops Killed My Husband
“Men in suits would sit there and actually talk about what my husband's life was worth.”
By
Whitney Duenez
as told to
Simone Weichselbaum
News
March 3, 2017
Philadelphia Will Stop Billing Parents When Their Children Are Incarcerated
The announcement comes just hours after we highlighted the practice.
By
Eli Hager
News
November 21, 2014
Deporting ‘Felons, Not Families’
Obama’s immigration plan has no room for criminals. But what’s a criminal?
By
Christie Thompson
Commentary
June 6, 2016
Why Prince’s Death Shouldn’t Lead to Bad Drug Policy
Lessons learned from the crack epidemic.
By
Jeremy Haile
and
Michael Collins
Looking Back
May 21, 2015
When a Psychologist Was in Charge of Jail
Cook County Jail will soon be run by a mental health professional. And it’s not the first time.
By
Melanie Newport
News
December 13, 2018
The Criminal Justice Reform Bill You’ve Never Heard Of
Mitch McConnell’s Senate has quietly passed juvenile justice legislation that would ban states from holding children in adult jails.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
September 19, 2020
Byron Miller’s Race Against Time
Months ago, the attorney general ordered pandemic prison releases. After 24 years behind bars, Miller is one of many still waiting for a ticket home.
By
Nicole Lewis
Life Inside
December 16, 2021
Writing Is My Main Freedom. One Day My Work Disappeared.
A software change in my prison-issued electronic tablet ate up my drafts and eliminated basic writing tools. That may sound minor, but try sending a poem to your kid without line breaks.
By
Demetrius Buckley
Closing Argument
October 8, 2022
The Problem With The FBI’s Missing Crime Data
Many police departments have not adopted the feds’ new reporting system, muddling the picture about national crime trends.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
News
April 20, 2021
NYPD Hate Crime Data Fails to Capture Harassment Against Asians 65 or Over
“There is a whole wave of attacking elderly people in different ways," one New York legislator says.
By CHRISTINE CHUNG, THE CITY, and
Weihua Li
Feature
July 13, 2018
How We Reported Our Mississippi Bond Story: A Guide to Our Methodology
A unique database offered an unprecedented look at the lucrative business.
By
Joseph Neff