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News
December 20, 2015
Spotting the ‘Red Flags’ of Abusive Prison Guards
Under pressure, New York says it will better track correctional officers
By
Tom Robbins
Life Inside
November 13, 2019
What I Think About When I Think About Freedom
“It’s conflicting, I imagine, to hear how someone who once took a life thinks about living a good life.”
By
John J. Lennon
Commentary
May 28, 2015
How Nebraska Repealed the Death Penalty
A deep-red state shows the way, with conservatives in the lead.
By
Shari Silberstein
Commentary
February 13, 2018
About the ‘Anglo-American Heritage of Law Enforcement’
Jeff Sessions is right about the ‘heritage' of U.S. sheriffs, in more ways than one.
Robin Washington
Testify
January 27, 2022
We Asked People in Cleveland What They Want to Know About Judges
They want to know about judges’ track records, legal experience and how they think about rehabilitation vs. prison time.
error in byline
Commentary
January 15, 2019
Why We Bear Witness: Speaking Uncomfortable Truths About Immigration
We Are Witnesses: Becoming an American sparks a difficult but honest conversation about the U.S. immigration system.
By
Jose Antonio Vargas
Testify
June 1, 2022
We’re Answering Your Questions About Cleveland’s Court System
We’re answering questions from the community about Cuyahoga County’s criminal courts, and sharing what we have gathered from the public docket of felony cases.
By
Ilica Mahajan
,
Rachel Dissell
and
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
News Inside
March 2, 2021
What People in Prison Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine
Over 100 incarcerated people around the country told us their questions about the vaccine. Here’s information about whether it’s safe, when it could be available and more.
By
Ariel Goodman
Inside Out
April 7, 2022
Out of Prison, TikTok Influencers Are Reshaping How We Think About Life Behind Bars
But a dearth of content creators of color raises questions about the app’s algorithm.
By
Keri Blakinger
Death Sentences
January 14, 2021
A $6,300 Bus. A $33 Last Meal. What New Documents Tell Us About Trump’s Execution Spree
Feds spent millions to restart the death penalty and in the process revealed much about how they do it.
By
Keri Blakinger
and
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
December 24, 2015
About That Unbelievable Story
A note on the joys of collaboration
By
Stephen Engelberg
and
Bill Keller
News
March 19, 2015
Attica Reads About Attica
A story of brutality clears the prison censors.
By
Tom Robbins
News
October 1, 2015
Ask Bernie Sanders About Criminal Justice, He’ll Talk About Economics
Sidestepping the issue since his days as mayor of Burlington.
By
Eli Hager
Commentary
October 13, 2015
What Can Reforming Solitary Confinement Teach Us About Reducing Mass Incarceration?
It’s not about non-violent offenders. And it won’t be cheap.
By
Taylor Pendergrass
Analysis
July 19, 2017
Nine Lessons About Criminal Justice Reform
What Washington can learn from the states.
By
Bill Keller
Analysis
March 9, 2016
Seven Things to Know About Repeat Offenders
A new report looks at recidivism among inmates released from federal prisons.
By
Bill Keller
Analysis
October 14, 2015
What Hillary Clinton Got Wrong About Marijuana
A fact check of the Democratic debate.
By
Christie Thompson
News
October 27, 2020
What 2,392 Incarcerated People Think About #DefundThePolice
Americans are grappling with intensifying calls to remake the criminal justice system. We asked people behind bars to weigh in.
By
Nicole Lewis
,
Anna Flagg
and
Aviva Shen
News
January 28, 2015
What You Should Read About Loretta Lynch
A selective guide to the reporting on the next attorney general.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
December 23, 2015
What Everyone Gets Wrong About Christmas Pardons
It’s not true that prisoners get released during the holidays
By
Caroline Grueskin
Q&A
June 19, 2018
What You Should Know About Family Separations
Yes, it’s Trump policy. No, it’s not the law.
By
Julia Preston
Coronavirus
July 20, 2020
Your Zoom Interrogation Is About To Start
COVID-19 is changing how police question suspects and witnesses—for the better, some argue.
By
Eli Hager
Commentary
October 3, 2017
It’s Time We Talk About Police Suicide
More cops die of suicide than die of shootings and traffic accidents combined.
Andy O'Hara
News
July 7, 2015
Cosby in Context
Seven facts about rape.
By
Dana Goldstein
The Lowdown
September 25, 2016
What Trump and Others Get Wrong About ‘Sanctuary Cities’
Ahead of the presidential debate, setting the record straight on a hot-button immigration issue.
By
Christie Thompson
News
June 4, 2020
As George Floyd Died, Officer Wondered About “Excited Delirium”
Now experts say the controversial diagnosis may become part of the police defense.
By
Alysia Santo
Case in Point
April 10, 2017
About the Gun-toting, One-legged Kentucky Woman Seeking Justice...
...and the detective she says cooked the case.
By
Andrew Cohen
News
October 21, 2015
What to Know About Our Conversation with President Obama Tomorrow
Join the conversation by submitting your question for President Obama.
By
The Marshall Project
Analysis
May 15, 2016
13 Important Questions About Criminal Justice We Can’t Answer
And the government can’t either.
By
Tom Meagher
Feature
February 28, 2016
What Prison Guards Really Think About Their Jobs
Listening in on watercooler chatter online.
By
Alysia Santo
Commentary
March 13, 2015
Asking the Right Questions About the Death Penalty
The incoming head of the Death Penalty Information Center on the time he was a potential juror in a capital case.
By
Robert Dunham
Life Inside
September 21, 2017
Confronting the Truth About My Friend on Death Row
No matter what, I don't think he should die.
By
Dani Clark
Life Inside
July 25, 2019
It Was My Job to Tell the Truth About Jails
“Anyone not touched by the system was unlikely to understand: Going to jail actually marks a story’s beginning.”
By
Robin Campbell
News
September 17, 2015
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Clearing Your Record
A primer on the complicated road to expungement.
By
Christie Thompson
Justice Talk
February 22, 2016
What You Need To Know About Predictive Policing
Key background reading before our discussion on predictive policing on Wednesday, February 24th.
By
Blair Hickman
Life Inside
July 6, 2017
The Day I Found Out About My Dad's Parole
The teenage son of an incarcerated man braces for news that could bring his father home.
By
Tristan Darshan
News
August 10, 2015
What We’ve Learned About Racial Disparity in Policing Since Ferguson
A brief overview of the numbers.
By
Andrew Cohen
Commentary
April 3, 2017
What I Learned About Justice Reporting From Inside Prison
A former prison journalist on what’s missing from criminal justice coverage.
Kerry Myers
News
December 2, 2014
What You Need to Know About Body Cameras
Police cams are all the rage. Are they the answer?
By
Clare Sestanovich
Analysis
July 13
4 Reasons We Should Worry About Missing Crime Data
The FBI’s crime data is still incomplete — and politicians are taking advantage.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jasmyne Ricard
Commentary
December 14, 2016
What Chris Christie Got Wrong About Solitary Confinement
Scope, purpose, duration — in short, everything
By
Daniel Teehan
Analysis
January 12, 2022
As Murders Spiked, Police Solved About Half in 2020
The U.S. homicide clearance rate is at a historic low. Here’s what that means.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
October 1, 2022
What an Alabama Prisoners’ Strike Tells Us About Prison Labor
Exploitation of incarcerated people isn’t limited to lockups. Voters in some states have a chance to curtail it.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
February 9, 2017
Everything You Think You Know About Mass Incarceration Is Wrong
Or at least misleading, says this contrarian scholar. Here’s why it matters.
By
Bill Keller
and
Eli Hager
Commentary
September 4, 2015
About Those Rising Murder Rates: Not So Fast
(And the same goes for the “Ferguson Effect.”)
By
Bruce Frederick
News
December 18, 2014
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Private Prisons...
...is none of your damn business.
By
Christie Thompson
Commentary
October 23, 2015
What People Said About the President’s Black Lives Matter Moment
Twitter and Facebook react.
By
The Marshall Project
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
March 16, 2023
5 Things We Learned About Prison Book Ban Policies
We added policies to our searchable database of banned books. Here’s what we’ve found (so far).
The Marshall Project
News
January 3, 2018
What to Know About the Death Penalty in 2018
Here are the most important places to keep an eye on.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
May 21, 2018
Corey Williams About to Walk Free in Louisiana
A sudden plea deal ends a decades-long fight in a capital murder case.
By
Andrew Cohen
Feature
September 12
What Federal Judges’ Rulings Reveal About the Memphis Police Tactics
Five judges in recent years have found that officers violated residents’ constitutional rights during traffic and pedestrian stops.
By
Daphne Duret
and
Marc Perrusquia
News
January 7, 2016
Gun Control is One Thing, But What About Bullets?
Prohibitions exist, but almost no enforcement.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Life Inside
January 6, 2022
The Criminal Justice Issue Nobody Talks About: Brain Injuries
I know firsthand what it’s like to navigate the criminal justice system with a brain injury caused by domestic violence. I also live with the fact that an injury like mine can turn a victim into a perpetrator.
By
Melissa Bickford
as told to
Maurice Chammah
News
October 9, 2015
Meet the Federal Prisoners About to be Released
A profile of the 6,000.
By
The Marshall Project
Cleveland
March 5
Have Questions About Cleveland Elections? We Have Answers
We cover everything from evolving voting laws to navigating our court system.
By
The Marshall Project
and
Signal Cleveland
News
November 29, 2016
The Crucial Immigration Case About to Hit the Supreme Court
With Trump’s pledge to deport millions, bail hearings become an even bigger issue.
By
Christie Thompson
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
Closing Argument
December 10, 2022
What San Francisco’s Killer Robots Debate Tells Us About Policing
Among unanswered questions: How will the courts treat cases that involve police robots?
By
Daphne Duret
Death Sentences
February 10, 2021
What 120 Executions Tell Us About Criminal Justice in America
The Marshall Project tracked every execution in America for more than five years. For condemned people, the path to death grew longer, more winding and erratic.
By
Tom Meagher
Life Inside
February 10
I Write About Bad Prison Conditions. That Doesn’t Mean I Hate All Cops.
As a kid in Pakistan, police treated Tariq MaQbool like a nephew. As an adult in solitary confinement, the kindness of one New Jersey corrections officer made him feel human.
By
Tariq MaQbool
Election 2020
March 11, 2020
What Do We Really Know About the Politics of People Behind Bars?
More than 8,000 people responded to a first-of-its-kind political survey. Here is what they said.
By
Nicole Lewis
,
Aviva Shen
and
Anna Flagg
Life Inside
March 1, 2018
The Everyday Chaos of Incarceration
“Nothing about life inside prison is normal.”
By
Jerry Metcalf
Coronavirus
March 23, 2020
“I Want to See my Child.” Juvenile Lockups Cut Visits Over COVID-19 Fears
Families fret about isolated youth behind bars.
By
Eli Hager
Feature
March 9, 2015
Doubts from Death Row
More questions about the Willingham case.
By
Maurice Possley
News
August 23, 2017
Can a General Conquer the Federal Prison System?
Mark Inch is about to find out.
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
What You're Saying
August 10, 2015
‘...No One Thinks About How [New Research] Will Actually Be Implemented.’
A selection of recent letters from our readers.
By
Jasmine Lee
News
May 19
What Do People Not Understand About Working in Prisons and Jails?
Fill out a short form to let us know what issues matter most in your workplace.
By
The Marshall Project
The Frame
December 29, 2015
Watch Alvin Ailey Dancers Rehearse a Piece About Being Locked Up
A choreographer explores separation and alienation in our prison system.
By
Caroline Grueskin
&
Christie Thompson
Quiz
June 30, 2016
How Much Do You Know About the Death Penalty in the U.S.?
Forty years ago, we restored capital punishment.
By
Emily Hopkins
Q&A
January 12, 2015
‘Sure, People Are Talking About Prison Reform, but They Aren’t Actually Doing Anything.’
Inmate-turned-journalist Paul Wright on what he’s learned in his 25 years covering the prison system.
By
Alysia Santo
One Year Later: The Pandemic Behind Bars
March 1, 2021
We Asked People Behind Bars How They Feel About Getting Vaccinated
A Marshall Project survey of the incarcerated showed widespread interest in the coronavirus vaccine as well as pervasive distrust of the prison medical system.
By
Nicole Lewis
News and Awards
August 18
The Marshall Project and FRONTLINE Present Documentary Special About U.S. Prisons
FRONTLINE will screen “Two Strikes” and “Tutwiler” on September 5.
By
The Marshall Project
Q&A
January 6, 2016
Philly's Retiring Police Commissioner on Facing Corruption and What People Get Wrong about Police Shootings
“There are two things cops don’t like – the way things are, and change.”
By
David Gambacorta
Q&A
November 17, 2014
Eric Holder on His Legacy, His Regrets, and His Feelings About the Death Penalty
An interview with the outgoing attorney general.
By
Bill Keller
and
Tim Golden
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
March 12, 2020
What I Learned About Voting Rights in the Fields of Angola
"We asked ourselves: Do we want to change our conditions, or do we want to change our circumstances?"
By
Norris Henderson
as told to
Maurice Chammah
News
February 16, 2016
Watch a Video From “Mariposa and the Saint,” a New Play About Solitary Confinement
The work is based on years of letters between Julia Steele Allen and Sara Fonseca.
By
Alysia Santo
News
June 3, 2020
From Michael Brown to George Floyd: What We’ve Learned About Policing
Stories from The Marshall Project’s archives that shine a light on police, violence and racial inequality in America
By
Weihua Li
Looking Back
March 16, 2015
Cecil Clayton, a Man Missing Part of His Brain, is About to Be Executed
And he is not the first.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
August 18, 2016
What You Need to Know About the Private Prison Phase-Out
With the feds cutting back, the companies are down but not out.
By
Maurice Chammah
Analysis
April 27, 2022
Reality Check: 7 Times Texas Leaders Misled the Public About Operation Lone Star
As reporters investigated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border initiative, they repeatedly found instances where Abbott and DPS officials cited accomplishments that lacked crucial context or were misleading. Here are a few examples.
By
Lomi Kriel
and
Perla Trevizo
, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune,
Kengo Tsutsumi
, ProPublica and
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
, The Marshall Project
Feature
March 23, 2023
5 Things to Know About the Failed War on Gun Violence
Gun possession arrests are a major policing tactic in the fight against gun violence. Here’s how that plays out.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
and
Geoff Hing
Analysis
July 6, 2022
What You Need to Know About the Rise in U.S. Mass Shootings
A high-profile mass shooting at a Chicago suburb’s July 4 parade was the nation’s fourth in recent weeks.
By
Anastasia Valeeva
and
Wendy Ruderman
Q&A
May 25, 2016
Four San Francisco Cops Talk About the Problems Plaguing Their Department
Five shootings, a text scandal, a hunger strike, and now a new boss.
By
John Morrison
News
March 4, 2021
Six Years After Tamir Rice, Cleveland Makes New Rules About Policing Kids
Critics say a new policy for police encounters with children doesn’t go far enough.
By
Abbie VanSickle
and
Jamiles Lartey
Commentary
August 16, 2016
What the DOJ’s Report on Baltimore Teaches Us About Cops, Sex Workers, and Corruption
A look inside a culture of pervasive misconduct.
By
Ethan Brown
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
Feature
October 30, 2015
6,000 People Are About to be Freed From Federal Custody — Here’s What They’ll Face
Six men who spent years behind bars offer advice.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Crime on the Ballot
October 19, 2016
Three States to Watch if You Care About the Death Penalty
Nebraska, Oklahoma, and California will test the prospects of abolition.
By
Andrew Cohen
Life Inside
May 14, 2020
I Survived Prison During The AIDS Epidemic. Here’s What It Taught Me About Coronavirus
COVID-19 isn’t an automatic death sentence, but the fear, vilification and isolation are the same.
By
Richard Rivera
Life Inside
April 1, 2020
As a Mom Working In a Prison, I Worry About Bringing Coronavirus Home
“I tell my husband to keep my son in another room, while I put my uniform in a trash bag and take a long shower.”
By
Cary Johnson
as told to
Maurice Chammah
Analysis
June 14, 2022
What Can FBI Data Say About Crime in 2021? It’s Too Unreliable to Tell
The transition to a new data system creates huge gaps in national crime stats sure to be exploited by politicians in this election year.
By
Weihua Li
Analysis
March 24
What Irvo Otieno’s Killing Tells Us about Mental Healthcare in the U.S.
The system can end up prosecuting patients and relying on police — with sometimes fatal results.
By
Christie Thompson
Closing Argument
June 24, 2023
What the Fight Over Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ Reveals About Policing of Protests
Opponents of the proposed police training facility have launched a petition for a vote — and some face charges as domestic terrorists.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Life Inside
June 18, 2020
My Dad Went to Prison When I Was 5. Now I Write About Families Like Mine
Growing up with a father who was incarcerated didn’t define me. But it certainly taught me to challenge stereotypes and ask better questions.
By
Sylvia A. Harvey
Analysis
May 31, 2022
Five Things to Know About One of the Deadliest Federal Prisons
Key takeaways from our investigation into deaths and abuse at a U.S. penitentiary.
By
Christie Thompson