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News and Awards
August 13, 2024
Aaron Sankin is The Marshall Project’s new Deputy Data Editor
Sankin brings deep experience with ambitious data projects.
By
The Marshall Project
Analysis
July 13, 2023
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
News and Awards
June 28, 2022
Data Reporter Geoff Hing Joins The Marshall Project
Hing will expand investigative data journalism and reporting to expose abuses in criminal justice.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
April 13, 2022
The Marshall Project Wins Two Sigma Awards for Data Journalism
The Sigma Awards honor our work as some of the best data-driven projects from around the globe
By
The Marshall Project
Analysis
November 3, 2023
New Data Shows Violent Crime Is Up… And Also Down.
Property crime and violence against young people are both up, recent federal data shows, but other crime trends are murkier.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
June 20, 2023
DeSantis Claims Florida’s Crime is at a ‘Record Low.’ But He’s Using Incomplete Data
In announcing his presidential bid, Florida’s governor relied on data from only half of the state’s law enforcement agencies.
By
Weihua Li
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
Closing Argument
February 17, 2024
What Crime Data Says About the Effects of Texas Busing Migrants
The influx has sparked fears of rising crime in some cities. The Marshall Project looked at policing data to see if the anxiety reflects reality.
By
Geoff Hing
,
Weihua Li
and
Ilica Mahajan
Justice Lab
April 14, 2019
Can Better Data Fix Florida’s Prisons?
A landmark law lets the state track people through the justice system. But that’s tougher than it sounds.
By
Nicole Lewis
News
September 30, 2019
New FBI Data: Violent Crime Still Falling
2018 drop extends decades-long trend, but rapes rise for sixth straight year
By
Jamiles Lartey
and
Weihua Li
Justice Lab
December 11, 2014
The Dueling Data on Campus Rape
A new federal victim survey challenges the ‘one-in-five’ notion.
By
Dana Goldstein
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 and Awards
April 7
Jill Castellano Joins The Marshall Project Covering Crime Data
Castellano’s criminology background and history of impactful reporting will expand The Marshall Project’s deep crime coverage.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
July 23, 2020
David Eads Joins The Marshall Project as Data Editor
Eads previously worked as a reporter and editor at The Chicago Reporter and ProPublica Illinois.
By
The Marshall Project
Analysis
March 9, 2017
How We Crunched California’s Pay-to-Stay Data
A guide to our methodology.
By
Anna Flagg
Analysis
September 23, 2019
Do Deportations Lower Crime? Not According to the Data
A new study casts doubt on the effectiveness of a program that encourages local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
By
Anna Flagg
Analysis
August 3, 2023
See if Police in Your State Reported Crime Data to the FBI
Nearly one-third of law enforcement agencies are missing from the FBI’s 2022 crime statistics. Use our tables to check on your state and local agencies.
By
Weihua Li
,
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
,
David Eads
and
Anna Flagg
Coronavirus
April 22, 2020
Is Domestic Violence Rising During the Coronavirus Shutdown? Here’s What the Data Shows.
Reports of domestic abuse in three cities have dropped. But police and experts say that may be a problem.
By
Weihua Li
and
Beth Schwartzapfel
Analysis
November 1, 2023
Yes, It’s Getting Worse: New Data Shows Mass Shootings Are More Frequent
The massacre in Lewiston, Maine, last week was the seventh mass shooting of 2023. There were seven in total last year.
By
David Eads
,
Anna Flagg
,
Anastasia Valeeva
and
Wendy Ruderman
Closing Argument
March 25, 2023
New FBI Data Shows More Hate Crimes. These Groups Saw The Sharpest Rise.
Bias-related crimes rose in 2021 to nearly 11,000 incidents.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
Closing Argument
May 10
Why We Still Don’t Have Enough Solid Data on Pregnancy in Prison
A new report sheds light on pregnant people behind bars, but misses their lived experience.
By
Nicole Lewis
News
September 1, 2021
Police Say Demoralized Officers Are Quitting In Droves. Labor Data Says No.
While other industries were devastated by the pandemic last year, police departments felt a much smaller impact.
By
Weihua Li
and
Ilica Mahajan
Closing Argument
November 5, 2022
Ahead of Midterms, Most Americans Say Crime is Up. What Does the Data Say?
More people than ever believe crime is up in their area, polls show. But public perception doesn’t always match reality.
By
Jamiles Lartey
,
Weihua Li
and
Liset Cruz
News
January 10, 2024
New Data Shows How Dire the Prison Staffing Shortage Really Is
The stubborn staffing crisis affects almost every aspect of life in prison, for employees and the incarcerated alike.
By
Shannon Heffernan
and
Weihua Li
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
Analysis
December 15, 2016
How Blacks and Whites Die Differently in Prison
New federal data shows some stark racial disparities.
Story and graphics by
Yolanda Martinez
Analysis
September 1, 2022
How We Tracked Prosecutions for Pregnancy Loss
Where we got our data and how we analyzed it.
By
Cary Aspinwall
and
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
News
July 27, 2016
Are Cop-Killings on the Rise?
Only if you look at very limited data.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
June 21, 2016
Are Traffic Stops Prone to Racial Bias?
An attempt to find out confronts a frayed patchwork of data across the country.
By
Vignesh Ramachandran
and
Katie Kramon
Cleveland
December 1, 2022
Ohio Lawmaker Wants Law Requiring Police to Record Race During Traffic Stops
The Cleveland Democrat says “the only way we can make systemic change is with the data.”
By
Mark Puente
and
Stan Donaldson Jr.
Analysis
May 19, 2023
How We Investigated Abuse by Prison Guards in New York
The Marshall Project examined 12 years of employee discipline data and hundreds of prisoner lawsuits.
By
Tom Meagher
Closing Argument
October 21, 2023
Hate Crimes Rose in 2022 — and Concerns Remain High
The latest FBI data comes as Jewish and Muslim groups fear a rise in attacks.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
Feature
June 3, 2024
How We Reported on Homicide Investigations in St. Louis
Getting and interpreting homicide clearance data involved litigation, complex analysis and patience.
By
Jennifer Lu
, APM Reports, and
Rachel Lippmann
, St. Louis Public Radio
Coronavirus
March 27, 2020
As Coronavirus Surges, Crime Declines in Some Cities
Early data suggests criminal incidents are down in several cities under stay-at-home orders.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
and
Weihua Li
News
July 15, 2021
Inside The Nation’s Overdose Crisis in Prisons and Jails
Behind bars, drug use is rampant and uniquely deadly, new data shows.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Jimmy Jenkins
News
September 25, 2020
Is Violent Crime Rising In Cities Like Trump Says? Well, It’s Complicated.
Trump speaks of "anarchy and mayhem" in cities. Here's what the data really shows.
By
Weihua Li
Feature
June 21, 2017
How to Cut Down on Searches in Traffic Stops: Legalize Pot
New data shows legalization leads to fewer encounters between cops and drivers, but racial disparities remain.
By
Justin George
and
Eric Sagara
Feature
January 21, 2023
It’s Not Just a Police Problem, Americans Are Opting Out of Government Jobs
Data shows declines in public-sector employment, even as the private job market has rebounded.
By
Daphne Duret
and
Weihua Li
Feature
March 14, 2023
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
Coronavirus
June 2, 2020
Police Arrested Fewer People During Coronavirus Shutdowns—Even Fewer Were White
Racial disparities grew in five cities as arrests fell, according to our new data analysis.
By
Weihua Li
Justice Lab
October 30, 2015
Eyewitness Testimony Is Unreliable… Or Is It?
A new study of the data says it depends on timing.
By
Benjamin Ryan
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
Election 2024
June 27, 2024
Crime Rates and the 2024 Election: What You Need to Know
As crime data again becomes a flashpoint in the presidential campaign, experts push for better national statistics.
By
Weihua Li
and
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
December 8, 2023
Computer Book Bans and Other Insights From a Year Investigating Prison Censorship
Incomplete data. Inconsistent policies. How banned books in prison can strip away an incarcerated person’s vision of the outside world.
By
David Eads
News and Awards
May 23, 2023
The Marshall Project Honored in 16 Categories by the Society for News Design
Nonprofit newsroom covering criminal justice earns top distinctions, ranging from social media design to infographics to data visualization.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
July 25, 2024
The Marshall Project Launches Investigate This!
Our toolkits will offer data, storytelling and engagement resources to empower more criminal justice reporting in local communities
By
The Marshall Project
Coronavirus
May 28, 2020
Is COVID-19 Falling Harder on Black Prisoners? Officials Won’t Tell Us.
Some prison systems aren’t collecting race data. Others won’t disclose it. Experts say these are big mistakes.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Tom Meagher
Justice Lab
July 15, 2019
Illinois puts ankle monitors on thousands. Now it has to figure out who gets tracked—and why
Corrections officials have little data on the electronic monitoring of former prisoners. A new bill aims to change that.
By
Joseph Darius Jaafari
Analysis
September 27, 2021
There Are Fewer People Behind Bars Now Than 10 Years Ago. Will It Last?
Census data show incarceration rates are down. It may have more to do with the pandemic than broad reforms.
By
Weihua Li
,
David Eads
and
Jamiles Lartey
News and Awards
December 8, 2023
Doug Livingston Joins The Marshall Project - Cleveland as Staff Writer
Livingston comes to The Marshall Project - Cleveland with a history of award-winning data-driven investigative reporting.
By
The Marshall Project
One Year Later: The Pandemic Behind Bars
March 8, 2021
Many Juvenile Jails Are Now Almost Entirely Filled With Young People of Color
Thousands of kids were freed from juvenile detention during the pandemic. They were more likely to be White, data shows.
By
Eli Hager
Analysis
May 3, 2023
How We Reported on Rising Gun Possession Arrests
The Marshall Project used arrest data in Chicago and other cities to understand who was arrested for gun possession and how the number of arrests changed over time.
By
Geoff Hing
and
Lakeidra Chavis
Cleveland
February 28, 2024
Black Drivers Still Paying ‘Bratenahl Tax’ in Affluent Cleveland Suburb
Bratenahl police are taking more anti-bias training as new data show two-thirds of tickets are handed to Black drivers.
By
Mark Puente
, The Marshall Project, and
Tara Morgan
, News 5 Cleveland
Coronavirus
April 24, 2020
Tracking the Spread of Coronavirus in Prisons
A new Marshall Project effort has collected data on the prevalence of COVID-19 among prisoners and prison staff. Here’s what we know after one month of reporting.
By
Katie Park
,
Tom Meagher
and
Weihua Li
Closing Argument
September 24, 2022
‘A Moral Disgrace’: How The U.S. Stopped Counting Deaths Behind Bars
The Department of Justice is failing miserably at collecting data on deaths. Experts say that makes it hard to identify the worst prisons and jails.
By
Jamiles Lartey
Analysis
April 18, 2024
Officials Failed to Act When COVID Hit Prisons. A New Study Shows the Deadly Cost.
People in prison died at 3.4 times the rate of the free population, with the oldest hit hardest. New data holds lessons for preventing future deaths.
By
Anna Flagg
,
Jamiles Lartey
and
Shannon Heffernan
Analysis
August 21, 2020
COVID-19’s Toll on People of Color Is Worse Than We Knew
New data shows deaths from all causes—COVID and otherwise—have gone up 9 percent among White Americans, but more than 30 percent in communities of color.
By
Anna Flagg
,
Damini Sharma
,
Larry Fenn
and
Mike Stobbe
Feature
June 23, 2021
Violent Encounters With Police Send Thousands of People to the ER Every Year
That's probably an undercount. But data from San Jose offers a glimpse of what the national scale of police violence might be.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
,
Lisa Riordan Seville
,
Emily Siegel
,
Joseph Neff
and
Abbie VanSickle
Closing Argument
February 8
How Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Blurs the Lines Between Reality, Rumor and Theater
ICE arrests, including “collateral arrests,” are up — and often in front of cameras. But experts say the data is incomplete — and hoaxes abound.
By
Jamiles Lartey
News and Awards
June 14, 2022
The Marshall Project Announces Cleveland Local News Team
A roster of award-winning journalists will produce investigative, data and engagement journalism to serve the people of Cuyahoga County, including those affected by its criminal justice system.
By
The Marshall Project
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
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
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
October 30, 2020
500,000 Kids, 30 Million Hours: Trump’s Vast Expansion of Child Detention
U.S. Customs and Border Protection carried out almost half a million child detentions during the Trump administration, data shows. More kids were held for 72 hours or more.
By
Anna Flagg
and
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
News and Awards
February 11
The Marshall Project Announces St. Louis Local News Team
This will be our third local news team; this one will produce investigative, data and engagement journalism to serve audiences across Missouri.
By
The Marshall Project
News
June 7, 2021
Jail Populations Creep Back Up After COVID-19
Judges, prosecutors and sheriffs in many states sent people home instead of to jail last year, but new data suggests the change is not lasting.
By
Weihua Li
,
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Michael R. Sisak
News and Awards
February 11
Missouri Foundation for Health and The Marshall Project Announce New Missouri-Based Health and Justice Newsroom
A team of journalists will produce investigative, data and engagement journalism to serve the people of Missouri, including those affected by its criminal justice system.
By
The Marshall Project
Coronavirus
June 24, 2021
A State-By-State Look at 15 Months of Coronavirus in Prisons
The Marshall Project and The Associated Press collected data on COVID-19 infections in state and federal prisons every week. See how the virus affected correctional facilities near you.
By
The Marshall Project
Feature
March 21, 2022
Texas Says Its Multi-Billion Dollar Border Operation Is Working. The Evidence Tells a Different Story.
Arrests of U.S. citizens hundreds of miles from the border. Drug busts from across the state. Changing statistics. The data Texas Gov. Greg Abbott uses to boast about Operation Lone Star raises more questions than answers.
BY
Lomi Kriel
AND
Perla Trevizo
, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune,
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
AND
Keri Blakinger
News
July 30, 2015
Obama Is Reinstating Pell Grants for Prisoners
But will politics eventually trump cost and data?
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Quiz
September 30, 2015
Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Prison Censor?
Test yourself against the pros.
By
Bill Keller
Analysis
March 30, 2018
The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant
The link between immigration and crime exists in the imaginations of Americans, and nowhere else.
By
Anna Flagg
Feature
November 17, 2020
We’re Tracking Police Dog Bites Across the Country
Police dogs bite thousands of Americans each year, including innocent bystanders, children, police officers, even their own handlers. The Marshall Project—in collaboration with AL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute—examined more than 150 serious cases nationwide.
By
The Marshall Project
Feature
December 10, 2014
Our Jury Is In on “Serial”
The lawyers favor acquittal.
By
Eli Hager
Analysis
May 15, 2016
13 Important Questions About Criminal Justice We Can’t Answer
And the government can’t either.
By
Tom Meagher
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
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
Commentary
July 6, 2016
Measuring Incarceration
Don’t overlook local jails.
By
Christian Henrichson
News
May 23, 2017
The New Tool That Could Revolutionize How We Measure Justice
A small nonprofit gathers criminal justice statistics, one county at a time.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
May 10, 2017
A Fresh Take on Ending the Jail-to-Street-to-Jail Cycle
For troubled repeat offenders, a chance at a supportive place to live.
By
Christie Thompson
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
News and Awards
January 6, 2020
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion, 2019
Our third annual diversity report notes significant developments in 2019 and lays out our goals for the year ahead.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
January 6, 2021
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion, 2020
Our fourth annual diversity report notes significant developments in 2020 and lays out our goals for the year ahead.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
January 7, 2022
The Marshall Project: Diversity and Inclusion, 2021
Our fifth annual diversity report notes significant developments in 2021 and lays out our goals for the year ahead.
By
The Marshall Project
News
March 5, 2015
Missed by a Mile
How hard is it to count deaths by police?
By
Eli Hager
News
February 4, 2016
Six States Where Felons Can’t Get Food Stamps
Few holdouts remain, as drug-war-era bans on benefits are lifted.
By
Eli Hager
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
Feature
October 24, 2023
In Harm’s Way
How decades-old decisions to build two California prisons in a dry lakebed and a chaotic climate left 8,000 incarcerated people at risk.
By
Susie Cagle
Testify
January 27, 2022
How We Reported on Voting and Criminal Courts in Cuyahoga County
The Marshall Project spent months analyzing court records and voting patterns to understand who chooses county judges and who experiences the consequences.
By
David Eads
,
Ilica Mahajan
and
Anna Flagg
Feature
September 28, 2016
Crime in Context
Violent crime is up in some places, but is it really a trend?
By
Gabriel Dance
and
Tom Meagher
Feature
October 15, 2020
Mauled: When Police Dogs Are Weapons
A series on the damage police dogs inflict on Americans, published in collaboration with AL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute.
By
The Marshall Project
Inside Story
October 10, 2024
Toll of Prison Staff Shortages on Guards, Prisoners and Their Families
Prison staff shortages impact guards, prisoners and their families, and comedian Donnell Rawlings talks about his connection to the system.
By
Lawrence Bartley
and
Donald Washington, Jr.
Graphics
February 12, 2015
The Cost of Crime Fighting
Reading between the line items of Department of Justice budgets, past and present.
By
Tom Meagher
News
December 23, 2020
We Investigated How Police Use Dogs as Weapons. Here’s How You Can Do It Too.
Our top tips for journalists from the partnership that produced “Mauled.”
By
The Marshall Project
Analysis
February 22, 2021
Police Misconduct Costs Cities Millions Every Year. But That’s Where The Accountability Ends.
If not for inconsistent and shoddy record-keeping, we might know if settlements make a difference in police misconduct.
By
Amelia Thomson-Devaux
,
Laura Bronner
and
Damini Sharma
Investigate Your State
July 1, 2021
Checking The Success Of Your State's Efforts To Restore Voting Rights To The Formerly Incarcerated
We learned no more than 1 in 4 of the newly eligible voters had registered for the 2020 election in four key states. Here’s how to examine yours.
By
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
News
July 12, 2016
Who Loves Pokémon Go? The Police.
Officers seize on the latest craze for fun — and plenty of safety tips.
By
Jonathan Gomez