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Commentary
December 18, 2018
A Sentence for Felony Murder—and the Consequences of Hope
California scales back its felony murder rule.
By
Adnan Khan
News
September 19, 2019
Tennessee's Voter Restoration Gauntlet
The state’s byzantine felony disenfranchisement laws keep hundreds of thousands of formerly incarcerated residents from registering to vote.
By
Nicole Lewis
Jackson
April 4
How Mississippi’s Jim Crow Laws Still Haunt Black Voters Today
After the U.S. Civil War, white supremacists used felony disenfranchisement to suppress the Black vote. Even now, restoring rights has hit a roadblock.
By
Daja E. Henry
Feature
October 25, 2022
Fetterman and Oz Battle Over Pennsylvania’s Felony Murder Law
Does opposing mandatory life without parole make a U.S. Senate candidate “pro-murderer”?
By
Abbie VanSickle
and
Cary Aspinwall
Jackson
January 24
What Happens in Mississippi’s Hinds County Felony Court, 48 Hours After Arrest
We explain terms like bond, initial appearance, grand jury and indictment, and why the first 48 hours are critical to your freedom.
By
Caleb Bedillion
Commentary
August 20, 2018
Jim Crow’s Lasting Legacy At The Ballot Box
Denying voting rights to people with felony convictions has roots in racist laws.
By
Jennifer Rae Taylor
Jackson
March 25
Who Can and Can’t Vote in Mississippi: A Guide to the State’s Lifetime Voting Ban
This guide offers details about the state’s disenfranchisement laws and how you may still be able to vote from jail, even with a conviction.
By
Caleb Bedillion
The Lowdown
September 24, 2015
Charged With Murder Without Killing Anyone
The paradox of “felony murder” laws.
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
Case in Point
May 30, 2019
D’Angelo Burgess Fled From Police. Does That Make Him a Killer?
An Oklahoma case raises issues about both felony murder charges and high-speed police pursuits.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
October 18, 2018
Nearly a Decade Awaiting Trial, Now Freed
Neko Wilson to be released in the first test of California’s felony murder law.
By
Abbie VanSickle
News
November 4, 2022
Florida’s Voter Fraud Arrests Are Scaring Away Formerly Incarcerated Voters
DeSantis made a spectacle of arresting voters with felony convictions. Now, some eligible voters are opting out of midterms even beyond Florida.
By
Nicole Lewis
and
Alexandra Arriaga
Closing Argument
October 29, 2022
Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left Out of the Midterms
Even in states where some people with felony convictions — and those awaiting trial in jail — have the right to vote, actually casting a ballot remains difficult.
By
Jamiles Lartey
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
Testify
September 11, 2023
Cuyahoga County Judges Vowed to Reform the Bail System. Here’s What Happened.
Court officials informally changed their bail-setting practices for felony cases. Now, fewer people have to pay to get out of jail, a Marshall Project analysis shows.
By
Ilica Mahajan
and
Rachel Dissell
Testify
February 8
What Happens During Cuyahoga County’s Criminal Arraignment Process?
An explainer on the felony arraignment process in Cuyahoga County.
By
Ilica Mahajan
and
Rachel Dissell
Commentary
November 7, 2018
Florida’s Election Shows the True Promise of Restoring Voting Rights
With the passage of Amendment 4, more than a million people intimately affected by the criminal justice system have become more empowered to shape it.
Jennifer Rae Taylor
Analysis
May 24, 2016
Why the Virginia GOP Can’t Thwart McAuliffe on Voting Rights
The state constitution is pretty clear, says a man who helped draft it.
By
Andrew Cohen
News and Awards
June 3, 2020
Elan Kiderman joins The Marshall Project as Director of Product
Kiderman previously worked as Design Director of R&D at Quartz
By
The Marshall Project
News Inside
February 4, 2020
Let’s Talk Politics
In the runup to the 2020 presidential election, our latest issue of News Inside explores the political opinions of incarcerated people.
By
Lawrence Bartley
Case in Point
October 24, 2016
Which Sinners Get to Vote in Alabama?
Ex-prisoners challenge a law that lets local bureaucrats judge “moral turpitude.”
By
Andrew Cohen
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
News
August 9, 2017
What’s the Punishment for Theft? Depends On What State You’re In
You can go to prison in Florida for a $300 crime, but it’s $2,500 in Wisconsin.
By
Marella Gayla
News
August 5, 2015
If You Commit Murder, Do You Have the Right to Vote?
The evolving state of voting rights for prisoners.
By
Christie Thompson
News
June 11, 2019
In Just Two States, All Prisoners Can Vote. Here's Why Few Do.
In Maine and Vermont, low literacy rates and little access to information means many inmates don’t exercise their right to cast ballots.
By
Nicole Lewis
News
June 23, 2021
Millions of People With Felonies Can Now Vote. Most Don’t Know It.
In a handful of key states, no more than 1 in 4 formerly incarcerated people registered in time for the 2020 election, a Marshall Project analysis found.
By
Nicole Lewis
AND
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
News
October 26, 2020
Unlocking The Vote In Jails
The majority of the 745,000 people held in local jails can vote, but few do. Advocates say it’s voter suppression on a national scale.
By
Nicole Lewis
and
Aviva Shen
Feature
November 3, 2020
After Years Behind Bars, These Folks Are #FreeToVote
Here are their stories.
By
Nicole Lewis
Commentary
April 27, 2016
The Other F-word
What we call the imprisoned matters.
By
Bill Keller
Commentary
December 20, 2018
Out From the Holocaust
Germany reckoned with its past to build a better justice system. America should too.
By
Amy L. Solomon
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
Commentary
December 21, 2015
Next Year in Criminal Justice
Three themes that will trend, three that won’t
By
Andrew Cohen
News
August 13, 2019
They Got Their Voting Rights Back, But Will They Go to the Polls?
Thousands of Louisianians on probation and parole face numerous obstacles to casting a ballot, including the idea that their votes don't matter.
By
Nicole Lewis
Analysis
March 24, 2022
Paroled People Can Vote in Colorado. Why Did Forms Say They Couldn’t?
More than two years after a reform bill, outdated government messaging still causes confusion.
By
Ilica Mahajan
,
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
,
Alexandra Arriaga
and
Weihua Li
Analysis
December 22, 2022
Some of Our Best Work of 2022
From coverage of prison violence and abuses in a juvenile lockup to investigations by our new Cleveland team, our reporters told stories that made a difference.
By
Terri Troncale
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
The Lowdown
August 1, 2019
Beyond One-Liners: A Guide to the Democratic Debate on Criminal Justice
By
The Marshall Project
News
May 16, 2019
California Law Says This Man Isn’t a Murderer. Prosecutors Disagree
When lawmakers said accomplices aren't the same as killers, Neko Wilson was the first person freed. Now he may go back to jail.
By
Abbie VanSickle
The California Experiment
June 27, 2018
Can It Be Murder If You Didn’t Kill Anyone?
A distinctly American legal doctrine holds getaway drivers and lookouts as responsible for a death as the actual killer. California is having second thoughts.
By
Abbie VanSickle
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
Jackson
January 24
Arrested in Mississippi’s Hinds County? What You Need to Know.
A guide to jail, the courts, your rights and legal resources in Jackson and beyond.
By
Caleb Bedillion
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
Testify
March 23
What Are the ‘Exit Ramps’ From Incarceration in Cuyahoga County?
Help us report on how well the courts provide people charged with low-level felonies a second chance.
By
Alexandra Arriaga
Commentary
March 13, 2015
How Not to Raise the Age
Governor Cuomo’s compromise leaves too many children behind.
By
Alexandra Cox
Analysis
November 1, 2018
Criminal Justice on the Tuesday Ballot
Our roundup: drugs, policing, juries, even slavery.
By
Nicole Lewis
News
August 1, 2018
More Ex-Prisoners Can Vote — They Just Don’t Know It
Do states have an obligation to educate formerly incarcerated people about their new rights?
By
Eli Hager
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
Inside Out
May 20, 2021
Does Banning People With Felonies From Dating Apps Actually Make Anyone Safer?
“It’s using the justice system as a barometer of someone’s worth.”
By
Keri Blakinger
Feature
September 14, 2016
The Obstacle Course
Applicants said the country's largest state university system discriminated against former prison inmates. Now, the schools have decided to 'ban the box'.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Commentary
November 13, 2018
Voters Want Criminal Justice Reform. Are Politicians Listening?
Midterms show wide support across party lines for changing the system.
Daniel Gotoff
and
Celinda Lake
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
April 1, 2019
“Blindfold” Off: New York Overhauls Pretrial Evidence Rules
Prosecutors will be required to turn over information to the defense much earlier in a criminal case, among other changes.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
News
May 1, 2016
Here’s the New Application that Former Inmates Need to Get Back the Vote in Iowa
How the state defines “simple.”
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Analysis
October 17, 2016
Could Donald Trump Have Gone to Jail for Groping a Woman?
How various states punish the act.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
January 3, 2018
How New York Could Change the Game for Its Criminal Defendants
Soon after a Marshall Project story, the governor proposes changes to an “outdated” evidence law.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Commentary
October 22, 2017
Bad Bail Practices and Immigration Policy Led To My Client’s Death At Rikers
Selmin Feratovic might be alive today if not for our deeply broken system.
By
Anisha Gupta
News
January 25, 2017
Against the Trump Tide
Away from Washington, a new breed of prosecutors takes first steps.
By
Eli Hager
News and Awards
February 12, 2020
Anna Wolfe and Michelle Liu win February Sidney Award
Their investigation exposed modern-day debtors prisons in Mississippi.
By
The Marshall Project
News
November 4, 2019
How More Than 50 Women Walked Out of a Prison in Oklahoma
The state slashed sentences for more than 500 people convicted in low-level drug and theft cases.
By
Cary Aspinwall
Coronavirus
April 8, 2020
Trump Administration Tells Some Business Owners “Do Not Apply” for Coronavirus Loans
SBA says people with criminal records aren't eligible for some emergency loans, even though experts say the law doesn't exclude them.
By
Eli Hager
Commentary
March 16, 2015
The Gatekeepers
Four ways prosecutors can improve their decision-making.
By
Brian Elderbroom
and
Lauren-Brooke Eisen
Graphics
June 23, 2022
Out on Parole in Colorado? You Can Vote.
This explainer tells you how.
By
Alexandra Arriaga
,
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
,
Celina Fang
,
Bo-Won Keum
, and
Liset Cruz
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
News
May 31, 2016
Want to Clear Your Record? It’ll Cost You $450
In Tennessee and other states, former felons can’t always afford it.
By
Maura Ewing
News
August 21, 2016
Does College Hazing Defy the Laws It Spawned?
Many states bar dangerous rituals, but little seems to change.
By
Josiah Bates
Testify
October 20
How We Analyzed Changing Bail Trends in Cuyahoga County
Unpacking a complex, changing system.
By
Ilica Mahajan
Life Inside
September 3, 2020
I Thought Jail Would Help Me Get Clean. I Was Dead Wrong.
I asked a drug court to send me to jail to get stabilized. But when the jail refused to give me my Suboxone, everything came crashing down.
By
Morgan Godvin
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
News
September 14, 2018
Zero Tolerance Lives On
And it’s sapping energy from other law enforcement missions
By
Julia Preston
Feature
August 7, 2017
Undiscovered
Defendants say evidence laws force them to take pleas while “blindfolded.”
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Jackson
July 5, 2023
Mississippi Says Poor Defendants Must Always Have a Lawyer. Few Courts Are Ready to Deliver
A rule requiring poor criminal defendants to have a lawyer throughout the criminal process took effect Saturday.
By
Caleb Bedillion
, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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
Coronavirus
May 1, 2020
Can’t Make Bail, Sit in Jail Even Longer Thanks to Coronavirus
With grand juries suspended, people who get arrested lose a route out.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
Feature
March 24
How Chicago Got Its Gun Laws
It’s nearly impossible to separate modern-day gun laws from race.
By
Lakeidra Chavis
Jackson
October 19, 2023
Justice Says Mississippi Court Rule to Give Poor Defendants Lawyers Isn’t Working
And there isn’t much the court can do to enforce it, the Supreme Court justice said in a hearing focused on the state’s public defense woes.
By
Caleb Bedillion
Feature
September 13, 2018
The Victims Who Don’t Count
Seven states won’t give victim aid to people with criminal histories. The policies fall hardest on black families.
By
Alysia Santo
Español
June 23, 2022
¿Está Usted En Libertad Condicional en Colorado? Puede Votar.
By
Alexandra Arriaga
,
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
,
Celina Fang
,
Bo-Won Keum
, and
Liset Cruz
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
Testify
January 27, 2022
Judges Have Real Power in Cleveland. Who’s Voting for Them?
Our guide explains who votes, who doesn’t — and why.
error in byline
Feature
September 13, 2022
Oklahoma Is Prosecuting Pregnant Women for Using Medical Marijuana
Two district attorneys have targeted mothers with child neglect felonies.
By
Brianna Bailey
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
March 12, 2017
Was Evan Miller ‘The Rare Juvenile’ Who Deserved Life Without Parole?
Now 28, he’ll be re-sentenced, unless the court finds him ‘irreparably corrupt.’
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Life Inside
October 20, 2016
A Former Prisoner on Voting for the First Time in His Life
“Being able to vote — that’s rare for people like me.”
By
Lawrence Patterson
as told to
Eli Hager
News
July 1, 2015
How the Law Will Adapt to Oregon’s Legalized Pot
Expunged arrest records, and new jobs for police dogs.
By
Maura Ewing
,
Carl Stoffers
,
Simone Seiver
and
Eli Hager
Election 2020
March 11, 2020
How We Pulled Off A Groundbreaking Political Survey Behind Bars
More than 8,000 incarcerated people responded.
by
Lawrence Bartley
,
Nicole Lewis
and
Anna Flagg
Analysis
August 30, 2018
So Much for The Great California Bail Celebration
The first state to abolish cash bail. Why are proponents so unhappy?
By
Abbie VanSickle
Analysis
September 26, 2016
Who is ICE Deporting?
Obama’s promise to focus on “felons not families” has fallen short
By
Christie Thompson
and
Anna Flagg
Crime on the Ballot
October 17, 2016
It’s Not Just Pot and the Death Penalty
Four important ballot measures you probably haven’t heard of.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Feature
June 23, 2020
These Political Candidates Are Embracing Their Criminal Records
A group of 2020 hopefuls say their first-hand experience with the justice system makes them best suited to fix it.
By
Christie Thompson
The California Experiment
December 20, 2018
The Great California Prison Experiment
Crime is up. The mystery is why.
By
Abbie VanSickle
and
Manuel Villa
Feature
September 1, 2022
They Lost Their Pregnancies. Then Prosecutors Sent Them to Prison.
Dozens of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges. Experts expect even more cases now that Roe has been overturned.
By
Cary Aspinwall
,
Brianna Bailey
, and
Amy Yurkanin
Feature
June 17, 2015
Preying on Prisoners
In Texas, staffers rarely go to jail for sexually abusing inmates.
By
Alysia Santo
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
Feature
February 26, 2021
They’re Going Back to Prison. But They Didn’t Commit New Crimes.
A court battle over an obscure Tennessee statute freed these men from prison. Years later, they were told they must return.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Commentary
December 22, 2016
Our Favorite Criminal Justice Reporting in 2016
Some of the best work from across the country.
The Marshall Project
Analysis
August 23, 2019
Why are the Feds Arresting More Non-Citizens?
Most of the increase comes from immigration charges, not violent crime or drugs, a new report finds.
By
Andrew Rodriguez Calderón
and
Weihua Li
News
February 13, 2015
Fifty Shades of Law
In some states you can watch the movie, but don’t try to act it out.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
News
August 1, 2019
One Lawyer. Five Years. 3,802 Cases.
In Detroit, court-appointed lawyers for the poor are encouraged to take on large caseloads at the expense of their clients, a new report says.
By
Eli Hager
Commentary
May 2, 2018
Too ‘Woke’ for the Jury Box?
How movement moments complicate jury selection.
By
Todd Oppenheim
News
November 8, 2017
New York Courts Say: Hand It Over
A new order reminds prosecutors to show their evidence.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel