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News and Awards
March 31, 2020
“Tutwiler” Selected for Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
A new documentary from The Marshall Project and Frontline (PBS) offers a rare look at the lives of expectant mothers inside a notorious women’s prison.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
May 26, 2020
The Marshall Project and Sundance Institute Announce Short Film Grantees
Films offering new perspectives on criminal justice in the United States to be made through a new initiative from The Sundance Institute and The Marshall Project
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
August 6, 2019
The Marshall Project and Sundance Institute Launch Short Film Initiative
Filmmakers, including those impacted by the criminal justice system, invited to apply.
By
The Marshall Project
Feature
June 23, 2021
‘A Dog Can Be Trained To Be Anti-Black’
A new film highlights historical use of canines against Black people
error in byline
The Frame
April 25, 2018
Documenting the Hard Truths of Prison and Policing
At Tribeca Film Festival, new documentaries give voice to the incarcerated and communities struggling with crime.
By
Celina Fang
Life Inside
February 28, 2019
I'm in Prison—And on HBO
Theothus Carter reflects on starring in the film “O.G.”, alongside Jeffrey Wright, while serving time in prison.
By
Theothus Carter
as told to
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
January 14, 2019
What Becoming an American Means Now
The Marshall Project's new film series takes you inside the U.S. immigration system through personal, poignant testimonials.
By
Neil Barsky
The Frame
January 14, 2022
“Wild: Bird of Paradise” Envisions a World Without Prisons or Police
The final installment of Jeremy McQueen’s dance film explores the challenges and fears of being a young Black man in New York City.
By
Celina Fang
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
Series
September 11, 2019
We Are Witnesses
About 2.2 million people are behind bars in the United States, but the criminal justice system affects millions of others. In We Are Witnesses, our award-winning short film series, we hear their stories.
error in byline
News
February 2, 2017
Watch: A New Documentary’s Rare Access Inside Solitary
A filmmaker spends a year inside a Virginia supermax facility.
By
Celina Fang
News
October 21, 2019
'Tutwiler' Reveals the Heartbreak of Pregnancy in Prison
A new documentary from The Marshall Project and Frontline (PBS) offers a rare look at the lives of expectant mothers inside a notorious women’s prison.
By
Alysia Santo
and
Elaine Mcmillion Sheldon
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
Commentary
October 11, 2018
The Terrible Cost of The Sentence
Powerful HBO documentary chronicles family trauma caused by mandatory minimums.
By
Robin Washington
Feature
September 5
The Marshall Project and FRONTLINE Present ‘Two Strikes’ and ‘Tutwiler’
A special broadcast of two short documentaries gives a rare insight into life behind bars.
Two Strikes by
Ursula Liang
,
Tessa Travis
and
Cary Aspinwall
Tutwiler by
Elaine McMillion Sheldon
and
Alysia Santo
The Frame
October 25, 2017
Intense and Raw, a Spotlight on Therapy at New Folsom Prison
In a new documentary, ‘The Work,’ inmates confront their fears in a quest for empathy.
By
Celina Fang
Q&A
February 23, 2016
One Man’s Haunting Look at PTSD and His Brother’s Execution
The Oscar-nominated short ‘Last Day of Freedom’ traces the troubled life of a black veteran.
By
Maurice Chammah
News and Awards
October 16, 2020
The Marshall Project Wins Three Edward R. Murrow Awards
Honored for overall excellence and two multimedia features.
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News and Awards
May 19, 2021
The Marshall Project Wins Two Deadline Club Awards
Honored for our documentaries “Tutwiler” and “Anatomy of Hate.”
The Marshall Project
News
May 15, 2015
The ‘Candy Bar Movie’
Why Michigan prisoners aren't taking a video about prison rape seriously.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
February 25, 2015
American Sniper
A trial in Texas tests the limits of America’s sympathy for war-damaged vets.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
February 20, 2015
Oscar on Trial
How Academy Award-nominated films have handled, and mishandled, criminal justice.
By
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
December 18, 2019
Our 2019 Picks for Criminal Justice in Movies, TV and Podcasts
The Marshall Project staff shares some of our favorite things to watch and listen to.
By
The Marshall Project
Commentary
December 12, 2018
A Bounty of 2018 Podcasts and Films
We share some of our criminal justice favorites of the year.
By
The Marshall Project
Feature
February 18, 2020
Anatomy of Hate
It was a triple-murder fueled by rage—but was it a hate crime?
By
Emily Kassie
Commentary
August 9, 2018
The Real BlacKkKlansman - And Other KKK Infiltrators
Spike Lee’s Hero is Not the First Black Person to Breach the Klan — Or the Most Effective.
By
Vee Wright
The Frame
May 1, 2015
Prison Plantations
One man’s archive of a vanished culture.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
April 24, 2015
Why Cops Aren’t Ready for Their Close-Up
A police officer makes the case for keeping your distance.
By
Alysia Santo
Feature
May 6, 2020
The Separation
Introducing “Tutwiler,” a new Marshall Project/Frontline documentary about women in an Alabama prison who support each other through pregnancy, labor and saying goodbye to their newborns.
Directed by
Elaine Mcmillion Sheldon
. Produced and Reported by
Alysia Santo
.
ViewFinder
September 17, 2017
Shawna: A Life on the Sex Offender Registry
A young mother struggles with life on the sex offender registry.
David Feige
Q&A
November 23, 2015
The Filmmaker Who’s Taking on Taser
A new documentary criticizes TASER International and the studies behind their safety claims.
By
Christie Thompson
News and Awards
June 19, 2019
The Marshall Project Wins an Edward R. Murrow Award
Honored with the national prize for “Excellence in Video.”
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
June 19, 2018
The Marshall Project Wins an Edward R. Murrow Award
Honored with the national prize for “Overall Excellence.”
By
The Marshall Project
Q&A
June 1, 2016
How a Police Detective Helps Inmates Prepare to Live on the Outside
A new documentary spotlights a program that reclaims lives through writing.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
The Frame
October 7, 2021
When Mom Is In Prison — And When She Comes Home
“Oh, Mother of Mine,” a short documentary and photography project by Anna Rawls, explores the generational impact of incarcerating mothers.
By
Anna Rawls
The Frame
March 5, 2018
Policing a City in Crisis
In ‘Flint Town’, a new documentary series on Netflix, cops wrestle with broken bonds with their community.
By
Celina Fang
News and Awards
May 28, 2020
The Marshall Project Wins Two National Magazine Awards
Honored for “Best Website” and “Digital Innovation”.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
August 28
Shoshana Walter Joins The Marshall Project as Staff Writer
Walter comes to The Marshall Project with an impressive record of investigative and immersive journalism in print, radio and digital formats.
By
The Marshall Project
Jackson
September 28, 2023
The Marshall Project Announces Mississippi Local News Team
Two journalists will produce enterprise and investigative journalism for audiences across Mississippi, including those affected by its criminal justice system.
By
The Marshall Project
News and Awards
May 6
The Marshall Project Wins the Dart Award for “The Mercy Workers”
Our feature on mitigation specialists who help save people from the death penalty was recognized for making “significant contributions to public understanding of trauma-related issues.”
By
The Marshall Project
The Frame
September 20, 2019
Where Art and Rural Incarceration Meet
Artist Jesse Krimes’s latest work uses a corn maze and quilts to address increasing incarceration rates in small-town America.
By
Celina Fang
Life Inside
May 11, 2017
Marathon Man
A lifer takes up running to “earn back” his life.
By
Jonathan Chiu
Q&A
March 2, 2016
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Remembers Rodney King and the L.A. Riots
‘Rodney King is in the lineage of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Trayvon Martin — that lineage of violation.’
By
Bill Keller
News
March 12, 2015
Why Is the FBI so White?
The nation diversifies. The bureau, not so much.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
The Frame
May 16, 2016
A Peek at the Golden Age of Prison Radio
A new book explores a time when Texas prisons promoted rehabilitation through a wildly successful radio show.
By
Maurice Chammah
The Frame
November 25, 2019
How This Prison Collaborated on a Larger-Than-Life Work of Art
French artist JR worked with California prisoners to create his latest installation.
By
Celina Fang
News
May 1, 2018
The City Trying ‘Trauma Training’ for Citizens — and Cops
Newark tries to restore trust with a novel program.
By
Simone Weichselbaum
News
April 8, 2015
For the Record
If police had recorded his interrogation, would Max Soffar be on death row?
By
Maurice Chammah
News and Awards
September 3, 2020
The Marshall Project Named Finalist for 10 Online Journalism Awards
Nominated for “General Excellence” and so much more.
By
The Marshall Project
Life Inside
April 29, 2022
My Son Nacear Was Killed on Memorial Day. It Took Me Two Years to Cry.
I was taking care of his kids, going to work, and helping my other children process their brother’s murder. I couldn’t have accomplished what I needed to if I had cried sooner.
Johndell Gredic
, as told to
Lakeidra Chavis
Life Inside
April 28, 2022
People Often Say My Son ‘Passed Away.’ Darien Was Murdered.
If I see a car that looks like Darien’s or the sunlight hits just right, all of the sadness comes flooding back.
By
Patricia Griffin
, as told by
Lakeidra Chavis
Life Inside
April 27, 2022
My Son Alex Was Murdered at 21. Grief for Me Has Been Hurt, Anger and Bitterness
I’d put up reward posters, hoping somebody would say they knew what happened. Someone knew something, but they just wouldn’t give me any answers.
Christina Cherry
, as told to
Lakeidra Chavis
Looking Back
February 24, 2016
Who Told the Truth?
A hearing in San Antonio will revive the ghosts of the satanic abuse trials and questions about the testimony of child victims.
By
Maurice Chammah
News
June 8, 2020
The Short, Fraught History of the ‘Thin Blue Line’ American Flag
The controversial version of the U.S. flag has been hailed as a sign of police solidarity and criticized as a symbol of white supremacy.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Cary Aspinwall
News
June 29, 2021
They Were Deported By Trump. Now Biden Wants to Bring Them Back.
The Biden administration will review thousands of deportations, permitting some immigrants back into the U.S.
By
Julia Preston
News
July 27, 2017
Can Sex Sell Peace?
An adman thinks it can help.
By
Justin George
News
January 15, 2015
Look! Up In the Sky! It’s ... Illegal!
The FAA recruits local cops to police drones.
By
Tom Meagher
Life Inside
June 23, 2016
I Made a Rap Video in Prison
And it got a million clicks.
By
Desmond Metcalf
as told to
Maurice Chammah
News
July 13, 2015
For the First Time, Vermont Will Search Prison Staffers
The drug use that plagues the state now haunts its cellblocks.
By
Carl Stoffers
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
Life Inside
May 9, 2019
Why Mothers Are the Unsung Heroes of Prison
“I’ve seen disasters averted because an inmate said these simple words: 'What would your mother think?'”
By
Jerry Metcalf
Life Inside
April 19, 2018
Prison Is Already Scary. It's Even Worse During a Blackout
As darkness fell, nerves got rattled and rumors spread.
By
Derek R. Trumbo, Sr.
News
March 1, 2017
A Better Way to Treat Addiction in Jail
Medications are effective, but jails are still slow to provide them.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
Life Inside
April 26, 2022
My Son Khaaliq Was Killed Over a Parking Space. Now I Help Other Mothers Grieve.
After a neighbor fatally shot her son in 2001, Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight started the anti-violence group Mothers in Charge. “I thought maybe two people would show up; the room was jam packed.”
Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight
, as told to
Lakeidra Chavis
Closing Argument
October 21
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
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
Life Inside
October 10, 2019
Finding Peace—and Briefly, Freedom—at My Grandfather’s Funeral
“Saying goodbye with the people who loved him—and me—I remember that I am not the tomb that imprisons me.”
By
Robert K. Wright
Justice Talk
March 24, 2016
The Best Reporting on Solitary Confinement
Brush up for our March 30th chat on solitary confinement by reading some of the most crucial journalism on the issue.
By
Blair Hickman
and
Christie Thompson
News
September 14, 2015
The Problem With Hiring Liars to Catch Crooks
Can you really trust an informant who’s been arrested in 43 states?
By
Ken Armstrong
News
June 22, 2016
How a Lawyer Gave Up Corporate Work to Help Exonerees Re-enter Society
When being innocent isn’t enough, you need Jon Eldan.
By
Rachel Siegel
News
March 28, 2018
Rikers Doesn't Put Teens in Solitary. Other New York Jails Do.
Even after the high-profile death of Kalief Browder, jails in the rest of the state routinely isolate juveniles.
By
Taylor Elizabeth Eldridge
News
July 17, 2018
A View of Tomorrow
With virtual reality, juvenile lifers practice for a world they may experience.
By
Nicole Lewis
Life Inside
January 28, 2021
I Did 340 Pushups a Day to Prepare for the TV Version of Prison. Then I Got There.
After a steady diet of shows like “Oz,” I was convinced that prison would be a paradise for monsters. Turns out, the abuse I experienced came directly from the system.
By
Benjamin Boyce
Q&A
January 7, 2019
The Case Against Cannabis
A journalist’s pursuit of the truth about marijuana, mental illness and violence.
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Feature
June 9, 2022
Rethinking Prison Tourism
Many former prison sites draw on the spooky and salacious to entertain visitors. But some are having second thoughts.
By
Hope Corrigan
Closing Argument
June 10
A Battle Over First Amendment Rights in Prisons
New York state tried to limit writings and artistic works from prisoners — illustrating a growing issue across the country.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Maurice Chammah
Commentary
September 9, 2016
Revisiting the Ghosts of Attica
A wrenching new book recounts the bloodiest prison battle in our history.
By
Tom Robbins
Feature
January 22, 2018
Bad Boys
How “Cops” became the most polarizing reality TV show in America.
By
Tim Stelloh
Commentary
December 22, 2016
Our Favorite Criminal Justice Reporting in 2016
Some of the best work from across the country.
The Marshall Project
Q&A
February 1, 2017
Titus Kaphar on Art, Race and Justice
“A painting may inspire, but it’s people who make change.”
By
Bill Keller
Life Inside
November 30, 2017
Two Wrongful Convictions. One Happy Marriage.
“It felt like the universe put us together.”
By
Maurice Chammah
News
August 23, 2017
Can a General Conquer the Federal Prison System?
Mark Inch is about to find out.
By
Justin George
Death Sentences
April 15, 2021
Can The Death Penalty Be Fixed? These Republicans Think So
A growing number of conservative lawmakers want to overhaul capital punishment, or end it.
By
Maurice Chammah
and
Keri Blakinger
Life Inside
July 8, 2022
‘You Shouldn’t Have Used the D-Word’
Saying “I’m depressed” to jail staff landed Nicholas Brooks in solitary. But with his peers, he has found a way to speak freely.
By
Nicholas Brooks
News
December 12, 2022
Federal Prisons Were Told to Provide Addiction Medications. Instead, They Punish People Who Use Them.
Congress directed the Bureau of Prisons to make Suboxone and other medications widely available, but only a small fraction of those who need the help have received it.
By
Beth Schwartzapfel
and
Keri Blakinger
Feature
December 9, 2020
No-Show Prison Workers Cost Mississippi Taxpayers Millions
Prisoners, guards face danger from chronic understaffing by MTC
By
Alysia Santo
and
Joseph Neff
Life Inside
November 3
Prison Is a Dangerous Place for LGBTQ+ People. I Made a Safe Space in the Library.
As a queer teen, Michael Shane Hale found belonging in books. Here’s how he built a place where everyone can read in peace in prison.
By
Michael Shane Hale
Feature
January 6, 2019
The Volunteer
More than a year ago, Nevada death row prisoner Scott Dozier gave up his legal appeals and asked to be executed. He’s still waiting.
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
July 9, 2015
The Sex-Offender Test
Can the Abel Assessment tell if you're a potential child-molester?
By
Maurice Chammah
Feature
March 22, 2019
Inside the Battle to Close Rikers
Can New York City build its way out of mass incarceration?
By
Maurice Chammah
News
January 24, 2018
The Ultimate Insider Art
On Tennessee’s death row, the old aphorism applies: art is long, life is short.
By
Jeremy Olds
News
July 1, 2020
Did “Live PD” Let Police Censor Footage?
Police asked the show to edit out officers using violence or bad language. The company says it had other reasons for not airing the footage.
By
Cary Aspinwall
and
Sachi Mcclendon
Commentary
December 19, 2019
Some of Our Best Work of 2019
Catch up on probing investigations, moving documentaries and the new print magazine that made our year.
By
Tom Meagher
Analysis
December 21, 2020
Some of Our Best Work of 2020
From the sweeping impacts of COVID-19 to the protests against racial injustice, 2020 was a year like no other.
By
Terri Troncale
Analysis
December 20, 2023
Some of Our Best Work of 2023
In podcasts, broadcasts and narrative stories, we examined prison conditions, prosecutions of pregnant women, Dungeons & Dragons on death row, and more.
By
Terri Troncale
Looking Back
December 20, 2016
Homer and Harold
An extraordinary story of justice done, and what came after.
By
Ken Armstrong
Feature
September 3, 2018
A Turbulent Mind
Andrew Goldstein's crime set in motion a dramatic shift in how we care for the violent mentally ill. Including for himself—when he's released this month.
By
John J. Lennon
and
Bill Keller
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
Feature
February 10, 2022
The Rise and Fall of a Prison Town Queen
A family feud over drugs, money and fried fish roils the heart of the Texas prison system.
By
Keri Blakinger
Feature
March 2, 2023
The Mercy Workers
For three decades, a little-known group of “mitigation specialists” has helped save death-penalty defendants by documenting their childhood traumas. A rare look inside one case.
By
Maurice Chammah