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A photo collage composed of figures of, from left, former Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Sheriff David Clarke, a Black man; fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor from “The Andy Griffith Show,” a White man; Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, a White man; former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a White man; Dallas County, Alabama, Sheriff Jim Clark, a White man; former Graham County, Arizona, Sheriff Richard Mack, a White man; Western lawman “Wild Bill” Hickok in 1860; and Grant County, New Mexico, Sheriff Frank Gomez. Sheriff's badges are scattered above the collage.
Feature October 18
We Surveyed U.S. Sheriffs. See Their Views on Power, Race and Immigration
In an exclusive new survey, The Marshall Project found that sheriffs are key to our debates on policing, immigration and much more.
By Maurice Chammah
A collage made up of figures of, from left: Texas pastor Mark Collins dressed as George Washington; Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Lamb; activist Randy Weaver; former Graham County, Arizona, Sheriff Richard Mack; and the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association logo, which is an eagle. Sheriff's badges are scattered above the collage.
Feature October 18
Does Your Sheriff Think He’s More Powerful Than the President?
Richard Mack has built a “Constitutional sheriff” movement to resist state and federal authority on guns, COVID-19 and now election results. A new survey shows just how many sheriffs agree with him.
By Maurice Chammah
An illustration shows line drawings of a person getting a COVID test, people at a city council meeting, people beautifying city streets, and a group of people in masks in the background. In the foreground are illustrations of, from left to right, a sniper rifle, a police K-9, police officers in riot gear, and a person receiving a bonus check.
Analysis October 13
How A Suburb Spent COVID Relief Funds on Sniper Rifles, Tactical Helmets and Police Bonuses
An inside look at how the Independence, Missouri, city council reallocated millions in federal ARPA dollars to police.
By Anastasia Valeeva and Susie Cagle
An illustration shows a Black man next to a Black power symbol in a blue graduation cap and gown, holding an orange diploma cover, as paper cranes fly around him.
Life Inside September 2
My Wild and Winding Path to a College Degree Behind Bars
Rahsaan “New York” Thomas was proud to finally earn his associate’s degree in San Quentin State Prison. But repeated COVID-19 lockdowns turned his graduation ceremony into a two-year ordeal.
By Rahsaan “New York” Thomas
Analysis June 14
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
Life Inside January 14
People in the Scandal-Plagued Federal Prison System Reveal What They Need in a New Director
“This is kind of like AA: To move forward, first you have to admit there’s a problem.”
By Keri Blakinger
An incarcerated person received a COVID-19 vaccination at the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility in Cleveland, Miss., in April.
News December 22, 2021
Omicron Has Arrived. Many Prisons and Jails Are Not Ready.
Experts fear “another potential tinderbox scenario” akin to the early days of the pandemic.
By Beth Schwartzapfel and Keri Blakinger
An annual festival for a growing community of Guatemalan immigrants in New Bedford, Mass. took place in September. Members of the musical group, Soñando por Mañana, which means Dreaming for Tomorrow in Spanish, sang both the U.S. and Guatemalan national anthems.
Feature December 15, 2021
Essential but Excluded
Immigrants put seafood on America’s tables. But many have been shut out of pandemic aid — and so have their U.S. citizen children.
By Julia Preston and Ariel Goodman
Lance Lowry, who recently retired after 20 years as a corrections officer, outside the Huntsville Unit in Texas.
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
Police officers in Denver, Colo., in March 2021. From 2019 to 2020, the number of people working at local police departments and sheriffs’ offices decreased by less than 1%, according to monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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
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