Search About Newsletters Donate

Death in Custody Reporting Act

An illustration shows random numbers and text, including words such as "death," "natural causes" and "suicide" within a silhouette of a body lying down. The silhouette is on top of a gurney. The background is teal and orange.
Analysis December 23
How People Are Dying In America’s Prisons and Jails
An analysis by The Marshall Project provides a window into what causes thousands of people to die in prisons and jails every year.
By
A photo shows incarcerated people seen through a fence covered in black mesh, standing in a yard outside.
Analysis December 23
How We Cleaned Up and Clarified Federal Data on Deaths in Custody
Data collected under the Death in Custody Reporting Act has some serious problems. Here’s how we fixed some of them.
By
An illustration shows a spreadsheet, where the cells contain small drawn figures of people in teal-colored jumpsuits in different poses (sitting, standing, leaning). On the right is a menu of options: Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete Cell. Delete Cell is highlighted.
Feature August 7
Why Doesn’t the U.S. Government Know How Many People Die in Custody?
Under the Death in Custody Reporting Act, the government is supposed to track how many people die in law enforcement custody — but the data is a mess.
By , and
An illustration shows a bar graph with bars of varying heights. Leaning at the base of some of the individual bars are figures of people dressed in teal-colored jumpsuits. The bars and the people cast shadows at an angle on the ground.
Feature August 7
How We Analyzed the Justice Department’s Death in Custody Data
A rare look into data collected under the Death in Custody Reporting Act revealed serious problems.
By and
An illustration depicts two correctional officers dressed in gray shirts and black pants standing in front of a beige wall with barred windows high above them. At a distance in shadows lies the body of an incarcerated person wearing an teal prison jumpsuit crumpled on the floor.
Cleveland July 24
What Happens When Someone Dies Inside One of America’s Worst Jails?
In Cuyahoga County, a jail death triggers mandatory investigations. Here’s what all Ohio sheriffs are supposed to do, and how to check their work.
By
A White woman covers her face with both hands as she cries during a court hearing. A Black woman on the right consoles her with her hand on her back.
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
About
People
Privacy
Sitemap
Funders