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Deaths in Custody

A photo shows a sign on a lawn that reads, “Joliet Treatment Center.” There are yellow buildings surrounded by barbed wire fencing in the background.
News October 30
After Our Prison Fires Investigation, Illinois Made Some Safety Fixes. Are They Enough?
Fire alarms remain broken at the Joliet Treatment Center, a prison designed to treat people with mental illness.
By
A collage shows images of a jail door, a parking garage with signs that read “No More Jail Deaths,” clippings of legal documents, windows of a jail, two people holding a casket and a Black woman crying.
St. Louis October 21
‘It’s Just So Dangerous’: Why People Keep Dying at the St. Louis City Jail
A Marshall Project/St. Louis Public Radio analysis shows the top causes of death at the jail are untreated medical conditions, drug use or suicide.
By , The Marshall Project, and Lacretia Wimbley, St. Louis Public Radio
A still image from a body camera shows Jennifer Wade’s cell with three corrections officers standing outside and two standing inside. Her body is not visible.
Cleveland October 15
After Series of Deaths, Cuyahoga County Jail Struggles To Implement New CPR Policy
Jail officials updated an employee handbook in January to require CPR in medical emergencies, but they haven’t informed most corrections officers yet.
By and
A black-and-white photo shows dozens of gravestones in a cemetery at night. In the background are a number of tall trees.
Analysis October 8
How America’s Patchwork of Death-In-Custody Rules Is Failing Families
Bodies of people who die in custody can be cremated, even when it violates their religion, or be donated to science without consent, finds new report.
By
A collage shows photographs of a stack of white papers; a White man in a blue prison uniform hugging his mother; a necklace with an orange guitar pick; and two men playing their guitars. Other digital images in the collage include clouds, a chain-link fence, and cardboard texture.
Life Inside September 11
The Mourning After
From concealing causes of death to delaying memorials, prisons treat people passing away like business as usual.
by Phillip Luna
A photo of a group of six middle-aged Black people in front of a building. In the front row, two people in blue, one of them a lawyer in a suit, hold signs that read, "Justice for Jennifer!" with a photo of a smiling Black woman.
Cleveland July 14
State Reverses Course, Finds Cuyahoga Jail Staff Failed to Start CPR in Wade’s Death
State inspectors said jail staff failed to provide CPR to Jennifer Wade after finding her unresponsive in her cell in February 2025.
By , and
A still from a bodycam shows corrections officers outside Jennifer Wade's cell. Her body is not visible. In the foreground is a person putting on rubber gloves.
Cleveland April 14
New Videos Show ‘Absolutely Egregious Care’ in 2025 Cuyahoga County Jail Death
Ohio reopens review of Jennifer Wade’s death after county officials failed to provide body cam footage.
By , and
A photo illustration in tones of black, white, beige, and a bluish-gray shows, from left: the Cuyahoga County Justice Center; screenshots of surveillance footage showing responses to people experiencing medical distress, though those people's faces are not visible; a medical stretcher; a document describing standards of jails for Ohio; the word "neglect" repeated three times in the center of the illustration; and another view of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.
Cleveland February 9
Deadly Errors: Why People Keep Dying Inside Cuyahoga County’s Jail
Jail administrators fail to fix mistakes that continue to cost lives, an analysis of state records by The Marshall Project - Cleveland shows.
By and
An illustration shows a maze made up of teal blue lines, on a black background. Interspersed in the maze are nine simplified figures of people of different genders and ages. In the center of the maze is a white speech bubble.
Investigate This January 20
Journalists: How to Include Family Perspectives in Prison Death Coverage
Family members’ experiences are key to understanding deaths in custody. These engagement tactics can unlock their untold stories.
By
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, 2025
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.
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