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Deaths in Custody

A collage of photos and illustrations. Clockwise from top left: A photo of a Black woman holding a framed picture, of her embracing and looking toward her son, while posing for a portrait in front of her home; a photo of a man in a suit, seen from behind, standing in front of one of two doors; a photo of a beige building with narrow horizontal windows, and is partly in shadow; an illustration of a opaque hand interfacing fingers with a transparent hand and both hands being wrapped by a beaded necklace; a photo of protesters standing on the side of a road; ; an illustration of 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; and a photo of barbed wire.
Analysis December 17
We Spent a Year Covering Deaths Behind Bars. Here’s What We Learned.
Every year, thousands of people die in prisons, jails and law enforcement custody.
By
An illustration shows three people on patient beds inside a dark room, with the orange sky visible through the window. On the right side, there are dark silhouettes of dialysis machines and tubes with puddles of water on the floor.
Feature December 16
Women Are Sent to This Federal Prison for Dialysis. They Say It’s Killing Them.
Patients at Carswell medical prison in Texas describe unsanitary conditions, missed treatments and substandard care.
By Kaley Johnson
Analysis December 15
Some of the Ways We Brought the Criminal Justice System to Life Through Visuals in 2025
Through evocative illustrations and photography, we tackled themes of deplorable prison conditions, healing after gun violence and deaths in custody.
By The Marshall Project Visuals Team
An illustration shows a floating white cloth in front of a teal background. A person in an orange outfit exits from within the white cloth, pushing the fabric to the side like a curtain.
St. Louis December 1
An Overlooked Source of Information in Missouri Prison Deaths: The Coroner
When corrections officials aren’t forthcoming with records, coroners can offer families the details needed to find closure or pursue accountability.
By
An illustration shows a person in an orange prison uniform falling into a tall stack of teal colored papers. Several stacks of teal colored papers with headshots on them are in the background.
St. Louis November 18
There Was No Way to Know How Many People Died in Missouri Prisons — Until Now
For years, the state’s Department of Corrections cobbled together death records from multiple sources. New data reveals annual totals for the first time.
By
An illustration shows a man in an orange jail uniform sitting at a table with his arms crossed and head down. Part of the man appears transparent.
Jackson November 17
Why No One Knows How Many People Die in Mississippi’s Local Jails
From medical neglect to suicide, the lack of information on jail deaths can allow the same deadly problems to lead to more deaths.
By
In a photo from her Facebook page, Tasha Grant, a Black woman, has teal hair and wears hoop earrings.
Cleveland October 30
Cuyahoga Sheriff Backs Off Tasha Grant Investigation Amid Family Criticism
Trumbull County sheriff will now lead the investigation into the Cleveland woman’s restraint death, meeting family demands for independent probe.
By , and
Feature October 30
Their Loved Ones Died Behind Bars. These Keepsakes Are All They Have Left.
Five families reflect on the possessions they got back, and the ones they didn’t.
By and
A illustration shows, on the right side, a woman running on a dark red line that leads to a tangled ball made from that line in the center, which then leads out of the tangled ball to a single line which a person in pale blue and white upside down on. The background of the illustration looks like a sky, with pale blue and white patches.
Feature October 29
These Families Wanted to Lay Their Loved Ones to Rest. They Had to Bring Them Home From Prison First.
Policies that dictate what happens after a death behind bars often add new layers of pain — and financial and logistical challenges — for those left behind.
By
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.
Investigate This October 28
Journalists: How to Report on Deaths in Jails and Prisons
When you get a tip about a death or multiple deaths in your local jail or prison, there are concrete steps you can take to start investigating.
By , and
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