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Federal Prisons

A dark brown high-rise federal prison.
Closing Argument January 6
Federal Prisons Are Over Capacity — Yet Efforts to Ease Overcrowding Are Ending
The Bureau of Prisons’ system is in trouble and needs serious upgrades on several fronts.
By
Left, a Black woman holds a photo of herself in a red dress sitting alongside her husband, a Black man with a beard wearing a blue T-shirt and a gold crucifix chain; right, the Black woman with short hair, earrings and a white shirt, looks into the distance.
Inside Story March 23, 2023
Violence on the Inside, Mentorship From the Outside
We investigate violence at one of the newest federal prisons and talk with La La Anthony about preparing incarcerated youth for life on the outside.
By and
An illustration shows the back of a prisoner being surrounded by several screaming individuals coming out of floating news screens. In the background, there is a distant prison.
Life Inside December 16, 2022
Despite Sensationalist Media Coverage, the Famous People at My Prison Aren’t in Any Special Danger
Celebrities get a lot of attention on both sides of the wall. But ultimately, we are all the same: warehoused property.
By Anthony Accurso as told to
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 and
An illustration shows an incarcerated individual within ripped pages of a calendar.
Life Inside September 22, 2022
The Art of Bidding, or How I Survived Federal Prison
When Eric Borsuk went to prison with his two best friends, they found their ‘bid’ — their purpose — together. Then one day, everything changed.
By Eric Borsuk
The federal prison complex in Thomson, Illinois.
News June 14, 2022
Lawmakers Call for Probe Into Deadly Federal Prison
Following a Marshall Project/NPR report detailing violence and abuse at the newest federal penitentiary, three members of Congress asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate.
By , The Marshall Project and Joseph Shapiro, NPR
The U.S. penitentiary in Thomson, Illinois.
Analysis May 31, 2022
Five Things to Know About One of the Deadliest Federal Prisons
Key takeaways from our investigation into deaths and abuse at a U.S. penitentiary.
By
A photo collage shows Bobby Everson in a tan prison outfit in front of abstract paintings, an image of the U.S. penitentiary in Thomson, Illinois, and a handwritten letter.
Feature May 31, 2022
How the Newest Federal Prison Became One of the Deadliest
Fatal beatings. A “torture room.” Pairs of men held around the clock in tiny cells, tempers rising. “They’re literally afraid for their lives,” one lawyer said.
By , The Marshall Project and Joseph Shapiro, NPR
Life Inside January 14, 2022
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
Life Inside November 4, 2021
An Ode to Memo, the Cellmate and Art Teacher Who Saved My Life
After decades in the system, I was acting like a wild horse roaming the countryside. Memo taught me how to paint through the chaos.
By Rafael Rodriguez
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