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Federal Prisons

An illustration with a pale yellow background shows, at center, a woman in an orange prison uniform reaching towards a manila folder with papers coming out of it. In the upper left corner of the illustration, there is a man in a prison uniform holding a paper plane above his head. Below him and to the right, there is a prison official looking at his hands while leaning on an hourglass whose sand has run to the bottom. Next to that is another hourglass that has a little bit of sand remaining at the top that is flowing to the bottom. On the right side of the illustration is a courthouse and a person in a prison uniform trying to push against a door frame. Above that are birds. Scattered around the illustration are gray and green blocks and shapes, and over the entire illustration, there is a grid made up of thin light green lines.
Feature July 14
Grievances in Federal Prison Rarely Succeed. Here’s How Prisoners Would Change That.
The Marshall Project surveyed people in federal facilities for advice about the complaint process — and how to fix it.
By and
An illustration with a pale yellow background shows, at center, a man in an orange prison uniform pulling on a string that is connected to a postage stamp, which is then connected to the bottom of a prison cell door, and then connected to a letter on the floor, which is connected to another prison cell door. From left to right, there is a calendar with most of the days of the month crossed off; a document envelope and some documents behind it; a prison official shredding a document; and an incarcerated person with his hands shackled to a slab while a correctional officer holds his left hand down. Scattered around the illustration are gray and blue blocks, and over the entire illustration, there is a grid made up of thin light blue lines.
Feature July 13
In Federal Prisons, Some Guards Use Fear and Violence to Stifle Complaints
Prisoners in federal facilities must file most grievances with the guards — a system they say exposes them to retaliation, including physical abuse.
By and Joseph Shapiro
An illustration with a pale yellow background shows, at center, a woman in an orange prison uniform with her right hand on her stomach. She is writing a grievance on sheets of paper that are flying over her head. Over one of the pages is the word "Reject." On the upper left corner, there is a drawing of FCI Aliceville, a prison. On the lower right corner, this is a view of two floors of prison cell doors, with a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. Scattered around the illustration are gray and orange blocks and shapes, and over the entire illustration, there is a grid made up of thin light purple lines.
Feature June 17
‘Rejected’: How Federal Prisons Stonewall Grievances and Deny Care for Years
A law forces people in federal prisons to file grievances before they can sue in court. But less than 2% of filings are granted.
By , , and Joseph Shapiro
A photo shows people walking in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.
Closing Argument June 6
How The Supreme Court Is Tightening Early Prison Release
In recent decisions, the justices restricted the bipartisan First Step Act that President Donald Trump signed in his first term.
By
A black and white photo composite shows a photo of a Black woman wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and a black vest holding a uniform, standing in front of a building. In what looks like a double exposure effect, a photo of trees and fencing is visible, as well as an image of the outline of a map of Texas, with the word “Bryan” in the center.
News March 27
A Women’s Prison Conceals a Sinister Secret: Staff Sexual Misconduct, Accusers Say
Some employees at a Texas federal prison that holds high-profile women including Ghislaine Maxwell said they faced retaliation for reporting abuse.
By and Erik Ortiz
A photo shows a silhouette of a person, wearing a Statue of Liberty crown, holding a transgender pride flag. The U.S. Supreme Court building is in the background.
News February 19
Federal Prisons Bar Gender-Affirming Care for Trans People
‘People will die,’ an advocate warns, as standard treatments for gender dysphoria are replaced with therapy and antidepressants after Trump’s order.
By
An illustration shows two people facing each other at a desk. A White, female prison psychologist wearing half of a correctional officer's uniform looks in the direction of an incarcerated person with his back to the viewer. A speech bubble is shown in front of the incarcerated person.
News January 26
Amid ‘Catastrophic’ Shortage, Psychologists Flee Federal Prisons in Droves
With fewer and fewer employees to run the prisons, psychologists were repeatedly forced to act as guards.
By
A white man wearing a gray suit and a blue shirt speaks against an orange backdrop.
Analysis June 20, 2025
He Spent Years in Federal Prisons. Now He’s Helping to Lead Them.
The Bureau of Prisons’ new deputy director’s past incarceration has drawn outrage from some officers — and support from people still inside.
By
Marshall, a man with light-toned skin, wears a blue suit jacket and glasses as he stands behind a podium. On person stands behind him and three are sitting.
News April 12, 2025
Who Is Billy Marshall? What to Know About Trump’s New Bureau of Prisons Director
West Virginia’s top corrections official led a troubled state agency, and will now head a federal bureaucracy plagued with problems of its own.
By , and
A photo shows metal fencing in front of two structures, one on the right with a short wooden staircase, and one on the left with beige siding. A sign in front of the building on the right reads: Federal Medical Center Carswell.
News February 25, 2025
‘Fear for Their Lives’: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With Men
After a minor change in a judge’s order, the Trump administration arranged to move over a dozen transgender women to men’s facilities.
By
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