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A video still shows a cell door in a prison hallway. A fire can be seen inside through the cell's window.
Analysis August 11
Why Did an Illinois Prison Fail to Stop 70 Fires?
Three key takeaways from our investigation of the epidemic of fires at the Joliet Treatment Center.
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A video still shows firefighters standing in a prison hallway. A cell door with black soot is open on the left.
News August 4
Illinois Lawmakers Decry Prison’s ‘Gut-Wrenching,’ ‘Heartbreaking’ Conditions
After The Marshall Project found scores of fires set by men at a Joliet prison, legislators want improved fire safety and mental health treatment.
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An illustration shows flames behind a prison cell door as smoke billows into a green hallway.
Feature July 24
A Prison on Fire
Designed to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths.
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A photo shows a man with a medium skin tone and a olive green t-shirt holding his phone up toward a group law enforcement agents, who are standing in uniform on the other side of yellow police tape.
Closing Argument October 25, 2025
Behind ICE Blitz, Trump Dismantles Discretion in Immigration Enforcement
ICE’s crackdown in Chicago reflects a deeper reshaping of the immigration system toward a singular focus: removing people with little or no review.
By and
A photo illustration with a black and white photograph of the exterior of a prison in the background with red rectangles overlaying it. In the middle is a semi-circle with the typewritten text from several phrases, including “tortured for 18 hours with an..” and “I began to feel a sharp pain on the left side of my chest.” Below the text is a photo of an officer's hands on the wrist of a man in handcuffs.
News July 11, 2025
Shackled For Days and Weeks: A Federal Report Finds Widespread Abuse in Prisons
The report, by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog, comes after an investigative series by The Marshall Project and NPR exposed similar abuses.
By Joseph Shapiro, NPR
T-Man, a Black teen wearing a red coat, stands in front of a yellow wall that has a mural painted on it. His face is not visible.
Feature June 5, 2025
This Mix of Therapies Is Helping to Stop Youth Violence in Chicago
A violence prevention program is pairing cognitive behavioral therapy with other support to keep high-risk teens out of jail.
By Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein
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
Kim Foxx, a Black woman wearing a tan suit, speaks into mics held by reporters surrounding her.
Closing Argument November 23, 2024
Is The Age of Progressive Prosecutors Over?
Some believe progressive prosecutors have had their moment, but others argue that view misinterprets what’s happening across the country.
By
A collage shows a black-and-white image of Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, Colo.; a clipping of a letter to the president from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel; a black-and-white head shot of a White man wearing a blazer and tie; a ripped page detailing work experience; and a black-and-white image of U.S. Penitentiary, Thomson, Ill.
News October 16, 2024
Warden Who Ran Federal Prisons With Abusive Practices Now Directs National Training Center
A Bureau of Prisons investigation found that Andrew Ciolli failed to stop violations of the use of force policy at one prison. Now he’s running an agency training center.
By , , The Marshall Project, and Joseph Shapiro, NPR
Analysis August 28, 2024
5 Things to Know About How Survivors Get Incarcerated for Their Abusers’ Crimes
Little-known laws allow people to be punished for crimes they didn’t directly commit. Survivors of domestic violence are especially vulnerable.
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