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Prisoners in Angola, Louisiana, where the state prison population has dropped by 5.4 percent.

Louisiana

Michael Stravato/Polaris, via Newscom
Redemption Songs
‘Music From the Big House’ Frees Blues, Soul and Gospel from the Walls of Angola Prison
Standouts include a version of Lead Belly’s hit “Midnight Special” led by filmmaker Rita Chiarelli and an incarcerated band.
By
A photo illustration shows thirteen book covers in rows against a light blue-colored background: “Locking Up Our Own,” “The New Jim Crow," “Slavery by Another Name,” “In Defense of Flogging,” “Let The Lord Sort Them,” “Blood In The Water,” "Until We Reckon,” “An Enquiry into the Effects of Public Punishments,” “Solitary,” “Crime and Punishment in American History,” “Locked In,” “The Rise of Big Data Policing” and “Rise of the Warrior Cop.”
Closing Argument July 4
From Public Flogging to Flock Cameras: How the U.S. Justice System Evolved Over 250 Years
As the nation celebrates two and a half centuries of independence, we put together a syllabus of some essential criminal justice reading.
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A photo shows the silhouette of a person with long hair, standing in front of a U.S. flag.
Closing Argument June 13
Why the Way We Understand the South Matters — Especially in Criminal Justice
In a special edition of Closing Argument, Jamiles Lartey reflects on the region as the nation’s 250th celebration approaches.
By
A photo shows a medium-skinned woman with blond curly hair in an updo, standing in her home while looking out a small window in a door. The inside of the home is dark.
Feature April 1
They Endured Child Separation and Received Legal Status. Now ICE Is Trying to Deport Them.
Federal officials have detained or deported at least 25 people whose families were granted temporary legal status under a court settlement.
By
Young Thug, a Black rapper wearing a white shirt and striped pants, holds a mic as he performs in a crowd during a concert.
Closing Argument March 28
His Rap Lyrics Helped Send Him to Death Row. Travis Scott and T.I. Are Trying to Stop His Execution.
The rappers argue that James Broadnax’s case exemplifies a larger problem in American courtrooms: The use of rap lyrics as evidence.
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A photo collage shows parts of a photo of the current U.S. Supreme Court justices overlaid on a photo of the Mississippi Supreme Court. There are also excerpts of a photo of a protest with people holding signs saying "NAACP Demands Action" and "Quality Justice for all in Mississippi." The background of the illustration is pale mustard color and the photo collage is in tones of black, white, maroon and pink.
Jackson February 26
Mississippi’s Black Voters Brace for Elections Ruling That Could Gut Supreme Court Clout
Black Mississippians won a Voting Rights Act case that challenges how the state elects supreme court justices. But that victory may be in jeopardy.
By
A side profile of a woman sitting on a bed, in a dark room with a black-blue slate background. She is singing, as tears flow down her left cheek and as the flow descends down her left shoulder, it begins to widen into a wider flow. In the flow are pictured memories of her hugging her children.
Feature September 16, 2025
‘Unbearable’: How ICE Is Locking More Immigrants in Solitary Under Trump
A mother of three said she hallucinated after weeks in an ICE segregation cell in Louisiana. She’s one of thousands now facing the psychological toll of isolation.
By , The Marshall Project, and Patricia Clarembaux, Univision Noticias
An aerial photo shows a prison facility composed of over half a dozen buildings, with trees surrounding much of the property. In the foreground, there are activists gathered with signs and banners near the facility.
Analysis August 29, 2025
‘Zombie Prisons’: How ICE Detention Is Raising Troubling Facilities From the Dead
ICE needs more detention space, and it’s faster to open old facilities than to build new ones.
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A prison tower and grounds are seen behind a chain-link fence in the foreground.
Feature August 22, 2025
The Next Alligator Alcatraz Could Be in Your State
Plans to use Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer,” Louisiana’s Angola and other state prisons to house ICE detainees raise problematic questions, attorneys say.
By and
Louisiana Rep. Delisha Boyd, a Black woman wearing glasses and a black dress, speaks into a mic while standing in front of a podium. Two Black men wearing suits stand in the background.
Closing Argument June 21, 2025
These States Are Debating Castration for Sex Crimes. Experts Call It Cruel and Pointless.
Critics say there’s no evidence that castration prevents future sex offenses. Yet several states are weighing such measures.
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