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Prison Abuse

Michael McCallion, a man with light-toned skin and short dark brown hair, wears an orange plaid long-sleeved shirt and jeans while standing near a lake.
News June 2
No Camera, No Case? A New York Trial Shows It’s Hard to Prove Prison Abuse Without Video
Michael McCallion waited years to confront in court the officers he said attacked him in prison. The guards denied the assault ever happened.
By
Tom Robbins, a man with light-toned skin and gray hair, wears a suit jacket and stands in a newsroom with eight other people. Behind them are offices visible through glass walls.
Analysis May 29
Remembering Tom Robbins
Our founder reflects on the legacy of the reporter who helped set the standard for The Marshall Project’s investigations into prison abuse.
By
An illustration shows two correction officers holding down an incarcerated man wearing an orange jumpsuit while nurses stand outside in the hallway.
Feature May 1
When Prison Nurses Must Choose Between Loyalty to Abusive Guards and Devotion to Patients
In dozens of cases, medical personnel in New York prisons were accused of covering up beatings — some under pressure — and rarely faced punishment.
By and
An illustration shows an infirmary room with a hospital bed with orange blood splattered on it; a chair, a desk with a computer on it; a sink and a countertop; and broken glass on the floor.
Feature April 30
In Some New York Prisons, Infirmaries Are Dens of Hidden Violence
After guards beat Robert Brooks to death in December, The Marshall Project found dozens more allegations of abuse in medical rooms lacking cameras.
By and
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
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 Black Woman, wearing a silver cap and gray jacket, holds a sign that reads "Justice for Robert Brooks" during a protest. Protesters holding signs stand behind her.
Closing Argument January 14
Why Firing the Prison Guards Involved in Robert Brooks’ Death Is Neither Quick Nor Easy
Our investigation in 2023 exposed how New York’s discipline system failed to hold abusive guards to account.
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.
Feature December 17, 2024
Dozens of Prisoners Allege a Culture of Violence by Guards at Federal Facility in Virginia
In lawsuits and interviews, people held at Lee penitentiary described correctional officers breaking teeth, fracturing ribs and using the N-word.
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
News and Awards May 21, 2024
The Marshall Project Wins Prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Criminal Justice
The award recognizes our 2023 investigation exposing lax prison discipline for abusive guards in New York state prisons.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows a group of tiny figures of correctional officers in light blue shirts and dark blue pants interacting in small groups with incarcerated people in orange prison uniforms. Some of the officers are kicking, punching, or threatening incarcerated people. A larger group of tiny figures of correctional officers and incarcerated people surround the center group but are grayed out.
News February 9, 2024
Bill Would Change How New York Disciplines Abusive Prison Guards
A 2023 investigation by The Marshall Project exposed how the prison department failed to fire officers it accused of abuse.
By and
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