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Prison Abuse

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
A photo shows a watchtower at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Nearby is a shorter building that has the words "Central Mississippi Correctional Facility" painted on it in blue letters. Behind the watchtower is some fencing and a reddish-orange building.
Jackson February 24
Beating by Guards, Not a Heart Attack, Killed Man in Mississippi Prison, Report Shows
FBI is now investigating after a report showed that Mississippi guards beat an incarcerated person to death.
By Jerry Mitchell, Mississippi Today, and , The Marshall Project
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
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, 2025
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, 2025
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, 2025
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, 2025
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, 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 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, 2025
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
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