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Prison Health

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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An illustration with a purple background shows a woman rubbing her neck because of aches and pains. To her right is a setting sun in orange that blends into her right arm.
News July 22
Guide: How to Navigate Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison
Experiencing perimenopause and menopause in prison can be difficult. Here is some practical advice from medical experts and from incarcerated women who have done it.
By Kwaneta Harris and
Sending Kites July 14
The Prison Rules You Won’t Find in Any Handbook
There are unofficial rules in every prison and jail. Here’s what you need to know before you go in.
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
An illustration with teal and orange colors shows a figure with moving fabric draped over them in a solitary prison cell, seen through a small window.
Jackson June 8
They Asked for Help. Instead, They Died in Solitary.
An investigation found there were at least 47 suicides in solitary confinement in Mississippi, where cries for mental health care were met with isolation and punishment.
By and Mina Corpuz
An illustration in tones of light blue and gray shows six people, whose reflections are visible below them. A man in the foreground reaches towards his reflection. The five other figures are farther away and smaller. The figures are drawn in an abstract manner through shadowing and highlights.
Life Inside April 24
The Magic of Having a Glass Mirror in Prison
The metal mirrors that Alabama prisons use distort our faces. When a glass one suddenly appeared, I truly saw myself for the first time in 26 years.
By Destry McKinney
A photo collage shows, from left: a hand holding strands of hair; a person sweating; a prison door with a hand-drawn scribble over the bottom of the photo; a hand in shades of red over fencing; anonymous women in blue prison uniforms sitting on chairs in a row; a woman holding her head, with a paint scribble over the top of the image.
Feature April 14
What It’s Like to Go Through Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison
Limited information and a lack of informed health care providers make this life transition even more difficult for incarcerated people.
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