Search About Newsletters Donate

Prison Health

A collage of photos and illustrations. Clockwise from top left: A photo of a Black woman holding a framed picture, of her embracing and looking toward her son, while posing for a portrait in front of her home; a photo of a man in a suit, seen from behind, standing in front of one of two doors; a photo of a beige building with narrow horizontal windows, and is partly in shadow; an illustration of a opaque hand interfacing fingers with a transparent hand and both hands being wrapped by a beaded necklace; a photo of protesters standing on the side of a road; ; an illustration of a spreadsheet, where the cells contain small drawn figures of people in teal-colored jumpsuits in different poses (sitting, standing, leaning). On the right is a menu of options: Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete Cell. Delete Cell is highlighted; and a photo of barbed wire.
Analysis December 17
We Spent a Year Covering Deaths Behind Bars. Here’s What We Learned.
Every year, thousands of people die in prisons, jails and law enforcement custody.
By
An illustration shows three people on patient beds inside a dark room, with the orange sky visible through the window. On the right side, there are dark silhouettes of dialysis machines and tubes with puddles of water on the floor.
Feature December 16
Women Are Sent to This Federal Prison for Dialysis. They Say It’s Killing Them.
Patients at Carswell medical prison in Texas describe unsanitary conditions, missed treatments and substandard care.
By Kaley Johnson
[Use this form](https://airtable.com/appR7SW9BhPZGdXp9/pagDZ0cMp3LJ9uimP/form) to tell us about how menopause and perimenopause affects women behind bars.
Get Involved December 16
What’s It Like to Go Through Menopause in Prison? We Want to Know
Your insights will help inform a guide about the critical life stage that we’ll share with incarcerated people.
By
Get Involved December 12
It’s Hard to Grieve in Prison. This Guide Can Help
From breathing exercises to journaling prompts, we compiled steps that help with processing difficult emotions while locked up.
By
A collage shows images of clippings of a court case, a prison facility and a nurse with a stethoscope writing on a clipboard.
St. Louis December 8
Nurses Say Staff Shortage at Missouri Prison Means Skipped Medication, Long Waits for Care
Current and former employees at Jefferson City Correctional Center say the shortage is causing unrest. They blame the state’s contractor, Centurion Health.
By
Feature December 3
In New York Prisons, Lack of Medical Care Led to Preventable Deaths
More than 30 people with dangerous but treatable ailments — infections, obstructed bowels and asthma attacks — died in the past decade.
By
An illustration shows Ralph Marcus, a White man wearing a white baseball cap and t-shirt, and a fingerless glove in pale blue. The illustration shows his body dissipating into oblong shapes in white, orange and red into the air. In the foreground are green plants with flowers blooming among them in orange, red and yellow.
Life Inside October 31
The Last Words of a Man Who Died in Prison From a Treatable Cancer
Months before his death, Ralph Marcus explained how a COVID-era leg injury led to a rare bone cancer that didn’t have to be fatal.
By Ralph Marcus as told to
A photo shows a black electronic device attached to the wrist of a person with medium skin tone.
Feature October 8
Can a Biometric Bracelet Stop People From Dying Behind Bars?
Jails across the country are trying a high-tech solution to keep prisoners safe. Will it work?
By Peter O’Dowd and Allison Hagan, Here & Now
An illustration of a family at the start of a path looking toward their relative in the distance, at the end of the path. Panels of black-and-white photo collages, including family photos, surround the illustration.
Life Inside September 26
When Their Loved Ones Died Behind Bars, These Families Had to Sleuth for the Truth
After a family member passes away in prison or jail, people are often left with basic questions. To get answers, they have to get creative.
By , and
An illustration shows a shirtless person sweating as they sit on top of their bed. The person is inside a cell, with a sink on the right.
St. Louis September 8
What It’s Like Enduring a Heat Wave in a Missouri Prison
Lawyers requested swift cooling measures in a prison with no A/C. One man shares the dangerous conditions inside while people await a judge’s ruling.
By , The Marshall Project, and Jeremy Hann
About
People
Privacy
Sitemap
Funders