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Regional reporting

Stories from the high-incarceration states of the South.

A rectangular illustration divided into five vertical panels shows a person in a prison cell looking out a dark window, crossing numbers of years off on the wall as time passes. In the middle of the illustration, there is an image of a gavel in a small rectangle. In the third panel, a beam of light appears on the floor, and in the following panel, that beam of light gets larger, indicating an opening door. The last panel shows the person being led out of the prison cell by a prosecutor in a suit and with a briefcase.
Feature October 31
Prosecutors in These States Can Review Sentences They Deem Extreme. Few Do.
Five states now allow prosecutors to seek shorter sentences in old cases. Louisiana shows why many DAs haven’t.
By Matt Nadel and Charlie Lee
Eight cropped book covers with shadows behind them appear in a grid against a cream-colored background: “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” “The Hellbound Heart,” “Captive Nation,” “Black on Black Violence,” “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” and “Effective Java.” The center of the grid shows a pointer cursor hovering above an image of a tool displaying which books are banned in Ohio prisons.
Investigate Your State October 3
How to Report on Banned Books in Prisons in Your State
Prisons are among the most restrictive reading environments in the United States.
error in byline
An illustration shows a correctional officer in uniform standing among four cardboard cutouts of correctional officers. A sketch of a prison is visible in the background.
News September 18
Mississippi Auditor: Prison Company Must Pay $2 Million for No-Show Workers
A 2020 investigation by The Marshall Project exposed how prison operator MTC billed the state millions for ghost workers.
By and
Just Say You’re Sorry June 5
When a Conviction is Challenged, What Do We Owe the Victim’s Family?
In the final episode of “Just Say You’re Sorry,” we consider what cases like Larry Driskill’s mean for families like Bobbie Sue Hill’s.
By
Just Say You’re Sorry May 29
As a Texas Ranger Gains National Fame, His Interrogations Draw Skepticism
James Holland’s star rises after he coaxes killer Samuel Little to confess to 90 murders. But his work in Larry Driskill’s case comes into question.
By
Just Say You’re Sorry May 22
An All-Night, Pizza-Fueled Interrogation. A Dubious Confession. A DNA Surprise.
Hear Texas Ranger James Holland use familiar tactics to convince another man to confess to a murder he vehemently denies. But this time, there’s DNA.
By
Just Say You’re Sorry May 15
Listen as a Texas Ranger Uses Lies to Extract a Questionable Murder Confession
Hear how James Holland gradually convinces Larry Driskill to question his own memory — and narrate a murder he still insists he didn’t commit.
By
A police sketch of a face on a cream background layered on top of court documents
Just Say You’re Sorry May 8
To Solve a Young Mother’s Death, a Celebrated Texas Ranger Turns to Hypnosis
In Episode 2 of “Just Say You’re Sorry,” we dig into Ranger James Holland’s past and follow the twists and turns that lead him to Larry Driskill.
By
A sheriff hat and badge on a cream-colored background that includes a document from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Just Say You’re Sorry May 1
In a Texas Cold Case, a Potential Murder Witness Slowly Realizes He’s a Suspect
In ‘Just Say You’re Sorry,’ a new Marshall Project podcast, we meet a famed Texas Ranger and a prisoner who says he was railroaded.
By
A podcast logo set atop a tan and black background. In the logo, a tan cowboy hat with a Texas Ranger badge floats in front of prison bars. Above, in all caps: "Smoke Screen" and "Just say you're sorry." Below, branding for Sony Music and The Marshall Project.
Just Say You’re Sorry April 26
‘Just Say You’re Sorry’: Podcast Dissects Famed Texas Ranger’s Controversial Tactics
Our six-part podcast asks if Texas’ “serial killer whisperer” ensnared an innocent man through tactics like lying and hypnosis.
By
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