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Stories from the high-incarceration states of the South.
A Polaroid is on a black table. It shows Armando Navejas, a medium light-skinned man with a mustache, standing with his wife Josephine, a medium light-skinned woman.
Feature November 22
As Police Arrest More Seniors, Those With Dementia Face Deadly Consequences
Many cities are changing how they respond to mental health calls, but less attention has been paid to the unique risks for people with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
By Christie Thompson
An illustration shows a White man holding a phone while looking up. Hot air balloons float in the background, connected to phone cords.
Life Inside November 18
Between Addiction and Prison, I Left My Boy to Grow Up Without a Dad
With his release date quickly approaching, Ryan M. Moser reflects on the pain he caused his son — and his hopes for healing their relationship.
By Ryan M. Moser
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 November 15
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 Joseph Neff and Alysia Santo
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 November 11
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
A Black man in a blue T-shirt covers his eyes with one hand as he stands in his front yard. A police officer, wearing protective gear with the words "FDLE Police" on it, stands left of him in the background.
News November 4
Florida’s Voter Fraud Arrests Are Scaring Away Formerly Incarcerated Voters
DeSantis made a spectacle of arresting voters with felony convictions. Now, some eligible voters are opting out of midterms even beyond Florida.
By Nicole Lewis and Alexandra Arriaga
A group of two men and two women hug in a courtroom full of people.
Death Sentences October 31
Would a Death Sentence Help The Parkland Families Heal?
Outrage around the school shooter’s sentence reveals tensions between what some victims’ families want and the justice system’s limits.
By Maurice Chammah
In this Jan. 18, 2011 photo, inmates at William E. Donaldson prison in Bessemer, Ala., return to their cells after completing meditation classes. Vipassana is a meditative technique that dates back 2,500 years to Gotama Buddha. Vipassana courses are held four times a year in the prison gymnasium, where as many as 40 inmate volunteers meditate 10 hours a day and live for the duration. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
News October 6
Alabama Said Prison Strike Was ‘Under Control.’ Footage Shows System in Deadly Disarray.
While prisoners protest unsafe conditions, “it just doesn’t let up,” say advocates.
By Keri Blakinger
Prisoners stand in line at Elmore Correctional Facility in Elmore, Ala., in 2015. Thousands of Alabama prisoners began a work strike this week to protest poor prison conditions.
Closing Argument October 1
What an Alabama Prisoners’ Strike Tells Us About Prison Labor
Exploitation of incarcerated people isn’t limited to lockups. Voters in some states have a chance to curtail it.
By Jamiles Lartey
A woman with light-toned skin and reddish long hair sits on a sofa, with a toddler in front of her.
Feature September 13
Oklahoma Is Prosecuting Pregnant Women for Using Medical Marijuana
Two district attorneys have targeted mothers with child neglect felonies.
By Brianna Bailey
An illustration shows 6 boxes, containing: 1) hands holding a taser, 2) an armored police vehicle, 3) a surveillance camera, 4) three people at a shooting range, 5) the exterior of a prison, and 6) a police officer wearing a vest.
Analysis September 7
Rifles, Tasers and Jails: How Cities and States Spent Billions of COVID-19 Relief
President Biden’s signature American Rescue Plan Act gave local governments $350 billion to recover from COVID-19. They spent much of it on police, prisons and the courts.
By Anastasia Valeeva, Weihua Li and Susie Cagle
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