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Stories from the high-incarceration states of the South.
A hotdog with a tortilla, a cup of mush and a raw potato.
News January 20
‘Pig Slop’ No More? Texas Prisons Detail Plan To Improve Food
The move follows our investigation revealing meals of raw potatoes, moldy bread.
By Keri Blakinger
An illustration shows a man shouting behind the window of a prison cell, while smoke and fire billows out of it. The window forms the eyepiece of a set of blinders being worn by a prison guard. Static is shown coming out of a walkie talkie worn by the prison guard.
News January 9
After Deadly Prison Fires, Will the Texas Legislature Fund Safety Fixes?
Our investigations spotlighted rampant violations, like thousands of broken fire alarms and smoke detectors.
By Keri Blakinger
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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, 2022
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
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