The Marshall Project

The Marshall Project - 2025-02-22T12:00:43-05:00

How a Guards’ Strike Plunged New York Prisons Into Turmoil and Why the Timing Is Curious - 2025-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Correctional officers complain of unsafe conditions, but critics say the protests were meant to deflect attention from ‘a moment of reckoning.’

‘Fear for Their Lives’: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With Men - 2025-02-21T19:20:00-05:00
After a minor change in a judge’s order, the Trump administration arranged to move over a dozen transgender women to men’s facilities.

FBI Subpoena Targets How Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Celebrezze Steered Work to Friend - 2025-02-18T15:20:00-05:00
The grand jury subpoena also focuses on Mark Dottore’s company, which has earned more than $500,000 in fees from the court since 2017.

How Trump Is Trying to Expand the Already Colossal U.S. Prison System - 2025-02-15T12:00:00-05:00
The administration’s efforts — from mass deportation to harsher punishments for some crimes — rely on access to more prison and jail cells.

Search Mississippi Criminal Justice Bills as They Move Through the Legislature - 2025-02-14T14:00:47-05:00
Use our interactive bill tracker to stay informed on changes to courts, policing, prisons and more.

Prison Wedding Rules: No Cake, No Lace, But Lots of Love - 2025-02-14T06:00:00-05:00
St. Louis activist Khanika Harper found the perfect way to marry her passion for justice with the power of love: She became a prison wedding officiant.

Got a Story About the Justice System in St. Louis? We’re All Ears - 2025-02-11T06:00:00-05:00
Your input helps us decide what issues The Marshall Project - St. Louis should dig into next.

The Marshall Project Announces St. Louis Local News Team - 2025-02-11T06:00:00-05:00
This will be our third local news team; this one will produce investigative, data and engagement journalism to serve audiences across Missouri.

Trump’s Executive Order Sows Confusion for Transgender Federal Prisoners - 2025-02-11T06:00:00-05:00
Without guidance from the Bureau of Prisons, trans people are “told one thing from one staff person and a totally different thing from another.”

How Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Blurs the Lines Between Reality, Rumor and Theater - 2025-02-08T12:00:00-05:00
ICE arrests, including “collateral arrests,” are up — and often in front of cameras. But experts say the data is incomplete — and hoaxes abound.

‘Friendly Signs’ Documentary Follows One Man’s Quest to Create Community for Deaf Prisoners - 2025-02-07T06:00:00-05:00
Director Rahsaan “New York” Thomas explores the impact of Tommy Wickerd’s sign language class at San Quentin and the challenges of prison filmmaking.

Under Pressure, Cuyahoga County Releases Video of Teen’s Shooting by Deputy - 2025-02-05T20:00:00-05:00
After four months, the county provided body cam footage, and is weighing policy changes amid a Marshall Project and News 5 Cleveland investigation.

Why This Physician Testifies in Favor of the Firing Squad - 2025-02-04T06:00:00-05:00
James Williams is an ER doctor, a hunter, a gunshot victim — and the go-to expert for death row prisoners seeking an alternative to lethal injection.

How the U.S. Turned Away From the Death Penalty and Toward ‘Death by Incarceration’ - 2025-02-01T12:00:00-05:00
The number of people imprisoned for life continues to climb, even as the overall prison population declines.

Journalists: How to Report on Deaths in Jails and Prisons - 2025-01-31T06:00:00-05:00
When you get a tip about a death or multiple deaths in your local jail or prison, there are concrete steps you can take to start investigating.

Katrice Hardy Named CEO of The Marshall Project - 2025-01-28T15:45:42-05:00
The industry veteran will lead both the newsroom and business operations.

The Trans Woman Who Sued the Federal Prisons (and Won) Settles Her Remaining Cases - 2025-01-24T06:00:00-05:00
Days before Trump’s inauguration, the Bureau of Prisons agreed to pay Grace Pinson $95,000 to drop more than a dozen pending lawsuits.

How Trump’s Immigration Orders Represent a Seismic Shift on Enforcement - 2025-01-23T15:00:00-05:00
The president’s actions move the federal government toward his promised hardline position. But some executive orders will face court challenges.

Trump’s Order Takes Aim at Transgender People in Prison - 2025-01-23T13:28:00-05:00
Few trans people receive gender-affirming housing and care in the federal prison system. This executive order would make it even harder.

‘Nobody’s Trying to Help Him’: Deaths in Cuyahoga County Jail Intensify Scrutiny - 2025-01-23T06:00:00-05:00
Videos depicting two men’s final moments, and the response by guards, raise alarms at the embattled jail where at least 24 people have died since 2018.

What Will Trump’s Executive Order on Private Prisons Really Do? - 2025-01-22T18:30:00-05:00
The order reverses Biden’s ban on private prison contracts with the Justice Department. Private immigrant detention never stopped and is expected to grow.

Trump’s New Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details - 2025-01-22T18:05:00-05:00
The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.

Why Firing the Prison Guards Involved in Robert Brooks’ Death Is Neither Quick Nor Easy - 2025-01-14T06:00:00-05:00
Our investigation in 2023 exposed how New York’s discipline system failed to hold abusive guards to account.

Incarcerated Firefighters Do Risky, Low-Pay Work. Many Say It’s The Best Job Behind Bars. - 2025-01-11T12:00:00-05:00
More than 900 prison firefighters were responding to the crisis in Los Angeles — but their pay is low and the ethics of their choice are complicated.

‘Was This Fair?’ People Behind Bars React to Trump’s Sentencing - 2025-01-10T17:00:00-05:00
The president-elect avoided punishment for his 34 felony convictions, highlighting how the legal system often treats the wealthy and powerful.

The Marshall Project: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2024 - 2025-01-10T06:00:00-05:00
As our organization grows larger and more diverse, we work to expand the language we use to tell our story.

Motherhood Made Me Even More of a Prison and Police Abolitionist - 2025-01-10T06:00:00-05:00
In this excerpt from “We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition,” co-editor Maya Schenwar names an unexpected source of wisdom: children.

‘Perverse’ Incentives: How Local Governments Might Cash In on Trump’s Migrant Detention - 2025-01-04T12:00:00-05:00
Some local officials see President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations as an answer to their budget woes.

While Youth Detention Numbers Rise, States Begin to Roll Back Reforms - 2024-12-21T12:00:00-05:00
Los Angeles County is one of many places that have struggled to maintain safe conditions for youth and seen reform efforts stall or be abandoned.

Cops Took My Christmas Bike. Now I Give Kids the Freedom To Ride. - 2024-12-20T06:00:00-05:00
For formerly incarcerated activist Dorsey Nunn, the most wonderful time of the year is a holiday bicycle giveaway for kids with parents in prison.

Relief Coming to Ohio Drivers Suspended Over Lack of Money - 2024-12-19T17:35:41-05:00
A Marshall Project and News 5 investigation inspired a bipartisan bill to address the license suspension crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.

How a 1963 Cleveland Case Shaped Stop-and-Frisk Police Tactics, and Why It Still Matters - 2024-12-19T06:00:00-05:00
Under Cleveland’s consent decree, police have to track each stop.

You Can See Who Is in Many Ohio Jails With a Few Clicks — Just Not in Cuyahoga County - 2024-12-17T06:00:00-05:00
The sheriff’s department lags behind other agencies by failing to offer a website to help the public quickly learn who’s inside its notorious county jail.

Dozens of Prisoners Allege a Culture of Violence by Guards at Federal Facility in Virginia - 2024-12-17T06:00:00-05:00
In lawsuits and interviews, people held at Lee penitentiary described correctional officers breaking teeth, fracturing ribs and using the N-word.

What I Learned From a Year of Reading Letters From Prisoners - 2024-12-16T06:00:00-05:00
The Marshall Project receives nearly 3,000 letters a year from people behind bars. Each one tells a different story about the system’s harms.

Some of Our Best Work for 2024 - 2024-12-16T06:00:00-05:00
Online, in print, and on radio and TV, we delved into prison health care, political views of people behind bars, arrests of women who miscarry and more.

How Inhumane Prison and Jail Conditions Prompt Calls for Federal Takeovers - 2024-12-14T12:00:00-05:00
Some state and local lockups are facing federal intervention due to problems ranging from filthy cells to violent abuse.

For a Prison Transfer 45 Minutes Away, I Spent 12 Days in Hell - 2024-12-13T06:00:00-05:00
From feces on the wall to constant gang calls, LaMarr W. Knox details the horrors of the transit unit at New York’s Green Haven prison.

Facing Decades in Prison, a Mississippi Mother Defied a Prosecutor and a Hazy Legal Theory - 2024-12-12T06:00:00-05:00
A prosecutor had been threatening mothers who used drugs while pregnant with long sentences — until Brandy Moore fought the case against her.

‘Sleep Don’t Come’: The Dangerous Problem of Sleep Deprivation Behind Bars - 2024-12-12T06:00:00-05:00
Moldy mattresses, 24/7 lights and constant noise contribute to a persistent health and safety crisis in prisons and jails.

Hospitals Gave Patients Meds During Childbirth, Then Reported Them For Positive Drug Tests - 2024-12-11T06:00:00-05:00
Mothers were reported after they were given medications used routinely for pain or in epidurals, to reduce anxiety or to manage blood pressure during cesarean sections.

Lights, Camera, Action - 2024-12-11T06:00:00-05:00
News Inside Issue 18 provides a glimpse into the first-ever Sing Sing Film Festival.

New Florida Prison Policy on Trans Health Care ‘Like Conversion Therapy’ - 2024-12-10T06:00:00-05:00
With new restrictions on gender-affirming care, prisons confiscate underwear from trans people and compel them to cut their hair.

Hunter Biden’s Pardon and Who the President Could Choose Next - 2024-12-07T12:00:00-05:00
Thousands of people without political connections are also hoping for Joe Biden to pardon them before he leaves the White House.

I Found My Faith Community in Prison. Then My Facility Closed. - 2024-12-06T06:00:00-05:00
Rashon Venable spent three productive years at New York’s Sullivan Correctional Facility. A surprise shutdown sent the Muslim poet and writer into a tailspin.

After Jail Deaths and No Justice, This Kentucky Lawyer Tried to Make a Difference - 2024-12-04T06:00:00-05:00
A tough legal precedent had kept his clients from their day in court, so Greg Belzley decided there was only one thing to do — try to change the law.

The Marshall Project Wins EPPY Award for Best Collaborative Investigative/Enterprise Reporting - 2024-11-26T14:35:46-05:00
The Marshall Project, St. Louis Public Radio and APM Reports were recognized for their investigation into homicide clearance rates in St. Louis.

Is The Age of Progressive Prosecutors Over? - 2024-11-23T12:00:00-05:00
Some believe progressive prosecutors have had their moment, but others argue that view misinterprets what’s happening across the country.

A Prison Rape Survivor Demands Smart, Safe and Humane Transfers - 2024-11-22T06:00:00-05:00
“I know how a relocation can exacerbate violence,” writes Johanna Mills. “Even when the place you’re leaving is so toxic that you can’t stay there.”

Cuyahoga County Jail Will Now Do More Than Show People the Door - 2024-11-21T06:00:00-05:00
Reentry changes come in response to The Marshall Project - Cleveland investigation that showed people leaving jail got little help to avoid returning.