The Marshall Project

The Marshall Project - 2025-06-23T07:46:22-04:00

How Ohio Prison Staff Open and Read Confidential Legal Mail - 2025-06-23T06:00:22-04:00
An anti-drug smuggling policy has slowed the delivery of time-sensitive court documents as prison staff read letters protected by attorney-client privilege.

These States Are Debating Castration for Sex Crimes. Experts Call It Cruel and Pointless. - 2025-06-21T12:00:00-04:00
Critics say there’s no evidence that castration prevents future sex offenses. Yet several states are weighing such measures.

He Spent Years in Federal Prisons. Now He’s Helping to Lead Them. - 2025-06-20T06:00:37-04:00
The Bureau of Prisons’ new deputy director’s past incarceration has drawn outrage from some officers — and support from people still inside.

A North Carolina County Wanted New Court to Stem Its Opioid Crisis. Then Came Trump’s Cuts. - 2025-06-17T06:00:00-04:00
As the Justice Department slashes funding to programs across the U.S., Wilkes County’s planned recovery court was halted before it started.

Have We Been Wrong About ‘Psychopaths’? - 2025-06-16T06:00:00-04:00
In a new book, Rasmus Rosenberg Larsen questions how courts and prisons use psychopathy diagnoses — and whether they should at all.

The Feds Are Offering Migrants Cash to Self-Deport. Lawyers Call These Incentives Misleading. - 2025-06-14T12:00:00-04:00
The government’s offer to pay a stipend, waive fees, and let people return legally to the U.S. go against current law and court practices, immigration lawyers say.

From Budget Chaos to Public Defenders: Mississippi Poised to Fund ‘Day 1’ Experiment - 2025-06-12T06:00:08-04:00
Indigent felony defendants in many counties have lacked court-appointed lawyers before indictment, even while they sat in jails for weeks or months.

Cuyahoga Deputy Who Shot at Two Teens Was Deemed Unfit for Suburban Force - 2025-06-12T06:00:00-04:00
Deputy Isen Vajusi struggled with confidence, stress and field training before being forced out of the suburbs. He’s now on the sheriff’s downtown safety patrol.

What History Tells Us to Expect From Trump’s Escalation in Los Angeles Protests - 2025-06-09T15:02:00-04:00
Since the 1960s, studies have shown that heavy-handed policing and militarized responses tend to make protests more volatile — not less.

From New York to Arizona, More States Consider Curbing Drug Testing at Childbirth - 2025-06-09T06:00:54-04:00
Some bills followed an investigation by The Marshall Project and Reveal that exposed the harms of widespread drug testing of pregnant patients.

How AI-Powered Police Forces Watch Your Every Move - 2025-06-07T12:00:00-04:00
Artificial intelligence is changing how police investigate crimes — and monitor citizens — as regulators struggle to keep pace.

This Mix of Therapies Is Helping to Stop Youth Violence in Chicago - 2025-06-05T06:00:00-04:00
A violence prevention program is pairing cognitive behavioral therapy with other support to keep high-risk teens out of jail.

Judge Stops Federal Prisons From Enforcing Trump’s Trans Care Ban, For Now - 2025-06-03T15:25:00-04:00
The district judge ordered the prison system to continue providing hormone therapy to transgender people as needed, while a lawsuit proceeds.

No Camera, No Case? A New York Trial Shows It’s Hard to Prove Prison Abuse Without Video - 2025-06-02T06:00:00-04:00
Michael McCallion waited years to confront in court the officers he said attacked him in prison. The guards denied the assault ever happened.

‘Freedom for Captives!’ Trump Puts Clemency Machine Into Overdrive for Political Allies - 2025-05-31T12:00:00-04:00
The president has remade the pardons process with seemingly one key principle in mind: “No MAGA left behind.”

Remembering Tom Robbins - 2025-05-29T17:25:00-04:00
Our founder reflects on the legacy of the reporter who helped set the standard for The Marshall Project’s investigations into prison abuse.

George Floyd, 5 Years Later - 2025-05-25T06:00:00-04:00
On this anniversary of Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, here are six pieces about why it happened — and what followed.

As Trump Abandons Police Reforms, These Local Officials Vow to Press On - 2025-05-24T12:00:00-04:00
The Department of Justice said it’s pulling back from policing changes. Will cities and states have the tools to enforce them?

Love Beyond Bars: Larry and Gloria - 2025-05-23T06:00:00-04:00
Larry Moses and Gloria Armour first dated in their 20s. The New Orleans duo reunited in their 60s, after Moses was wrongfully imprisoned for 29 years.

Is Trump’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Prisoners Unconstitutional? - 2025-05-22T17:35:45-04:00
A federal judge considers if the president’s executive order barring hormone treatment in the Bureau of Prisons is cruel and unusual punishment.

The Unbearable Darkness of Jail - 2025-05-21T06:00:29-04:00
Jails in St. Louis, Cleveland and Jackson, Mississippi, don’t provide direct access to sunlight and fresh air – even when their own policies require it.

Rural Missouri Jails See Windfall in Trump’s Mass Deportation Effort - 2025-05-19T06:00:00-04:00
As cash-strapped jails rush in for ICE contracts, one man’s death shows the complexity and risk of detaining immigrants.

They’re Facing Deportation with Severe Mental Illness — And Now Without a Lawyer - 2025-05-19T06:00:00-04:00
The Trump administration recently ended a legal aid program, leaving immigrants who have mental health disorders on their own.

Five Years After George Floyd’s Murder, Police Reforms Are Being Rolled Back - 2025-05-17T12:00:00-04:00
As reforms stall in some states, the U.S. Supreme Court just made it easier for police to be sued — and perhaps easier for police to defend themselves.

Ohio Lawmaker Wants to Require Jails to Report Pregnancy Outcomes - 2025-05-16T06:00:00-04:00
The Cleveland Democrat says “all babies should count,” — regardless of whether their mother is behind bars — to ensure access to healthcare for pregnant women.

The Marshall Project Honored in 10 Categories by the Society for News Design - 2025-05-16T06:00:00-04:00
The competition honors the best in visual journalism and design in the world.

Uncounted: Ohio’s Failure to Track Lost Pregnancies in Jails Spurs Questions Over Care - 2025-05-15T06:00:00-04:00
One woman’s pregnancy ended in the Cuyahoga County Jail amid ignored cries for help and an “egregious performance failure” by medical staff.

DOJ Shakeup May Put Civil Rights Probe of 1970 Jackson State, Mississippi, Killings At Risk - 2025-05-14T06:00:00-04:00
The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act made way for investigations of racially motivated killings. The federal agency enforcing it is in disarray.

These Missouri Prisons Get ‘Brutally Hot.’ In Solitary, It’s Even Worse. - 2025-05-14T06:00:00-04:00
A recent class action lawsuit from the MacArthur Justice Center sheds light on how extreme heat creates life-threatening conditions for those in solitary confinement.

In Mississippi’s Capital City, Indicted District Attorney Flouts Campaign Disclosure Laws - 2025-05-12T14:00:14-04:00
While he fights federal bribery charges, Jody Owens faces sanctions for not disclosing campaign funds and spending. Weak laws confuse enforcement.

Why We Still Don’t Have Enough Solid Data on Pregnancy in Prison - 2025-05-10T12:00:00-04:00
A new report sheds light on pregnant people behind bars, but misses their lived experience.

When New Jersey Switches Prison Tablet Companies, I’ll Lose 10 Years of Family Memories - 2025-05-09T06:00:00-04:00
Writer Shakeil Price uses his JPay tablet as a hard drive for his photos and videos. He’ll soon have to mail it home or have it destroyed.

The Marshall Project Announces $1M Challenge Grant From Board Chair Liz Simons to Support Criminal Justice Journalism - 2025-05-07T06:00:00-04:00
The need for trusted, fact-based reporting has never been more urgent.

The Marshall Project Is a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing - 2025-05-05T16:30:00-04:00
Joe Sexton’s sweeping narrative ‘The Hardest Case for Mercy’ explored the efforts to spare the life of the Parkland school shooter.

There’s a Lot to Learn About Crime. Trump’s Orders Are Making It Harder to Get Answers. - 2025-05-03T12:00:00-04:00
The administration so far has cut funds for tracking bad cops, shootings and violent extremism, cancelled crime prevention grants, and more.

The Marshall Project Wins National Health Care Journalism Award for Excellence in Audio Reporting - 2025-05-02T15:00:00-04:00
The reporting exposed the impact of widespread drug testing on pregnant people.

When Prison Nurses Must Choose Between Loyalty to Abusive Guards and Devotion to Patients - 2025-05-01T06:00:00-04:00
In dozens of cases, medical personnel in New York prisons were accused of covering up beatings — some under pressure — and rarely faced punishment.

The Marshall Project Wins Two National Headliner Awards for Excellence in Journalism - 2025-04-30T16:30:00-04:00
The honor is for outstanding work in investigative and digital journalism.

In Some New York Prisons, Infirmaries Are Dens of Hidden Violence - 2025-04-30T06:00:00-04:00
After guards beat Robert Brooks to death in December, The Marshall Project found dozens more allegations of abuse in medical rooms lacking cameras.

Trump’s New Order on Policing Seems Sweeping. But What Will It Really Change? - 2025-04-29T19:45:00-04:00
The president’s directive may please some law enforcement officials, but some experts say certain provisions are redundant and ignore how police agencies really work.

Trump’s Anti-DEI Push Raises Concerns Among Black Officers in Local Police Departments - 2025-04-28T06:00:55-04:00
DEI professionals and officers of color fear that a Trump-led backlash will erase the diversity gains made after the George Floyd protests.

Not In Our Backyard: Some Pro-Trump Towns Push Against Detention Centers - 2025-04-26T12:00:00-04:00
Opposition to an immigration detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas, illustrates a tension playing out across the country.

The Marshall Project Named Finalist for 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting - 2025-04-25T06:00:00-04:00
The reporting exposed the impact of widespread drug testing on pregnant people.

Ohio Is Lifting Old Driver’s License Suspensions for Unpaid Fines. Here’s What to Know. - 2025-04-22T12:54:00-04:00
The state will automatically cancel certain suspensions. Letters will be mailed to eligible drivers, sharing steps for getting licenses back.

St. Louis Jail Is a ‘Potential Powder Keg’ - 2025-04-21T06:00:00-04:00
A facility built for progress reflects ‘decades of neglect’ and the city’s deepest struggles, from mental illness to systemic dysfunction.

Fish Tanks, Plants and Podcast Studios — Some States Try a New Approach to Incarceration - 2025-04-19T12:00:00-04:00
America’s experiment with Scandinavian-inspired prison units is growing — and being tested.

The Marshall Project’s Inside Story Season 2 Nominated for 2025 Peabody Award - 2025-04-18T15:06:00-04:00
The award-winning video series takes viewers into the lives and experiences of people impacted by the criminal justice system.

How I Became an Opera Composer in a Maximum Security Prison - 2025-04-18T06:00:03-04:00
I learned music theory through workshops at New York’s Sing Sing prison. I earned my stripes by singing for boisterous crowds of incarcerated critics.

All Stick, No Carrot: Ohio’s Reagan Tokes Law Acts as a ‘One-Way Ratchet’ for Prison Time - 2025-04-17T06:00:00-04:00
Intended to curb prison violence with promises of early release, the law is turning out as unbalanced as critics feared, with sentences extended at every turn.

The Bipartisan Push to Rethink Long Sentences for Abuse Survivors - 2025-04-12T12:00:00-04:00
A Georgia bill offers a model for other states looking to protect people who are accused or convicted of crimes stemming from their abuse.