Between the grueling schedule, copious paperwork, abrupt hearings and risk-averse colleagues, prison reformer Carol Shapiro realized the New York parole system was dysfunctional by design.

I Joined the Parole Board to Make a Difference. Now I Call It ‘Conveyor Belt Justice.’

Between the grueling schedule, copious paperwork, abrupt hearings and risk-averse colleagues, prison reformer Carol Shapiro realized the New York parole system was dysfunctional by design.

themarshallproject.org

Despite the security concerns of administrators, incarcerated people use phones to hustle, make TikToks or publicize prison conditions.

TikTok, WebMD and University: How People Use Cell Phones Behind Bars

Incarcerated people say contraband phones can improve lives, despite the risks.

themarshallproject.org

Adapting to public pushback, the Trump administration is pivoting to expand immigration detention bedspace nationwide.

ICE Is Trading Warehouses for Old Prisons

Adapting to public pushback, the Trump administration is pivoting to expand immigration detention bedspace nationwide.

themarshallproject.org

“My college degree taught me that anything is possible when you show someone how to love themselves, through accountability, vulnerability and education.”

I Grew Up Believing I Was Dumb. A College Education Behind Bars Healed That Wound

“My college degree taught me that anything is possible when you show someone how to love themselves, through accountability, vulnerability and education.”

themarshallproject.org

The Marshall Project reports on an Illinois prison that has repeatedly failed to adequately respond to fires within the facility:

How An Illinois Prison Drove Desperate Men to Set Themselves on Fire

Designed to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths.

themarshallproject.org

Today’s Opening Statement features new developments in our coverage of dangerous conditions inside an Illinois prison. Lawmakers are calling on the governor to help make the place safe after scores of fires, some deadly, behind bars. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

From Tupac’s 1994 track “Out on Bail” to Gucci Mane’s 2016 “First Day Out Da Feds,” countless rappers have commemorated their release from prison, with so-called ‘first day out’ songs.

An Iconic ‘90s Neo-Soul Record About Life After Lockup

An Iconic ‘90s Neo-Soul Record About Life After Lockup

themarshallproject.org

"Celebrities get a lot of attention on both sides of the wall. But ultimately, we are all the same: warehoused property."

Despite Sensationalist Media Coverage, the Famous People at My Prison Aren’t in Any Special Danger

Celebrities get a lot of attention on both sides of the wall. But ultimately, we are all the same: warehoused property.

themarshallproject.org

Illinois lawmakers are calling for changes at the Joliet Treatment Center after a Marshall Project, @chicago.suntimes.com and @wbez.org investigation exposed an epidemic of fires that resulted in two deaths at the prison. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/04/i...

Illinois Lawmakers Decry Prison’s ‘Gut-Wrenching,’ ‘Heartbreaking’ Conditions

After The Marshall Project found scores of fires set by men at a Joliet prison, legislators want improved fire safety and mental health treatment.

themarshallproject.org

Demetrius Buckley’s long-awaited transfer to a lower-security prison means more time outside of his cell and a chance to see his daughter. But the transport process was like everything else in prison: slow, confusing and casually cruel.

I Got the Prison Transfer I Fought For. My Feelings Were Surprisingly Mixed

Demetrius Buckley’s long-awaited transfer to a lower-security prison means more time outside of his cell and a chance to see his daughter. But the transport process was like everything else in…

themarshallproject.org

Adapting to public pushback, the Trump administration is pivoting to expand immigration detention bedspace nationwide.

ICE Is Trading Warehouses for Old Prisons

Adapting to public pushback, the Trump administration is pivoting to expand immigration detention bedspace nationwide.

themarshallproject.org

U.S. prisons are notorious for bad food — from bland, low-nutrient dishes to straight-up moldy meals. We teamed up with "The Pitt" fan account @nocontextthepitt to talk about the impacts of meager food behind bars. See the 18-slide post: www.instagram.com/p/DbI835iESPt/

"I sat through years of medical education, memorized pharmacology charts and learned to assess patients from head to toe. Yet, no one — not one professor or clinical instructor — ever taught me what it’s like to experience perimenopause."

Guide: How to Navigate Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison

Practical advice from medical experts and from incarcerated women on how to deal with perimenopause and menopause.

themarshallproject.org

Today’s Opening Statement brings good news for the formerly incarcerated in Virginia, bad news for Jeffery Lee, whose execution has been scheduled again in Alabama, and great news for David Hearn, whose case was dropped by federal prosecutors. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

Missteps in prison can carry real consequences. Here’s what incarcerated people wish they had known when they first arrived.

Incarcerated People Share the Prison Rules They Live By

There are unofficial rules in every prison and jail. Here’s what to know before you go in.

themarshallproject.org

At a German prison, one man told us he leaves three times a week, 12 hours at a time, to be with his loved ones. Then he returns. Watch what prison looks like when it is not built to punish, in our latest episode of “Inside Story” on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKb...

Today’s Opening Statement features more TMP original work on the use and abuse of felony murder rules in Pennsylvania following a state Supreme Court ruling that struck down mandatory life sentences meted out to more than 1,100 people. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

"I used to hide this cathartic craft because Crips don’t crochet. But making items that fellow prisoners can give to their loved ones has allowed me to create a peaceful new identity."

From Crip to Crochet Artist: How an Unlikely Hobby Changed My Life in Prison

I used to hide this cathartic craft because Crips don’t crochet. But making items that fellow prisoners can give to their loved ones has allowed me to create a peaceful new identity.

themarshallproject.org

Thank you Fox 32 for highlighting the epedemic of Fires, including two deaths, at the Joliet Treatment Center. www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-ag... You can read the full story here: www.themarshallproject.org/2026/07/24/p...

Investigation finds alleged mistreatment at Illinois prison mental health facility

A joint investigation by The Marshall Project, WBEZ, and the Chicago Sun-Times details alleged mistreatment inside the Joliet Treatment Center, a facility created to provide mental health care for inc...

fox32chicago.com

Jason Stephens died from a prison fire he set in prison two-years ago, today. It was one of 70 fires in the Joliet Treatment Center over 3 years, including 12 cases of self-immolation. Here is his story... THREAD www.themarshallproject.org/2026/07/24/p...

A Prison on Fire

Designed to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths.

themarshallproject.org

Food behind bars often fails to meet the standards of basic nutrition. Take a look:

What’s in a Prison Meal?

The ongoing fight for more, and better, prison food.

themarshallproject.org

At Fox Run, a home for kids in treatment backed by a multi-billion dollar company, residents and former staff detail a litany of trauma. One former resident told us, “I would rather be dead outside in the snow” than spend another night inside.

How Fox Run Treatment Center Traumatized Troubled Children

Kids at the facility went as far as hurting themselves and others to escape. Here’s what they were running from.

themarshallproject.org

Designed to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths. Story via @themarshallproject.org.

A Prison on Fire

Designed to help people with serious mental illness, Joliet Treatment Center repeatedly failed to prevent or respond to fires, despite two deaths.

themarshallproject.org

Today’s Opening Statement features an original TMP investigation into an Ohio residential treatment center where children were traumatized by cruel care or mistreatment from healthcare providers working at a Fortune 500-backed company. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

Experiencing perimenopause and menopause in prison can be difficult. Here is some practical advice from medical experts and from incarcerated women who have done it.

Guide: How to Navigate Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison

Practical advice from medical experts and from incarcerated women on how to deal with perimenopause and menopause.

themarshallproject.org

"In my more lucid moments I knew that I had to change, but I didn’t think it was possible. Furthermore, I didn't know how to start. Then one day, at age 30, I did the most benign-seeming thing that changed everything: I quit drinking soda."

I Changed My Violent Prison Life in a Random Way: I Quit Drinking Soda

This simple act of self-denial forced me to admit that a major source of my life’s problems was my lack of self-discipline.

themarshallproject.org

User-review sites have become an unlikely destination for raw, informative accounts of Americans’ everyday interactions with our criminal justice system.

‘I Reviewed Jail on Yelp Because I Couldn't Afford a Therapist.’

Why people are using sites like Yelp to vent and offer tips about prison and jail.

themarshallproject.org

Today’s Opening Statement features our original reporting on the death penalty in Missouri, where the state’s death row population has dropped by 90% since the late 1990s. That plus coverage of a rare double execution in Florida. us3.campaign-archive.com?u=a92567c13c...

We reviewed death sentences from 1972 to 2025 and found Missouri has the second-highest execution rate in the U.S.

Missouri Executes Prisoners at High Rate Among Death Penalty States

Over half of death row prisoners in Missouri have been executed. Nationally, the rate is 18%.

themarshallproject.org

In this guide, families who have lost someone to violence in St. Louis share what did – and did not – help them rebuild their lives after a tragic loss.

How Do You Grieve the Victim of an Unsolved Homicide? Ask the People Who’ve Been Through It.

In this guide, families who have lost someone to violence in St. Louis share what did – and did not – help them rebuild their lives after a tragic loss.

themarshallproject.org