The Marshall Project Inside

The Marshall Project Inside — created and led by Marshall Project staff who are formerly incarcerated — provides criminal justice news and information to the millions of people living inside America’s prisons and jails.

News Inside, our print publication, circulates in more than 1,000 correctional facilities and reaches approximately 223,600 incarcerated individuals.

Inside Story, our video series, serves low-literacy audiences who comprise roughly 60% of people in prison and those who prefer to watch their news in a video format.

The Marshall Project is the only major news outlet in America making this level of investment to reach incarcerated readers.

Inside Story FAQ

What is Inside Story

Launched in 2021, Inside Story is a video series that delivers criminal justice news and information to people both inside and outside of prison walls. Conceived by Lawrence Bartley, who was incarcerated for 27 years, and Donald Washington Jr., who served 15 years, the series reaches audiences behind bars who would prefer to consume their news via video.

How does Inside Story reach incarcerated people?

Inside Story is streamed on prison tablets and shown on correctional facilities’ closed-circuit TVs. It is now available in nearly 1,200 prisons and jails across 48 states and counting.

Can a person request access to Inside Story on an incarcerated person’s behalf at their facility?

If you would like to help a loved one access Inside Story, reach out to The Marshall Project with the name of the tablet provider at the facility, and we will contact administrators to arrange to make it available. It also might help if people on the outside can contact local departments of corrections to express their interest in the series being made available to people on the inside.

Why was Inside Story revamped from its original format?

In 2022, The Marshall Project was approached by James Goldston, the former president of ABC News, who encouraged us to set our sights on producing a dynamic half-hour show. Going back to the drawing board, we developed the idea for a multisegmented show.

Why did The Marshall Project partner with VICE News?

We partnered with VICE News to benefit from their award-winning video storytelling and production expertise. Our partnership with VICE expands our reach among justice-affected audiences and those who care about the issues we cover.

How can the general public access Inside Story?

Inside Story episodes will be posted on VICE News’ YouTube channel, VICE News FAST channel, and on The Marshall Project’s website. Click here to keep up with our work created for incarcerated readers.

Will incarcerated people be charged for time on a tablet?

No. All of The Marshall Project’s content is and will remain free of charge.

What other tablets provide news and information by The Marshall Project?

The Marshall Project’s content can be found on APDS, Edovo and PayTel.

When does Inside Story premiere?

February 2, 2023 at noon EST. It will be available in most facilities and to the public.

Media Inquiries

For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact media@themarshallproject.org.