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Lakeidra Chavis is a staff writer for The Marshall Project. She has written extensively on gun violence and gun enforcement in Chicago, as well as Black suicides, gang structures and the opioid crisis. Her work currently focuses on juvenile justice. She previously reported at ProPublica Illinois and for NPR stations in Chicago and Alaska. Lakeidra was a 2021 Livingston Award finalist. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Phone (212) 803-5272
Email lchavis@themarshallproject.org
Twitter @lakeidrachavis
Two students walk past a university building.
Closing Argument February 24
Knock, Knock! Who’s There? The Police.
What happens when a joke carries criminal charges?
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A large group of people stand in a circle on the sidewalk near an intersection, holding candles for a vigil.
Closing Argument December 2
What’s a Hate Crime? Depends on Where You Live
A hodgepodge of state and local laws makes some violence a hate crime in some places, but not in others.
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A barbed wire fence surrounds a tan-colored building.
Closing Argument September 23
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
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The mayor of Baltimore, a Black man in a gray suit and a gold-colored tie, stands at a podium during a news conference in May while a Black woman in light-colored dress stands beside him with her arms clasped in front of her. A mixed group of people is behind them.
News June 29, 2023
A Dozen Cities Set Youth Curfews This Year, Even Though They Don’t Reduce Crime
Texas recently banned juvenile curfews, while cities like Baltimore and Memphis have doubled-down on them.
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A close-up shot of three peoples' hands at a table. A medium-skin person is writing on a piece of paper. Also on the table, there is a black pistol with a red tag, a water container, hand sanitizer, a blue lanyard with the words "Bureau of Organized Crime," a phone ,and the hands of a light-skinned person unloading a silver pocket pistol.
Analysis May 3
How We Reported on Rising Gun Possession Arrests
The Marshall Project used arrest data in Chicago and other cities to understand who was arrested for gun possession and how the number of arrests changed over time.
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Feature March 24
How Chicago Got Its Gun Laws
It’s nearly impossible to separate modern-day gun laws from race.
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An officer inspects one of the two long guns on a table.
Feature March 23, 2023
5 Things to Know About the Failed War on Gun Violence
Gun possession arrests are a major policing tactic in the fight against gun violence. Here’s how that plays out.
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A photo collage displays images of side profiles of police officers, an individual being detained, ripped pages of a map of Chicago and a diagram of a gun.
Feature March 23, 2023
The War on Gun Violence Has Failed. And Black Men Are Paying the Price.
In Chicago and elsewhere, gun possession arrests are rising as shootings go unsolved.
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A black and white photograph shows a large electronic billboard with a closeup of an eye at the front of a store in New York.
Analysis February 27, 2023
What the Panic Over Shoplifting Reveals About American Crime Policy
Lawmakers consider bills to crack down on people ripping off retailers, even as some stores walk back claims about a growing theft problem.
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Life Inside April 29, 2022
My Son Nacear Was Killed on Memorial Day. It Took Me Two Years to Cry.
I was taking care of his kids, going to work, and helping my other children process their brother’s murder. I couldn’t have accomplished what I needed to if I had cried sooner.
Johndell Gredic, as told to
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