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Recent stories from The Marshall Project.

Darrius Turner, a Black man with glasses, works on radio equipment and wears headphones in a studio.
News November 1
This Radio Show Connects People Behind Bars With the Outside World
Prisoncast! — a special audio project from WBEZ Chicago — brings the sounds of life beyond prison walls to incarcerated people in Illinois.
By Nicole Lewis and Shannon Heffernan
A package of books that was rejected by the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, Nevada, surrounded by printouts of prison policies about receiving reading material and publications from different states. The package has "Too much tape" written in marker on the side.
News October 18
Many Prisons Restrict Books to Stop Drug Smuggling. Critics Say It Doesn’t Work.
Battling an overdose crisis, more prisons are blocking books based on the sender or packaging. Free speech advocates call it a de facto book ban.
By and
A collage illustration shows the Corizon headquarters sign underneath three circular photographs of people. One circle features a young man, smiling. Another circle shows a woman posing next to a young man. In the third, a couple smiles against a backdrop of palm trees. Floating around these three images are cut-out pieces of text from a court filing that contains words like “bankruptcy,” “harm,” “wrongdoing” and “incarcerated people.” Red illustrated bars lay over a corner of the Corizon headquarters.
News September 19
A Prison Medical Company Faced Lawsuits From Incarcerated People. Then It Went ‘Bankrupt.’
The prison giant Corizon spun off a new company, which could allow it to pay pennies on the dollar for medical malpractice and civil rights claims.
By Beth Schwartzapfel
An illustration shows a correctional officer in uniform standing among four cardboard cutouts of correctional officers. A sketch of a prison is visible in the background.
News September 18
Mississippi Auditor: Prison Company Must Pay $2 Million for No-Show Workers
A 2020 investigation by The Marshall Project exposed how prison operator MTC billed the state millions for ghost workers.
By Joseph Neff and Alysia Santo
An aerial view of a U.S. penitentiary in Thomson, Illinois. A white water tower, with the word "Thomson" painted on it is in the foreground, next to a grove of trees.
News July 6
‘This is Major Trauma’: New Accounts of Abuse at Federal Prison Prompt Calls for Investigations
More than 120 prisoners held at a special unit in Thomson Penitentiary reported mistreatment, lawyers’ committee report says.
By Christie Thompson, The Marshall Project and Joseph Shapiro, NPR
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
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.
By Lakeidra Chavis
An instructor with a long black beard looks at a screen as he lectures in a classroom filled with students sitting in their desks.
News June 26
Help Wanted (in Prison): Texas Recruits High School Kids To Be Corrections Officers
Short on guards, the state hopes to attract students enrolled in career training programs once they turn 18.
By Anya Slepyan
An illustration shows three correctional officers in the foreground, in shades of dark gray. In the background, there are three correctional officers in light gray. Two of the officers are holding up the arms of an incarcerated person in an orange uniform, while one officer covers the incarcerated person's mouth.
News May 22
We Spent Two Years Investigating Abuse by Prison Guards in New York. Here Are Five Takeaways.
The state fails to fire most corrections officers it accuses of violence against prisoners or covering up abuse.
By Alysia Santo and Joseph Neff
An illustration shows a correctional officer's light blue shirt and dark blue pants neatly folded in a pile. Loose sheets of paper fly above the shirt.
News May 19
What Do People Not Understand About Working in Prisons and Jails?
Fill out a short form to let us know what issues matter most in your workplace.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows various scenes of life in prison, including talking on the phone about money, viewing a commissary balance on a computer, brushing teeth, taking a shower, lining up for food and eating in a cafeteria. Throughout the illustration are images of peanut butter, ramen, coffee and toothpaste. An arrow made of dollar bills points upward across the illustration.
News May 2
Why Inflation Price Hikes Are Even Worse Behind Bars
An additional “tax” on commissary goods means incarcerated people are paying far more for staple items like peanut butter and soap, a Marshall Project analysis found.
By Alexandra Arriaga
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