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A podcast logo set atop a blurry blue and yellow background. In the logo, a yellow figure balances on top of a tightrope made out of barbed wire. Below, in all caps: “Violation.”
Violation September 26
Jacob Wideman Says ‘Vindictive’ Arizona Officials Violated His Rights
A “Violation” podcast update brings listeners into Wideman’s case against state corrections and parole officials.
By Beth Schwartzapfel
Eight cropped book covers with shadows behind them appear in a grid against a cream-colored background: “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” “The Hellbound Heart,” “Captive Nation,” “Black on Black Violence,” “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” and “Effective Java.” The center of the grid shows an image of a tool displaying which books are banned in Ohio prisons.
Cleveland June 20
Ohio Prison System Bans Java Computer Manual, But Allows Hitler’s Mein Kampf
Incarcerated people are baffled by the state’s book screening process.
By The Marshall Project
Three Black men sit in a chapel, next to a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The man sitting in the middle wears glasses and a lime green polo over his dark green prison uniform. The two men sitting on either side of him hold a trombone and a saxophone, wearing jackets and slacks.
Closing Argument June 10
A Battle Over First Amendment Rights in Prisons
New York state tried to limit writings and artistic works from prisoners — illustrating a growing issue across the country.
By Beth Schwartzapfel and Maurice Chammah
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 line of correctional officers with their arms linked, in shades of gray, There's an opening in the line, which shows a correctional officer being protected and escorted away by two other officers, in shades of blue and purple.
Feature May 22
How a ‘Blue Wall’ Inside New York State Prisons Protects Abusive Guards
Records and interviews reveal a culture of cover-ups among corrections officers who falsify reports and send beating victims to solitary confinement.
By Joseph Neff, Alysia Santo and Tom Meagher
Analysis May 19
How We Investigated Abuse by Prison Guards in New York
The Marshall Project examined 12 years of employee discipline data and hundreds of prisoner lawsuits.
By Tom Meagher
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
A woman signs “I love you” in American sign language toward a deaf person in prison. Between them is a stream of “DOC”-branded paperwork, letters and money that signify how deaf people in prison without access to video calls and video relay services also lose access to information and communication with loved ones.
News March 21
‘Prison Within a Prison’: New Mandate Offers Lifeline for Deaf People in Custody
The new rule, which goes in effect in January 2024, applies to phone companies serving prisons, jails and detention facilities nationwide.
By Christie Thompson
Khayr Muhammad leaps in the air with a cape in his right hand, streaming behind him.
The Frame January 14, 2022
“Wild: Bird of Paradise” Envisions a World Without Prisons or Police
The final installment of Jeremy McQueen’s dance film explores the challenges and fears of being a young Black man in New York City.
By Celina Fang
An incarcerated person received a COVID-19 vaccination at the Bolivar County Regional Correctional Facility in Cleveland, Miss., in April.
News December 22, 2021
Omicron Has Arrived. Many Prisons and Jails Are Not Ready.
Experts fear “another potential tinderbox scenario” akin to the early days of the pandemic.
By Beth Schwartzapfel and Keri Blakinger
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