The Marshall Project

themarshallproject.orgSign Up for The Marshall Project's NewslettersGet (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.

25 Apr 2025

Are you curating your news diet more intentionally these days? If topics like policing, prisons, or criminal justice reform matter to you, subscribing to one of our newsletters is the perfect way to get the most important coverage delivered straight to your inbox:

themarshallproject.orgHow America’s Patchwork of Death-In-Custody Rules Is Failing FamiliesBodies of people who die in custody can be cremated, even when it violates their religion, or be donated to science without consent, finds new report.

Bodies of people who die in custody can be cremated, even when it violates their religion, or be donated to science without consent, according to a new report. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/08/d...

themarshallproject.orgHow ICE Operates in the Shadows: A Tale of Two Cases in LAThey were arrested the same month. One man faced criminal charges, and had rights and protections. The other entered a secretive immigration system.

They were arrested the same month. One man faced criminal charges, and had rights and protections. The other entered a secretive immigration system. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/27/i...

themarshallproject.orgRethinking Prison TourismMany former prison sites draw on the spooky and salacious to entertain visitors. But some are having second thoughts.

The prison tourism industry, built largely on entertainment at the expense of incarcerated people’s dignity, is grappling with the criminal justice reform movement — and the business is being challenged by questions about exploitation and voyeurism. www.themarshallproject.org/2022/06/09/r...

themarshallproject.orgKey Local and State Criminal Justice Elections to Follow in the MidtermsCongressional elections draw top attention, but down-ballot candidates and measures shape criminal justice and law enforcement for most people.

Congressional elections draw top attention, but down-ballot candidates and measures shape criminal justice and law enforcement for most people. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/24/g...

themarshallproject.orgIn Prison, Wheelchair Basketball Offers a Chance at ReinventionAt California Medical Facility, playing a sport helps men practice new ways of thinking and form bonds that remain outside of prison walls.

At California Medical Facility, playing wheelchair basketball men practice new ways of thinking and form bonds that remain outside of prison walls. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/26/h...

themarshallproject.orgIn Prison, Pink Ribbons Are RareOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but comprehensive breast cancer care is sorely lacking in Texas prisons.

"October arrives on the outside wrapped in pink... But I want to tell you about the world that pink never quite reaches, because I live in it, and because some of the women I love have paid for that absence with their lives." www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/b...

themarshallproject.orgRethinking Prison TourismMany former prison sites draw on the spooky and salacious to entertain visitors. But some are having second thoughts.

“The way the United States approaches prison tourism re-inscribes the kind of politics that support mass incarceration. It turns human suffering into a spectacle.” www.themarshallproject.org/2022/06/09/r...

themarshallproject.orgI Did My Time, but I’m Automatically Banned From the U.K.A U.S. passport used to be enough to visit the U.K. Now you need an authorization that bars most formerly incarcerated Americans, regardless of their growth.

A U.S. passport used to be enough to visit the U.K. Now you need an authorization that bars most formerly incarcerated Americans, regardless of their growth. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/23/u...

Today’s Opening Statement has the latest on Supreme Court’s reprieve to federal prisoners seeking gender-affirming care behind bars. Plus more friction between the White House and state elections officials over voter intimidation tactics. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

themarshallproject.orgOpening StatementThe most important and timely stories related to criminal justice sent to your inbox every weekday morning, curated by editor-at-large Andrew Cohen.

Every weekday morning, our Opening Statement newsletter brings you the top headlines about policing, prisons and courts, curated by legal analyst @justadcohen.bsky.social Subscribe now to follow the issues defining U.S. criminal justice ⬇️ www.themarshallproject.org/newsletters/...

themarshallproject.org‘Willie Horton’ Is Back. Criminal Justice Reform Never Left.A familiar tough-on-crime election strategy is making a comeback, even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers keep passing reforms across the country.

A familiar tough-on-crime election strategy is making a comeback, even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers keep passing reforms across the country. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/17/t...

themarshallproject.orgThe Fatal Flaw of 911A new book argues that as long as 911 defaults to police, people in mental health crises will be at risk for violent confrontations.

Author Rebecca Neusteter knows 911 is a number imprinted in the mind of every American. Neusteter’s new book, “911, What’s Your Emergency?,” is based on over a decade of research and reporting from inside 911 call centers. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/9...

themarshallproject.orgCuyahoga County Jail Struggles To Implement New CPR PolicyJail officials updated an employee handbook in January to require CPR in medical emergencies, but they haven’t informed most corrections officers yet.

The handbook update came as The Marshall Project - Cleveland reported on a series of deaths inside the jail in recent years, at least half of which involved inadequate medical care or failure to promptly administer CPR. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/15/c...

nytimes.comSupreme Court Blocks Trump From Denying Gender-Transition Care to Federal PrisonersThe justices, for now, agreed to continue preventing the Bureau of Prisons from implementing a policy that would prohibit gender-transition medical treatments.

The feds must continue to provide gender-affirming care to transgender people in federal prisons, for now. The Supreme Court left in place a lower court ruling that had prevented the federal prison system from implementing a ban. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/u...

So allowing the block to stay in place — which effectively requires the Bureau of Prisons to continue providing gender-affirming care to transgender people in federal prison for now — was a sharp departure from this court’s recent history.

themarshallproject.orgBeing Transgender in Prison | The RecordThe best criminal justice reporting tagged with "Being Transgender in Prison," curated by The Marshall Project.

The case will still have many months of briefs and arguments and rulings, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on all of them. www.themarshallproject.org/records/1850...

oyez.org{{meta.pageTitle}}{{meta.description}}

This is the same SCOTUS that last year ruled states could prevent transgender minors from accessing medical transition care. www.oyez.org/cases/2024/2...

scotusblog.comCourt rules that states can exclude transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teamsUpdated on June 30 at 4 p.m.

It’s the same SCOTUS that this year said states can bar transgender athletes from girls’ and womens’ sports. www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/cour...

themarshallproject.orgTrans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With MenAfter a minor change in a judge’s order, the Trump administration arranged to move over a dozen transgender women to men’s facilities.

The executive order and the various ways federal prison officials have tried to implement it (including attempts to ship more than a dozen transgender women from women’s prisons to men’s prisons) have all been challenged in court. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/02/21/t...

themarshallproject.orgJudge Stops Federal Prisons From Enforcing Trump’s Trans Care Ban, For NowThe district judge ordered the prison system to continue providing hormone therapy to transgender people as needed, while a lawsuit proceeds.

Most of the new policies have been blocked in lower courts. These blocks, called “preliminary injunctions,” are temporary while the cases proceed. The administration appealed this preliminary injunction to SCOTUS, which today declined to overturn it. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/06/03/j...

themarshallproject.orgFederal Prisons Bar Gender-Affirming Care for Trans People‘People will die,’ an advocate warns, as standard treatments for gender dysphoria are replaced with therapy and antidepressants after Trump’s order.

The new policy, which the federal prison system published in February, would have forced transgender people on hormone medications to taper off them, and prevented access to clothing and toiletry items that align with their gender identities. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/19/t...

The policy stemmed from Trump’s January executive order declaring “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” www.themarshallproject.org/2025/01/23/t...

themarshallproject.orgWhat We Know About Deaths at the Troubled St. Louis City JailA Marshall Project/St. Louis Public Radio analysis shows the top causes of death at the jail are untreated medical conditions, drug use or suicide.

A review of death records at St. Louis City Justice Center by The Marshall Project and @stlpublicradio.bsky.social found that common causes included untreated medical conditions, drug use and addiction, and suicide. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/21/s...

themarshallproject.orgIn Prison, Pink Ribbons Are RareOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but comprehensive breast cancer care is sorely lacking in Texas prisons.

Today’s Opening Statement features our announcement that The Marshall Project is suing ICE and CBP to disclose the identities of people detained in immigrant jails. Plus a look at the consequences of poor conditions inside St. Louis’ jail. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

themarshallproject.orgOpening StatementThe most important and timely stories related to criminal justice sent to your inbox every weekday morning, curated by editor-at-large Andrew Cohen.

“I doubt every CO even has it, or has seen it, or has access to it." www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/15/c...

themarshallproject.orgJournalists: How to Responsibly Report on Local Crime DataWhile crime reporting can sensationalize public safety concerns, thoughtful stories can illuminate societal harms and hold institutions accountable.

While crime reporting can sensationalize public safety concerns, thoughtful stories can illuminate societal harms and hold institutions accountable. This toolkit will explore the nuances of working with crime data, including common pitfalls to avoid. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/c...

themarshallproject.orgICE Detains People in Secret. We’re Suing to Make It Public.ICE must conform to the same transparency and accountability as police nationwide, our lawsuit argues.

🚨 We are suing ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in federal court to force the agencies to publicly disclose all the people in their custody. Read more: www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

ICE maintains an online locator, but attorneys and advocates say it’s often unreliable, not updated quickly enough and fails to include everyone in detention. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

themarshallproject.orgICE Detains People in Secret. We’re Suing to Make It Public.ICE must conform to the same transparency and accountability as police nationwide, our lawsuit argues.

We submitted FOIA requests in April seeking access to names, dates of birth and detention locations of everyone in ICE's database. ICE and CBP denied our requests and subsequent appeals, citing privacy protections. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

themarshallproject.orgICE Detains People in Secret. We’re Suing to Make It Public.ICE must conform to the same transparency and accountability as police nationwide, our lawsuit argues.

themarshallproject.orgICE Detains People in Secret. We’re Suing to Make It Public.ICE must conform to the same transparency and accountability as police nationwide, our lawsuit argues.

When local law enforcement makes an arrest, that person’s identity, criminal charges, and detention location are made public in nearly every jurisdiction in the United States. But ICE rarely publicly reveals the identity of people it detains. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/20/i...

Today’s Opening Statement leads off with new reporting on rapes and retaliation against women in a California prison. We also have the latest on voting rights in California and a poignant interview with a violence interrupter in Memphis. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

themarshallproject.orgDespite the Machismo of Prison, These Men Collaborated on a QuiltA quilting workshop united men at Vermont’s Southern State Correctional Facility. The result? A museum-quality piece of art.

"At the beginning, the plan was for the men to design and make a patchwork, which we would then machine quilt on the outside and exhibit at the museum." www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/09/q...

The Marshall Project reposted

Council on Criminal Justice

@counciloncj.org

CCJ Senior Fellow Thaddeus Johnson will join @themarshallproject.org's webinar on October 20. Learn more below ⬇️

The Marshall Project@themarshallproject.org

We’re hosting a free webinar about reporting on crime data this election season. Join us at 1 pm ET on Oct. 20 to hear from criminal justice and law enforcement experts. Register here: www.themarshallproject.org/events/webin...

themarshallproject.orgWebinar: How to Report on Crime Data This Election SeasonLearn how to dispel misinformation and hold institutions accountable as you report on local and FBI crime data.

A familiar tough-on-crime election strategy is making a comeback, even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers keep passing reforms across the country. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/17/t...

themarshallproject.orgJournalists and Researchers: How to Examine FBI Crime Data for Your CommunityHere’s what to know about NIBRS, the FBI’s program for collecting police data from 15,000 agencies across the U.S.

This toolkit will explain what the FBI’s crime data collection program is and how it compares to other national sources of crime statistics. It will also provide tips for working with the data and some ideas about the types of stories it can help you tell. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/f...

themarshallproject.orgWebinar: How to Report on Crime Data This Election SeasonLearn how to dispel misinformation and hold institutions accountable as you report on local and FBI crime data.

themarshallproject.orgThe Fatal Flaw of 911A new book argues that as long as 911 defaults to police, people in mental health crises will be at risk for violent confrontations.

A new book argues that as long as 911 defaults to police, people in mental health crises will be at risk for violent confrontations. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/9...

The Marshall Project reposted

At ICE detention camps, dozens of immigrants are refusing to eat to draw attention to poor conditions and prolonged detentions. At least three camps have seen hunger strikes in the past three weeks. Learn more on our Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/DekaZ18lNMn/

Today’s Opening Statement features the latest coverage of the school shooting in Oregon and new questions about partisan operations at the Justice Department with the midterm elections just two weeks away. Plus more on a donkey shooting in Georgia. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...

themarshallproject.orgOpening StatementThe most important and timely stories related to criminal justice sent to your inbox every weekday morning, curated by editor-at-large Andrew Cohen.

us02web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Prison Banned Books Week FOIAthon. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Prison Banned Books Week FOIAthon. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

The Marshall Project reposted

MuckRock

@muckrock.com

Join us Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. ET for a training on carceral book bans with @themarshallproject.org, @prisonpolicy.org and Moira Marquis of Prison Banned Books Week. Join us next week by RSVPing 👇

MuckRock@muckrock.com

Join The Data Liberation Project volunteers, The Marshall Project, Prison Policy Initiative and Moira Marquis of Prison Banned Books Week for a training on carceral book bans on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. ET. RSVP here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

themarshallproject.orgIn Prison, Pink Ribbons Are RareOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but comprehensive breast cancer care is sorely lacking in Texas prisons.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but comprehensive breast cancer care is sorely lacking in Texas prisons. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/10/16/b...

themarshallproject.orgThe Fatal Flaw of 911A new book argues that as long as 911 defaults to police, people in mental health crises will be at risk for violent confrontations.

themarshallproject.orgWebinar: How to Report on Crime Data This Election SeasonLearn how to dispel misinformation and hold institutions accountable as you report on local and FBI crime data.