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5 Things to Know About the Failed War on Gun Violence
The Marshall Project spent a year investigating how police enforce gun laws in Chicago. The city has some of the strictest firearm regulations in the country, while simultaneously facing persistent high levels of gun violence. Here are five takeaways from our story: — Gun enforcement is geared toward illegal gun...
A Summer Camp Murder. Two Sons, Lost.
The premiere of “Violation,” a podcast from The Marshall Project and WBUR, examines the decades-long ripple effects of an inexplicable crime. In 1986, the two 16-year-olds were rooming together on a summer camp trip to the Grand Canyon when Jacob fatally — and inexplicably — stabbed Eric.
WBUR and The Marshall Project Release New Podcast “Violation” on the Case of Jacob Wideman
A new podcast from WBUR, Boston’s NPR, and The Marshall Project explores America’s opaque parole system through a 1986 murder. WBUR, Boston’s NPR and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focused on criminal justice, today released Episode 1 of a new podcast, “Violation.” It focuses on the case of Jacob Wideman, who was released from prison after serving more than 30 years for stabbing a fellow teen to death while traveling with their summer camp to the Grand Canyon in 1986. Though Wideman was released from prison on parole in 2016, he returned just nine months later, under very unusual circumstances.
‘Prison Within a Prison’: New Mandate Offers Lifeline for Deaf People in Custody
For four years, while incarcerated in Maryland state prison, Alphonso Taylor, 49, said he was the only deaf man in his unit. And he had no way to call or communicate with his loved ones outside of prison, who used sign language. “I feel really alone,” he told advocates in...
Have Clevelanders Lost Interest in Police Reforms?
As the Cleveland Division of Police nears its eighth year under federal oversight, “consent decree fatigue” is hampering the city’s efforts to keep residents interested in the required reforms. Repairing relationships between police and Cleveland residents is a core component of the federal consent decree, but resident...
New Scrutiny on Murder Charges Against People Who Don’t Actually Kill
This is The Marshall Project’s Closing Argument newsletter, a weekly deep dive into a key criminal justice issue. Want this delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to future newsletters here. LaKeith Smith is scheduled to be resentenced Tuesday for a killing that, in the literal sense, no one — not...
5 Things We Learned About Prison Book Ban Policies
Last year, we published a searchable database of the books banned in 18 state prison systems, and wrote about the futility of restricting what people read behind bars. Our audience asked why some states didn’t provide banned book lists and how prisons decide which books to ban. In response, we added summaries of 37 book policies to the tool. The policies and the banned book lists are also available for download.
The Rise of Life-Without-Parole Sentences
Inside Story digs into how life-without-parole sentences are replacing the death penalty in some states, focusing on Florida’s use of the punishment. Actor and activist Gbenga Akinnagbe talks with host Lawrence Bartley about playing Chris Partlow in the hit HBO series, “The Wire,” and his work to close New York City’s Rikers Island jail.
Elizabeth Holmes Has Two Young Children. Should That Keep Her Out of Prison?
Elizabeth Holmes is scheduled to turn herself in to federal prison in April, nearly six months after a jury convicted her of fraud for misleading Theranos investors. Holmes’ attorneys recently requested a delay to the start of her 11-year sentence, asking that she remain free while she appeals her conviction. Among the reasons cited that Holmes is not a flight risk: The fact that she “is the mother of two very young children.”
Aggressive Policing in Memphis Goes Far Beyond the Scorpion Unit
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Reginald Dean took a long pull on his cigarette and leaned against the wall near the sliding doors of the Dollar General just as the store was closing. It was April of last year in a neighborhood not far from the airport. As Dean recounted it, he was waiting for a ride home with a friend, the store’s assistant manager, who was still inside counting the cash in the register before locking the doors. — Two Memphis police squad cars pulled into the parking lot. Within minutes, three officers began beating and kicking Dean, leaving blood on the concrete, according to store surveillance video his family obtained. One of them doused him with pepper spray,a police report said.
How a Growing Political Fight Threatens Local Control of Criminal Justice
This is The Marshall Project’s Closing Argument newsletter, a weekly deep dive into a key criminal justice issue. Want this delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to future newsletters here. All politics, the saying goes, is local. But as far as criminal justice policy goes, well — it depends. In...
Glimpses of Prison Life, Through TikTok and TV
The sixth episode of Inside Story explores how formerly incarcerated people are using TikTok to share their experiences, giving the public a raw view of prison conditions, and bringing us into their everyday lives on the outside. Host Lawrence Bartley also sits down with Piper Kerman about what moved her...
Introducing ‘Violation,’ a Podcast From The Marshall Project and WBUR
Violence. Power. Privilege. The series explores these themes through one case — and pulls back the curtain on the secretive world of parole boards. In 1986, Jacob Wideman fatally stabbed Eric Kane, his roommate on a summer camp trip to the Grand Canyon. Both were 16 years old. Jacob confessed to the murder, but couldn’t explain why he did it.
Crime Dominates Voters’ Minds and Politicians’ Tongues
This is The Marshall Project’s Closing Argument newsletter, a weekly deep dive into a key criminal justice issue. Want this delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to future newsletters here. Across the country, crime is on voters’ minds, which means it’s on politicians’ tongues, too. — Nowhere is that better...
Drug Addiction and the Paths to Prison
Inside Story examines the cases of women who lost their pregnancies and faced charges because they tested positive for drugs while pregnant — a practice experts expect to increase now that Roe has been overturned. Host Lawrence Bartley also sits down with Dr. Carl Hart, a Columbia University professor,...
The Mercy Workers
The first mystery was who could have done such a thing, who could leave someone like that. Jennifer Embry was found in her bathtub in January 1996. She was 29. Her younger brother Ricky had come looking for her after she failed to show up for her shift as an X-ray technician. “The door just came open,” he later testified. “I hoped it was all a dream.”
What the Panic Over Shoplifting Reveals About American Crime Policy
During an appearance last year on the morning show, “Fox and Friends,” a former chief executive of Home Depot described a rise in shoplifting in dire terms. “Today, this thing is an epidemic,” he said. “It’s spreading faster than COVID.” The executive joined a long list of industry leaders, from Walmart to Walgreens, encouraging police and prosecutors to crack down on theft. Retailers say they’ll be forced to raise prices or shutter affected stores without help to address a growing threat — organized bands of shoplifters ransacking stores with the intent to resell the looted merchandise.
Fighting the High Cost of Prison Phone Calls
This is The Marshall Project’s Closing Argument newsletter, a weekly deep dive into a key criminal justice issue. Want this delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to future newsletters here. A phone call from prison is more than just a phone call — it’s one of the few remaining tethers...
I Was Sentenced to Die in Prison. But After 27 Years, I’m Finally Free
When I went to jail in 1995, I had never used the internet. As I play catchup, the simplest things are everything. For almost three decades, my life as a Missouri state prisoner was a matter of numbers. I was only 16 when I took part in robberies that resulted in 17 felony convictions. I was just released on parole a little over three months ago, at age 43. And one thing I can honestly say is that life is beautiful on this side of the fence.
Police Shootings in Rural America
Inside Story examines little-publicized shootings by police in rural America, where the incidents are rarely captured on video and many officers don’t wear body cameras. Host Lawrence Bartley talks with music industry executive Jason Flom about his advocacy for wrongfully convicted people and the development of his “Wrongful Conviction” podcast.
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The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system.
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