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Aala Abdullahi is an engagement reporter for The Marshall Project. She previously served as the innovation editor at Sahan Journal, where she led the successful completion of the Citizen Lab project, a comprehensive investigation into the news needs of Minnesota's Latino, Somali, and Hmong communities. Her strategic vision and community engagement strategies resulted in the development of groundbreaking initiatives, including SMS-based newsletters in multiple languages. During her tenure at AJ Contrast, Al Jazeera's immersive media studio, Aala produced impactful virtual reality and 360-degree videos, collaborating with freelancers worldwide to co-create powerful stories with social impact. Aala’s community engagement and visual storytelling projects have been recognized by the Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Local Journalism Awards, Shorty Awards, and the News & Documentary Emmys.
Email aabdullahi@themarshallproject.org
A Black man wearing glasses, dark green prison pants and a tan sweater is holding a microphone as he asks a question to a woman in the foreground who is sitting on a chair and her back turned to the camera. Alongside the man sit four other men in the same green prison pants and a variety of shirts. Members of the audience look on from their blue-colored seats.
Feature October 29
Incarcerated Men at Sing Sing’s First Film Festival Reflect on Movies, Justice, and Change
The diverse group of jurors shared how their favorite films have shaped their perspectives on community and life behind bars.
By and
An illustration shows, from left, a person speaking with a raised fist in a speech bubble; an elephant symbolizing Republicans; a person speaking with an exclamation point in a speech bubble; a hint of barbed wire and a person’s head with a check mark; a person speaking with handcuffs in a speech bubble; a person’s head with “VOTE” in a speech bubble; a donkey symbolizing Democrats; a person with a thumbs-up in a speech bubble; a simplified image of a flag; and a person with medium-length hair speaking with a gavel in a speech bubble. The color scheme of the drawing is in marigold yellow, coral, blue, black, white and light gray.
Election 2024 October 17
What People Behind Bars Really Think About the ‘Cop vs. Felon’ Election
People in prisons and jails weigh in on Harris’ qualifications for president, Trump’s potential sentence and more.
By
An illustration shows a yellow and orange illustration of a person, wearing a tank top, pants and shoes, laying down in a fetal position within a box.
Life Inside September 19
How We Survived Extreme Heat in Prison
Incarcerated journalists detail the first signs of a heat wave in prison — and how they’ve coped with record-breaking temperatures.
By Prison Journalism Project Contributors and
A White woman, wearing a white tank top and a label that reads "Forced motherhood is female enslavement," yells while holding a sign that reads, "Stop the war on bodily autonomy." People are protesting in the background.
Closing Argument June 1
How Abortion’s Legal Landscape Post-Roe is Causing Fear and Confusion
We spoke with seven reproductive rights organizations — here’s what we found.
By and
A portrait of a Black man with a gray beard in a blue prison uniform is on the left panel. On the top right panel, the Black man mops the floor of a hallway. The bottom right panel shows a bucket and mop next to a table with a copy of the Quran and a copy of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," a document of 136 working hours, a donation envelope of $17.74, and yellow gloves.
Life Inside April 5
I Made 13 Cents an Hour as a Prison Janitor. Here’s Why I Donated My Wages to Gaza Relief
It’s a common misconception that once someone enters jail or prison, they lose their interest in the outside world.
By Hamzah Jihad Furqaani as told to
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