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An illustration of a Black man with a goatee and glasses seen from the waist up holding a pile of dirt in his hands from which a plant rises. He is surrounded by flowers and other plants.
Life Inside October 11
Life Inside, Remixed: How I Found Peace in the Prison Garden
Bobby Bostic was only 18 when he was sentenced to 241 years behind bars. To his surprise, weeds, water and soil put the St. Louis native on the path to healing.
By The Marshall Project
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks during a conference at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on Aug. 1, 2024. Bailey has aggressively pushed back on efforts by local prosecutors and judges to toss out convictions of people with innocence claims.
Closing Argument August 17
How Prosecutors Fight Exonerations
As laws are passed to support the wrongfully convicted, some officials in the legal system push back.
By
Brian Dorsey, a White man with glasses wearing a white shirt, at the Potosi Correctional Center.
Death Sentences April 3
He Faces Execution. His Lawyers May Have Earned Less Than $4 per Hour.
Some death penalty lawyers get paid the same no matter how long they work on a case. Critics say it’s a perverse incentive when a life is at stake.
By and
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, 2023
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 barbed wire fence surrounds a tan-colored building.
Closing Argument September 23, 2023
Juvenile Detention Centers Face One Scandal After Another
Despite repeated efforts at reform, allegations of mistreatment mount at youth facilities across the country.
By
A Black man, wearing a blue striped button-down shirt and black tie, sits with an emotional look on his face and eyes closed. A White female lawyer, sitting on his right, is looking down and smiling while patting him on his back. A White male lawyer, sitting on his left, is smiling while clapping his hands.
Closing Argument May 20, 2023
In 2022, Exonerations Hit a Record High in the U.S.
Globally, potential innocence has long outweighed potential guilt. That philosophy of justice may not be one that the majority of Americans endorse.
By
A Black woman and a White woman carried signs reading "DC Statehood is racial justice" during a protest.
Closing Argument March 11, 2023
How a Growing Political Fight Threatens Local Control of Criminal Justice
Anxiety about crime — and plain politics — are fueling efforts to supplant local rule, from Washington, D.C., to St. Louis and other localities.
By
An illustration shows Bobby Bostic, a Black man, opening a refrigerator door. Light shines out of the refrigerator. Photos of family are on the side of the refrigerator. A white dove flies above, and the background shows a pattern of leaves and plants.
Life Inside February 24, 2023
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.
By Bobby Bostic
An illustration shows line drawings of a person getting a COVID test, people at a city council meeting, people beautifying city streets, and a group of people in masks in the background. In the foreground are illustrations of, from left to right, a sniper rifle, a police K-9, police officers in riot gear, and a person receiving a bonus check.
Analysis October 13, 2022
How A Suburb Spent COVID Relief Funds on Sniper Rifles, Tactical Helmets and Police Bonuses
An inside look at how the Independence, Missouri, city council reallocated millions in federal ARPA dollars to police.
By and
The entrance to a Texas prison facility, a gray rectangular building with a detached teal shaded structure in front of it. A black car is parked to the right. There are wired fences and buildings in the background.
Closing Argument September 10, 2022
Why Record Heat Can Be Deadlier in Prisons
Corrections officials across most of the nation have not prepared for warmer summers and record heat waves.
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