The Marshall Project
themarshallproject.org
The Marshall Project
@themarshallproject.org
criminal justice news. nonpartisan. nonprofit. nonpaywall.

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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:
Sign Up for The Marshall Project's Newsletters
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
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 ⬇️
Opening Statement
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Today’s Opening Statement leads with our investigation into the prosecution of women flagged for drug use during pregnancies based on flawed tests. We also have the latest on the pitch for a pardon from Epstein confederate Ghislaine Maxwell. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...
February 10, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Our weekly Closing Argument newsletter unpacks a timely topic in criminal justice with context and analysis to help you make sense of the news. Subscribe to go beyond the headlines and dig deeper into one story each week ⬇️
Closing Argument
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Surveillance technology has long been part of policing the border. ICE’s growing raids are bringing it to many other areas.
How AI Surveillance Tech is Creeping From the Southern Border Into the Rest of the Country
Surveillance technology has long been part of policing the border. ICE’s growing raids are bringing it to many other areas.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Were you investigated for a positive drug test while giving birth? Help our team continue their reporting on referrals to law enforcement for alleged drug use during pregnancy by sharing your story:
Investigated for a Positive Drug Test While Giving Birth? Tell Us What Happened Next.
Help our team continue their reporting on referrals to law enforcement for alleged drug use during pregnancy by sharing your story.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:52 PM
We found over 70,000 cases referred to law enforcement over allegations of substance use during pregnancy — and that’s a significant undercount.

In many cases, the referrals began with false positive results from flawed drug tests — sometimes triggered by the women’s prescribed medications.
Tens of Thousands of Mothers Were Flagged to Police Over Flawed Drug Tests at Childbirth
The Marshall Project found more than 70,000 cases referred to law enforcement over allegations of substance use during pregnancy — and that’s a significant undercount.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:52 PM
In early January, a St. Paul woman and her husband tried to follow a caravan of ICE officers. The couple told Minnesota Public Radio that ICE agents soon surrounded their vehicle. One of them and greeted the woman by her name, suggesting they had used her license plate to identify her.
‘We Know Where You Live.’ Protesters Say ICE Agents Retaliate With Threats, Investigations
ICE observers and critics report being audited, pulled over, called by name or followed home by agents.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:52 PM
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 ⬇️
Opening Statement
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM
In today’s Opening Statement, we featured a landmark ruling that gives the feds more power to detain people without a bond hearing. There were also dozens of new links on Minnesota and sentencing news for a disgraced funeral home director. mailchi.mp/themarshallp...
February 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Our weekly Life Inside newsletter brings you personal stories from writers inside the criminal justice system, straight to your inbox. Subscribe to hear from people behind bars in their own words ⬇️
Life Inside
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 4:32 PM
When someone dies in jail or prison, the circumstances surrounding their death are often shrouded in secrecy. Along with grief, their loved ones are left with basic, unanswered questions.
Pushing for Answers After a Loved One Dies Behind Bars
After a family member passes away in prison or jail, people are often left with basic questions. To get answers, they have to get creative.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Our weekly Closing Argument newsletter unpacks a timely topic in criminal justice with context and analysis to help you make sense of the news. Subscribe to go beyond the headlines and dig deeper into one story each week ⬇️
Closing Argument
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:42 PM
The technology deployed on the border includes everything from hyper-visible tethered aerostats to stealthy devices like unattended ground sensors to detect footsteps, and license plate scanners disguised as traffic cones.

And border tech isn't staying at the border.
How AI Surveillance Tech is Creeping From the Southern Border Into the Rest of the Country
Surveillance technology has long been part of policing the border. ICE’s growing raids are bringing it to many other areas.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 9, 2026 at 2:42 PM
A 2013 prison hunger strike in California led to a dramatic decline in the use of solitary confinement. More than a decade later, people impacted by solitary reflect on the toll of separation.
Echoes of Isolation
A 2013 prison hunger strike in California led to a dramatic decline in the use of solitary confinement. More than a decade later, people impacted by solitary reflect on the toll of separation.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Our weekly Life Inside newsletter brings you personal stories from writers inside the criminal justice system, straight to your inbox. Subscribe to hear from people behind bars in their own words ⬇️
Life Inside
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 8:00 PM
"...the $25 a week I made was a nice hike from a job like pantry detail, which earned less than $16 a week. However, I soon learned that being detained for a crime isn’t easy on anybody, and that mental health woes can surface in many different ways."
I Had a Tough Job at My Brooklyn Jail: Keeping Men From Taking Their Own Lives
As a suicide prevention aide, I had to make sure my fellow detainees didn’t harm themselves. It was surprisingly easy to get such a complex job.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 8:00 PM
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 ⬇️
Opening Statement
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Today’s Opening Statement leads with a ruling that blocks ICE from getting access to your tax information. We covered the flailing Justice Department, more wrenching coverage from Minnesota, and a story about open records abuse on YouTube: mailchi.mp/themarshallp...
February 6, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Follow The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s reporting on criminal justice in Cuyahoga County by subscribing to our Cleveland newsletter ⬇️
Stay Connected With The Marshall Project - Cleveland
The Marshall Project - Cleveland uncovers abuses in the local criminal justice system using a combination of investigative journalism, data analysis and community engagement.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Michael Papp’s body was cold and stiff inside his secluded Cuyahoga County jail cell when a corrections officer finally opened the door.

Officers reportedly walked the pod 50 times, peeking inside cells for signs of life. Yet, somehow, they missed a dead body.
How Jail Staff’s Deadly Errors Cost Lives in Cleveland
Jail administrators fail to fix mistakes that continue to cost lives, an analysis of state records by The Marshall Project - Cleveland shows.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
🚗 📧 For the next few weeks, our Closing Argument newsletter will be on the road, bringing you stories about the border, ICE, juvenile justice and bail reform from around the Southwest. Subscribe now and get the newsletter in your inbox tomorrow:
Closing Argument
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM
After the co-owner of a St. Paul store criticized immigration crackdown in a national television interview, workers said federal agents showed up to audit employee records.

In another case, protesters observing ICE said officers called them by name, and even led them back to their own home.
‘We Know Where You Live.’ Protesters Say ICE Agents Retaliate With Threats, Investigations
ICE observers and critics report being audited, pulled over, called by name or followed home by agents.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:43 PM
As another round of extreme low temperatures sweeps parts of the U.S., people in dilapidated jails and prisons face an increased risk of illness and even death.

The threat of losing power, poor heating systems and a general lack of medical attention can compound problems in frigid conditions.
When Temps Plunge, Dilapidated Jails and Prisons Put Lives at Risk
Aging infrastructure is a major challenge when it comes to extreme weather in prisons, jails and detention facilities in the U.S.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 6, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Our weekly Life Inside newsletter brings you personal stories from writers inside the criminal justice system, straight to your inbox. Subscribe to hear from people behind bars in their own words ⬇️
Life Inside
Get (free) criminal justice news, from daily updates to weekly insights.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM
"Death row breeds anxiety. Each of us faces himself and has a choice of whether to thrive or deteriorate. Some guys, even those with lots of education, lose their minds — maybe due to paranoia, drugs, complacency — and so you make it a priority to be there for them."
A Death Row Prisoner’s Parting Interview
Days before his scheduled execution in Texas, Ramiro Gonzales speaks on faith, legacy — and apologizing to the family of his victim, Bridget Townsend.
www.themarshallproject.org
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 PM