The Marshall Project

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on the U.S. criminal justice system. Founded in 2014 by former hedge fund manager Neil Barsky, the organization was created in response to what he saw as a lack of sustained, high-quality reporting on prisons, policing, and the broader legal system. Named after Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the outlet positions itself as both a journalistic enterprise and a public-interest institution—one aimed at exposing systemic inequities and informing reform.

From the beginning, The Marshall Project has emphasized deep, data-driven reporting combined with narrative storytelling. Its work often centers on issues like mass incarceration, prosecutorial power, sentencing disparities, and conditions inside jails and prisons. Unlike traditional newsrooms, it operates as a nonprofit, relying on philanthropic funding from foundations and individual donors rather than advertising or subscriptions. This model allows it to pursue long-term investigations that might not be commercially viable elsewhere.

One of its defining strategies is collaboration. The Marshall Project frequently partners with major media outlets—such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and local newspapers—to expand the reach of its reporting. It also runs local reporting initiatives, embedding journalists in specific regions (including Cleveland, Jackson, and St. Louis) to cover underreported aspects of the justice system at the community level. These local efforts are designed to complement its national investigations and highlight how policy plays out on the ground.

The organization has also developed a number of specialized projects and verticals. “Life Inside,” for example, publishes essays and commentary from incarcerated people, offering perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media. Its data-driven features and explainers aim to make complex legal systems more accessible, while tools like searchable databases help readers explore topics such as prison populations or prosecutorial practices. In recent years, it has also expanded into newsletters and audience engagement initiatives to reach broader and more diverse audiences.

The Marshall Project’s reporting has had measurable impact. Its investigations have contributed to policy changes, influenced public debates, and won major journalism awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. At its core, the organization seeks not just to report on the criminal justice system, but to create sustained public attention around it—on the premise that visibility is a prerequisite for accountability.