Dear Friends,

The Marshall Project represents our attempt to elevate the criminal justice issue to one of national urgency, and to help spark a national conversation about reform. I named our organization after Justice Thurgood Marshall simply because he embodies the principles we hold dear. He was scholarly, he was courageous, and he fiercely believed that the U.S. Constitution was the template to secure civil rights for all.

We chose the criminal justice system as our subject of focus because of the shock at how expensive, ineffective, and racially biased it is, and how difficult it is to find anyone, liberal or conservative, who defends the status quo. Yet, the United States continues to have a prison population matched by no nation, a justice system that disproportionately afflicts communities of need and of color, and a corrections regime that rarely corrects.

We aim to accomplish our mission through probing, fair-minded journalism, combining investigative rigor, careful analysis, and lively storytelling.

We have co-published our work with more than 140 print, broadcast and digital news outlets, amplifying our voice and reminding everybody across the country that the authority to take away life and liberty is the most fearsome power we give our government.

The Marshall Project is also a nonprofit. We are not beholden to advertisers and we will never put our work behind a paywall. We will continue to rely on the generosity of members to sustain our work.

Supporting The Marshall Project means joining a community of thousands of individuals who recognize the importance of honest, independent reporting and believe in its power to make positive change.

If you share this belief, I invite you to become a member of The Marshall Project.

Neil Barsky
Founder
The Marshall Project