Journalists: How to report on deaths in jails and prisons

When you get a tip about a death or multiple deaths in your local jail or prison, there are concrete steps you can take to start investigating

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Deaths that occur either when a person is in the custody of law enforcement or housed in a correctional facility are largely underreported. That’s because reporting requirements are not enforced federally or in most states. Without accurate data, circumstances leading to unnatural deaths can continue unchecked, including instances of medical negligence and excessive use-of-force. Many researchers, lawmakers and advocates view this issue as a public health emergency.

The Marshall Project has a team of reporters who have covered deaths in custody, including staff writers Brittany Hailer and Mark Puente on our Cleveland news team and our senior data reporter Anna Flagg. Their expertise has informed this reporting toolkit. Here is guidance and context based on their years of experience shedding light on this dark corner of our criminal justice system.

Read more from The Marshall Project and access the toolkit.