Criminal Justice
Accountability in Crime and Law
Arizona’s Largest County Frequently Pursues the Death Penalty. It Rarely Secures That Sentence.
In nearly 350 death penalty cases Maricopa County prosecutors pursued over 20 years, just 13% ended in a death sentence. The numbers indicate the need for a more deliberate and transparent process to decide capital charges, experts say.
How the Head of an Embattled Tennessee Youth Detention Center Held on to Power for Decades
Richard L. Bean remained in his perch as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name despite scandals, investigations and the use of seclusion to punish children.
Local Reporting Network
Former “We Buy Ugly Houses” Franchise Owner to Plead Guilty in Fraud Scheme That Cost Investors $40 Million
Charles Carrier agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony wire fraud that carries a potential 20-year prison sentence. The plea follows a ProPublica report detailing how Carrier bilked investors across Texas out of millions of dollars.
Help Us Report on Sexual Assault and Misconduct by the Chicago Police Department
We want to talk to people who have experienced sexual assault or sexual misconduct — which includes sexual harassment and unwanted, inappropriate touching or comments — by Chicago police officers, on or off duty.
Local Reporting Network
Featured Reporters
Impact of Our Reporting
Federal Monitor Slams NYPD Unit Whose Aggressive Policing ProPublica Exposed
A report from a court-appointed watchdog details “troubling” conduct and “unconstitutional” stops by the Police Department’s Community Response Team — a unit championed by Mayor Eric Adams.
Former Chicago Cop Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Battery of Two Female Colleagues
Eric Tabb is one of 14 Chicago officers accused of sexual assault in the past decade with at least one other alleged incident of sexual misconduct. The cases reveal how the department failed to vigorously investigate such allegations involving police.
Local Reporting Network
The Head of a Tennessee Youth Detention Center Will Step Down After “Loss of Confidence” in His Leadership
A 2023 investigation by WPLN News and ProPublica found that Richard L. Bean was illegally locking kids up alone in cells. A new scandal has forced his resignation.
Local Reporting Network
Series
Series: Guns in Dangerous Hands: How Tennessee’s Justice System Allows Domestic Abusers to Keep Their Firearms
Series: Fields of Green: Chinese Mafias and the U.S. Black Market for Marijuana
Series: Black Boxes: How Police Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras
Series: Mayor, Judge and Jury: Louisiana’s Mayor’s Courts
Series: No Defense: How Mississippi Fails Poor Defendants
Series: Unguarded: Investigating Risks to the Incarcerated of Illinois
Series: Asset Mismanagement: How the Police Take Money and Keep It
Series: Defenseless: Investigating the Only State Without Public Defenders
Series: The NYPD Files: Investigating America’s Largest Police Force
Series: Unchecked Power: The Extraordinary Power of Alabama Sheriffs
Series: Lawless: Sexual Violence in Alaska
Series: Locked Down: An Investigation of Mississippi’s Prisons
Series: Overcorrection: Crisis in California Jails
Series: Blood Will Tell: Investigating a Forensic Science
Series: Accused in Elkhart: Justice in an Indiana County
Series: A Sick System: Repeat Attacks After Pleading Insanity
Series: Stuck Kids: Illinois Children Languish in Psychiatric Hospitals
Series: Police Accountability in Chicago: Monitoring the Chicago Police Department
Series: Ignoring Innocence: The Wrongfully Convicted Forced Into Plea Deals
Series: Busted: Examining Chemical Field Tests
Series: Nuisance Abatement: The NYPD’s Aggressive Enforcement of a Little-known Law
Series: Unbelievable: The Cost of Not Believing Rape Victims
Series: Out of Order: When Prosecutors Cross the Line
Series: Post Mortem: Death Investigation in America
Series: Law & Disorder: After Katrina, New Orleans Police Under Scrutiny
What We’re Watching
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.
Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.
Sharon Lerner
I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.
Andy Kroll
I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.
Melissa Sanchez
I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.
Jesse Coburn
I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.
If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.
