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Ilica Mahajan

Computational journalist

she/her

I build tools, write code, analyze data, and report and write stories to uncover the complexities of the criminal justice system.

My Background

I learned how to code at a variety of startups in the Bay Area. Most recently, I was a software engineer — specifically a distributed systems engineer — at a biotech startup building robotic microscopes. I grew disillusioned with the false promises of Silicon Valley and wanted to apply my data and engineering skills to journalism, so I studied at Columbia Journalism School and earned a master’s degree in journalism and another in computer science.

Since then, I’ve worked on large data projects at The Marshall Project, like our Testify series investigating the Cleveland court system, which won a national Murrow Award in 2023.

I am currently working on investigations into deaths in custody in jails and prisons nationwide, and am always interested in stories about how technology is used in the criminal justice system.

Contact Me About...

I’m looking for stories about surveillance technologies, AI and technology use in the criminal justice system and about deaths in custody.

email imahajan@themarshallproject.org
A grid of illustrations representing eight different surveillance technologies. In the top row, from the left, there is an illustration of a figure walking, overlaid with yellow tracking lines; a surveillance camera, an arm with a tattoo highlighted by a yellow box; and a police vehicle with an antenna attached to a panel. The second row, from the left, shows an illustration of a location pin inside a ring of cell phones; a laptop with a fishing pole coming out of it with an icon of a person on the hook; the Instagram logo of a camera icon within a closeup of an eye, and a solar panel on a pole with a surveillance camera with a spotlight on a car. The color scheme of the illustration primarily includes blue and yellow tones with a black gradient.
Analysis November 12, 2024
The High-Tech Tools Police Can Use to Surveil Protesters
When Americans take to the streets to make their voices heard, they’re inevitably dragging their digital trails right along behind them.
By
An illustration shows a scene of protesters walking through a city, near other people who are not protesting. Around them are surveillance cameras, a drone and a police vehicle with an antenna. Two protesters in the foreground are wearing medical masks, one protester has a tattoo and another is holding a phone in her hand. The color scheme of the illustration features blue tones. Yellow boxes and lines highlight different ways a person can be surveilled.
Analysis November 12, 2024
The Real Problem With Banning Masks at Protests
Privacy advocates worry banning masks at protests will encourage harassment, while cops’ high-tech tools render the rules unnecessary.
By
A group of migrants exit from a bus parked in the middle of a street. The U.S. Capitol can be seen in the background.
Closing Argument February 17, 2024
What Crime Data Says About the Effects of Texas Busing Migrants
The influx has sparked fears of rising crime in some cities. The Marshall Project looked at policing data to see if the anxiety reflects reality.
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Testify February 8, 2024
What Happens During Cuyahoga County’s Criminal Arraignment Process?
An explainer on the felony arraignment process in Cuyahoga County.
By and
A woman, wearing a blue "March for Our Lives" shirt and black blazer, holds a sign that reads, "If my domestic abuser had a gun, I'd be dead." Standing to her left is a person holding a sign that reads, "Disarm domestic violence."
Closing Argument November 11, 2023
Supreme Court Takes on Gun Cases as State Laws Shift
The court is considering the safety of victims of domestic violence, bump stocks and more.
By
Testify October 20, 2023
How We Analyzed Changing Bail Trends in Cuyahoga County
Unpacking a complex, changing system.
By
A group of more than 30 protestors walk through Cleveland’s downtown, holding posters advocating for bail reform and better conditions at the county jail.
Testify September 11, 2023
Six Years of Bail Reform in Cuyahoga County: A Timeline
How public pressure, inhumane jail conditions, and informal agreements reshaped the Cuyahoga County bail system.
By and
An illustration shows the back of a Black man looking up at a tall building, the Cuyahoga County Justice Center. In front of the building is a panel of three portraits, representing a roulette of judges.
Testify September 11, 2023
Cuyahoga County Judges Vowed to Reform the Bail System. Here’s What Happened.
Court officials informally changed their bail-setting practices for felony cases. Now, fewer people have to pay to get out of jail, a Marshall Project analysis shows.
By and
Testify June 28, 2023
The Basics of Bail in Ohio
How do people get out of jail while they’re accused of a crime?
By , and
An illustration shows a line of correctional officers with their arms linked, in shades of gray, There's an opening in the line, which shows a correctional officer being protected and escorted away by two other officers, in shades of blue and purple.
Feature May 22, 2023
How a ‘Blue Wall’ Inside New York State Prisons Protects Abusive Guards
Records and interviews reveal a culture of cover-ups among corrections officers who falsify reports and send beating victims to solitary confinement.
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