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Mental Illness

A crisis response team of three people, wearing cargo pants, turquoise shirts and fanny packs, talk to a medium-dark-skinned man sitting on a concrete wall. The man, wearing gray sweatpants, holds a water bottle in one hand.
Analysis July 25
Sending Unarmed Responders Instead of Police: What We’ve Learned
There are more than 100 response teams nationwide, but experts say more research on their impact is needed.
By
An illustration shows silhouettes of a close-up face, a side profile of a person, and an IV bag hanging from a pole. Prison bars are in the foreground.
Feature June 9
They Were in a Mental Health Crisis at a Hospital. This Is How They Landed in Jail.
Washington, like most states, has a law intended to protect health care workers. Instead, it’s led to prosecutions of people with severe mental illness.
By , Sydney Brownstone and Esmy Jimenez
The Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, where men on death row are held in solitary confinement.
Closing Argument October 14, 2023
A Chaotic Moment For The Death Penalty
Political and legal opinions are shifting on mental illness and capital punishment, but those on death row may be left behind.
By
A photo of Leon Jacob, a White middle-aged man wearing a blue dress shirt and glasses, sits in the center of a paper cutting. The paper cutting shows two women on either side of the photo of Leon, with the lower half of their bodies shredded into paper strips.
Feature September 28, 2023
How Wealth and Privilege Helped One Man Hide His Serial Abuse
Life seemed golden for Leon Jacob. Then he hired a hit man to kill his ex-girlfriend. His classmate exposes how the system repeatedly failed to stop him.
By Stephanie Clifford
Feature June 28, 2023
The Never-Ending Murder Case: How Mental Competency Laws Can Trap People With Dementia
As more Americans are diagnosed with the chronic disease, some find themselves in legal limbo.
By
Caroline Ouko, a Black woman, and Leon Ochieng, and Ben Crump, two Black men, stand before a podium. Ouko and Ochieng have their eyes closed and have emotional expressions on their faces.
Analysis March 24, 2023
What Irvo Otieno’s Killing Tells Us about Mental Healthcare in the U.S.
The system can end up prosecuting patients and relying on police — with sometimes fatal results.
By
Three standing police officers surround a sitting passenger in a subway car. The passenger sits hunched over, with their hand on their head.
Closing Argument December 17, 2022
Mental Health Care is Broken. Is Police Hospitalizing More People the Answer?
In New York City and other areas across the country some leaders are pushing to forcefully commit more people.
By
A Polaroid is on a black table. It shows Armando Navejas, a medium light-skinned man with a mustache, standing with his wife Josephine, a medium light-skinned woman.
Feature November 22, 2022
As Police Arrest More Seniors, Those With Dementia Face Deadly Consequences
Many cities are changing how they respond to mental health calls, but less attention has been paid to the unique risks for people with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
By
Testify October 26, 2022
How We Analyzed Cases of People Cycling In and Out of Cleveland’s Courts
The Marshall Project examined tens of thousands of criminal cases in Cuyahoga County.
By and
A illustration shows the figure of a person standing in front of a police car with red and blue lights on. Two officers stand in the foreground looking on.
Testify October 26, 2022
Five Things to Know About Cleveland Courts’ Revolving Door
In most cases, people who repeatedly appear before the courts are not committing violent crimes.
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