Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland, Author at Cleveland Scene

A group of people on the steps of a courthouse.

State Reverses Course, Finds Cuyahoga Jail Staff Failed to Start CPR in Wade’s Death

State inspectors said jail staff failed to provide CPR to Jennifer Wade after finding her unresponsive in her cell in February 2025.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland, Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project and Mark Puente, The Marshall Project July 15, 2026July 15, 2026

A man in a blue shirt speaking into a microphone.

Ohio News

We Asked Ohio’s Death Row What They Think of Governor’s Death Penalty Reversal

Like Gov. Mike DeWine, most agreed the death penalty is broken and does not deter crime, but not always with the same reasoning.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland, Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project and Beth Schwartzapfel July 9, 2026July 9, 2026

Ohio News

Ohio Governor Grants Mercy to Man on Death Row for First Time

Weeks before calling to abolish capital punishment in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine commuted the man’s death sentence to life in prison without parole.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland June 22, 2026June 23, 2026

Cleveland News

Cuyahoga County Jail Leaders Knew Their Cameras Were Broken and Took 4 Years to Fix Them

A glitch in the surveillance system discovered in 2022 has finally been fixed. Families and inspectors could have used that evidence.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland June 3, 2026June 3, 2026

Cleveland News

New Videos Show ‘Absolutely Egregious Care’ in 2025 Cuyahoga County Jail Death

Ohio reopens review of Jennifer Wade’s death after county officials failed to provide body cam footage.

by Mark Puente, The Marshall Project, Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project and Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland April 14, 2026April 14, 2026

Ohio News

Prison Workers Smuggle Drugs Into Ohio Facilities But Are Rarely Prosecuted

Guards and other employees bring in drugs that fuel a multimillion-dollar prison economy, leading to chaos, violence and death.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland and Laura A. Bischoff, USA TODAY Network Ohio April 2, 2026April 2, 2026

Ohio News

‘Like The Walking Dead’: Smuggled Drugs Fuel Chaos Inside Ohio Prisons

K2 use is soaring behind bars, causing unpredictable behavior, violence and death. So, why can’t prison officials stop the flow of the drug?

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland and Laura A. Bischoff, USA TODAY Network Ohio March 31, 2026March 30, 2026

Cleveland News

Deadly Errors: Why People Keep Dying Inside Cuyahoga County’s Jail

Jail administrators fail to fix mistakes that continue to cost lives, an analysis of state records by The Marshall Project – Cleveland shows.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland and Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project February 4, 2026February 4, 2026

Ohio News

How Ohio’s Mental Hospitals Are More Like Prisons

A steep rise in criminally charged people with severe mental illnesses has all but halted patients’ ability to get care in Ohio’s state psychiatric hospitals.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland and Sarah Jane Tribble KFF Health News December 23, 2025December 23, 2025

Cleveland News

Trumbull County Sheriff Will Now Lead Investigation Into Cleveland Woman’s Restraint Death

Amid criticism by the family of Tasha Grant and calls for an independent probe, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department changed its stance

by Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project, Mark Puente, The Marshall Project and Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

An illustration showing someone reading mail.

Ohio News

Ohio Prisons Expand Intrusive Opening and Reading of Confidential Legal Mail

A lawsuit argues that incarcerated people seeking legal advice on sensitive matters should be free from eavesdropping mailroom staff.

by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland October 23, 2025October 23, 2025

Cleveland News

‘A Significant Failure’: Experts Cite Mistakes in Cleveland Hospital Restraint Death

Tasha Grant told a deputy and hospital staff 23 times that she could not breathe. Instead of an evaluation, she got handcuffs and skepticism.

by Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project, Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project - Cleveland and Mark Puente, The Marshall Project October 22, 2025October 22, 2025