Ivy Scott
@ivyscott.bsky.social
Data journalist in training, poetry fanatic, writer of many things!
Currently @ The Marshall Project, ex-Boston Globe, eternally from New York
Currently @ The Marshall Project, ex-Boston Globe, eternally from New York
🧵ends here, with my P.S. that Missouri's department of public safety apparently does collect prison deaths from the DOC, but DPS (1) closed that data to the public, and (2) “does not review, compile, evaluate or analyze the submitted reports.”
So yeah, that's how things are going.
So yeah, that's how things are going.
How We Got Comprehensive Death Data From the Missouri DOC
After repeated questions about missing deaths in the state’s existing logs, the department shared annual counts for the first time.
www.themarshallproject.org
November 21, 2025 at 4:41 PM
🧵ends here, with my P.S. that Missouri's department of public safety apparently does collect prison deaths from the DOC, but DPS (1) closed that data to the public, and (2) “does not review, compile, evaluate or analyze the submitted reports.”
So yeah, that's how things are going.
So yeah, that's how things are going.
Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. put it succinctly: the lack of year-end death data is “extremely concerning.”
“You need the [total] number, and not just the number,” said Mitchell. "Not just to hold people accountable for things that weren't done correctly, but so that if things can improve — we improve.”🧵
“You need the [total] number, and not just the number,” said Mitchell. "Not just to hold people accountable for things that weren't done correctly, but so that if things can improve — we improve.”🧵
November 21, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. put it succinctly: the lack of year-end death data is “extremely concerning.”
“You need the [total] number, and not just the number,” said Mitchell. "Not just to hold people accountable for things that weren't done correctly, but so that if things can improve — we improve.”🧵
“You need the [total] number, and not just the number,” said Mitchell. "Not just to hold people accountable for things that weren't done correctly, but so that if things can improve — we improve.”🧵
The same question applies to state research: if the Missouri department of public health wanted to look into, say, drug overdoses in MO prisons, wouldn't that be challenging to do if they were missing some of the data?
(This ofc raises the question of how many missing deaths is "many": 5? 15? 50?)🧵
(This ofc raises the question of how many missing deaths is "many": 5? 15? 50?)🧵
November 21, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The same question applies to state research: if the Missouri department of public health wanted to look into, say, drug overdoses in MO prisons, wouldn't that be challenging to do if they were missing some of the data?
(This ofc raises the question of how many missing deaths is "many": 5? 15? 50?)🧵
(This ofc raises the question of how many missing deaths is "many": 5? 15? 50?)🧵
The research team's goal was to create "a tool for the public and researchers to better understand the drivers of deaths in custody and assist policymakers in developing strategies to reduce their occurrence."
But if no agency actually tracks how many people are dying, do researchers have a chance?
But if no agency actually tracks how many people are dying, do researchers have a chance?
November 21, 2025 at 4:28 PM
The research team's goal was to create "a tool for the public and researchers to better understand the drivers of deaths in custody and assist policymakers in developing strategies to reduce their occurrence."
But if no agency actually tracks how many people are dying, do researchers have a chance?
But if no agency actually tracks how many people are dying, do researchers have a chance?
While we as journalists of course take personal offense to being misinformed, I was struck by the fact that the person whose prison death numbers (for 2023) were farthest from the truth was a national researcher, not an activist or reporter.
Here's why this matters:🧵
Here's why this matters:🧵
November 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
While we as journalists of course take personal offense to being misinformed, I was struck by the fact that the person whose prison death numbers (for 2023) were farthest from the truth was a national researcher, not an activist or reporter.
Here's why this matters:🧵
Here's why this matters:🧵
1. If you asked the DOC how many people died in prison in any given year, the number you got was maybe (probably) wrong
2. If your friend then asked the same question, the DOC would maybe give them a completely different number
3. Neither of you would know who was right, or if you were both wrong🧵
2. If your friend then asked the same question, the DOC would maybe give them a completely different number
3. Neither of you would know who was right, or if you were both wrong🧵
November 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
1. If you asked the DOC how many people died in prison in any given year, the number you got was maybe (probably) wrong
2. If your friend then asked the same question, the DOC would maybe give them a completely different number
3. Neither of you would know who was right, or if you were both wrong🧵
2. If your friend then asked the same question, the DOC would maybe give them a completely different number
3. Neither of you would know who was right, or if you were both wrong🧵
For years, the public had no way to know just how many people died in Missouri’s prisons because (surprise!) the state DOC wasn’t counting. Instead of annual totals, the DOC responded to records requests with partial counts, cobbled together from multiple sources.
Here's what this means:🧵
Here's what this means:🧵
November 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
For years, the public had no way to know just how many people died in Missouri’s prisons because (surprise!) the state DOC wasn’t counting. Instead of annual totals, the DOC responded to records requests with partial counts, cobbled together from multiple sources.
Here's what this means:🧵
Here's what this means:🧵