Fact sheets and handouts

Our reports are designed as interactive web documents first, and then we work to make them print acceptably in most browsers. Then, as resources allow, we sometimes make excerpted versions of our reports suitable for print distribution, and those are made available here:

report thumbnailMass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2024

Our report and comprehensive graphic provide the big picture: over 1.9 million people are locked up in more than 6,000 correctional facilities operated by thousands of agencies. The "whole pie" gives the public and policymakers the foundation to now consider the types of changes that would end the country's reign as the number one incarcerator in the world.
47 page version with all images | Vector version of the 2024 graphic (possibly suitable for posters) | 2024 color graphic on white background | 2024 graphic in black and white | full web version

factsheet thumbnail 55 facts about mass incarceration

Originally prepared for journalism instructors at the Prison Journalism Project, this is a list of some of the most important statistics about the U.S. criminal legal system.
Printable factsheet

report thumbnailWinnable criminal justice reforms in 2023

We list 32 high-impact policy ideas for state legislators and advocates who are looking to reform their criminal justice system without making it bigger.
16 page printable version | full web version

thumbnailEight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences

This report lays out strategies lawmakers can take to reduce the number of individuals who have served and will serve decades behind bars.
Printable version | Full web version | 50 state-specific fact sheets on long sentences

thumbnailThe Prison Penalty

This fact sheet summarizes our 2018 reports calculating the rates of unemployment, homelessness, and educational exclusion among formerly incarcerated people.
Fact sheet | Full reports: Out of Prison & Out of Work | Nowhere to Go | Getting Back on Course

report thumbnailFollowing the Money of Mass Incarceration

In a first-of-its-kind report, we aggregate the economic data to offer the big picture view of who pays for and who benefits from mass incarceration.
8 page printable version | full web version

thumbnailDetaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time

With data scientist Daniel Kopf, we find out just how unaffordable bail is for the typical detained defendant.
16 page printable version | full web version

report thumbnailSeparation by Bars and Miles: Visitation in state prisons

With data scientist Daniel Kopf, we find that extreme distances between prisons and the places that incarcerated people call home actively discourage family visits.
2 page fact sheet | full web version

report thumbnailScreening Out Family Time: The for-profit video visitation industry in prisons and jails

In this one-of-a-kind report, we examine the growth of the for-profit video visitation industry and its effect on the lives of incarcerated people and their families.
1 page fact sheet | full web version

report thumbnailPunishing Poverty: The high cost of probation fees in Massachusetts

In this report we analyze state probation and income data, making the case that court-mandated fines and fees unfairly impact the poor.
1 page fact sheet | full web version

report thumbnailReturn to Sender: Postcard-only Mail Policies in Jail

Dozens of jails across the country mandate that all personal written correspondence to or from jail take place via postcards. We examine the detrimental effects of these rules and recommend policies that prevent limitations on communication between loved ones.
2 page fact sheet | full web version

report thumbnailReinstating Common Sense: How driver's license suspensions for drug offenses unrelated to driving are falling out of favor

Twelve states and Washington D.C. continue to enforce a War on Drugs era policy that automatically suspends the driver's license of anyone convicted of a drug offense. We track the growing state rejection of this policy, and shine a light on the states that continue to implement this outdated and ineffective law.
Alabama fact sheet | Arkansas fact sheet | Florida fact sheet | Iowa fact sheet | Michigan fact sheet | Mississippi fact sheet | New Jersey fact sheet | New York fact sheet | Pennsylvania fact sheet | Texas fact sheet | Utah fact sheet | Virginia fact sheet | District of Columbia fact sheet | full web version



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