HELP US END MASS INCARCERATION
The Prison Policy Initiative uses research, advocacy, and organizing to dismantle mass incarceration. We’ve been in this movement for 24 years, thanks to individual donors like you.
Can you help us sustain this work?
Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate
Can you help us sustain this work?
Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate
Research Tools
- Categories:
- Starting places
- State Department of Corrections
- Obscure research tools and links
- Other National/Federal Sites
Starting places
- National Institute of Justice Publications
- The Statistics Homepage (very handy electronic textbook)
- Fed Stats Statistical Reference Shelf
- U.S. Census
- Census Gazetteer
- Census Bureau American Factfinder
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- BJS Data for Analysis page. (see the data online section)
- Statistical Abstract of the United States
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
- European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice
- The United States General Accounting Office
- Historical United States Census Data Browser 1790-1960
- Justice Research and Statistics Association
- UK Home Office Research Development Statistics Bureau
State Deparartment of Corrections links
- Alabama Department of Corrections
- Alaska Department of Corrections
- Arizona Corrections Department
- Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections
- Arkansas Department of Corrections
- California Department of Corrections
- California Youth and Adult Correctional Agency
- Colorado Department of Corrections
- Connecticut Department of Corrections
- Delaware Department of Corrections
- District of Columbia Department of Corrections
- Florida Department of Corrections
- Georgia Department of Corrections
- Hawaii Department of Public Safety
- Idaho Department of Corrections
- Illinois Department of Corrections
- Indiana Department of Corrections
- Iowa Department of Corrections
- Kansas Department of Corrections
- Kentucky Department of Corrections
- Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections
- Maine Department of Corrections
- Maryland Department of Public Safety and Division of Correctional Services
- Massachusetts Department of Corrections
- Michigan Department of Corrections
- Minnesota Department of Corrections
- Mississippi Department of Corrections
- Missouri Department of Corrections
- Montana Department of Corrections
- Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
- Nevada Department of Corrections
- New Hampshire Department of Corrections
- New Jersey Department of Corrections
- New Mexico Department of Corrections
- New York Department of Correctional Services New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
- North Carolina Department of Corrections
- North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
- Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
- Oklahoma Department of Corrections
- Oregon Department of Corrections
- Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
- Rhode Island Department of Corrections
- South Carolina Department of Corrections
- South Dakota Department of Corrections
- Tennessee Department of Corrections
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Utah Department of Corrections
- Utah Department of Youth Corrections
- Vermont Department of Corrections
- Virginia Department of Corrections
- Washington Department of Corrections
- West Virginia Department of Corrections
- Wisconsin Department of Corrections
- Wyoming Department of Corrections
Obscure research tools and links
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service NCJRS Users Guide [PDF], NCJRS Statistics Page
- National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
- Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center
Other National/Federal Sites
Recommended Reading:
Tracking Trump's criminal legal system moves
The Administration is making America's criminal legal system harsher, less effective, and even more unjust.
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 4,000+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates nearly 2 million people. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Bad Behavior
This national report explains how prison disciplinary policies manufacture misconduct and severly punish incarcerated people.
Events
- July 1, 2026:
On July 1, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST, join the Prison Policy Initiative and guests Jodi Hocking, Executive Director of Return Strong Nevada, and Taj Mahon-Haft PhD, Director of The Humanization Project, as they discuss the importance of family connections, highlight the ways they are under attack, and share strategies to help families fight back.
Register here
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.