What’s New
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New report uncovers the cost of phone calls in over 1,800 locally-run jails across the U.S. The movement for phone justice has won huge victories in state-run prisons, but people in jail pretrial are on the front lines of exploitation.
February 11: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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On kickbacks and commissions in the prison and jail phone market Phone providers are so creative in their influence-peddling that the most viable reform strategies do not focus only on “commissions.”
February 11: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Why expensive phone calls can be life-altering for people in jail - and can derail the justice process The cost of jail phone calls punishes people in the most desperate circumstances, most of whom have not been convicted of a crime.
February 5: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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LGBTQ youth are at greater risk of homelessness and incarceration Homelessness is the greatest predictor of involvement with the juvenile justice system. And since LGBTQ youth compose 40% of the homeless youth population, they are at an increased risk of incarceration.
January 22: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Red states, blue states: What do these mean for people on parole? Despite the states’ reputations, Texas actually appears more progressive than Massachusetts when it comes to parole.
January 2: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Our favorite data visualizations of 2018 2018 was another big year for powerful data visualizations from the Prison Policy Initiative. These are our 11 favorites.
December 28: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Voices that are pushing the envelope - best commentary of 2018 Our picks for writing that propels reform by offering a more complete understanding of mass incarceration.
December 27: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Our favorite investigative criminal justice reporting of 2018 Reporters are deepening our understanding of complex facets of the criminal justice system and illuminating paths to reform. We share some of our favorites.
December 27: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Timeline: The 18-year battle for prison phone justice Journalists and others often ask about how the movement for phone justice began and why this is taking so long. Here are….
December 17: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured report
State of Phone Justice: Local jails, state prisons and private phone providers
The movement for phone justice has won huge victories in state-run prisons, but people in local jails - many of whom have not been convicted of a crime - still frequently have to pay $1 per minute or more for a phone call. State of Phone Justice uncovers the cost of calls in over 1,800 jails nationwide, explaining why sheriffs sign lucrative phone contracts that prey on pretrial detainees and enrich private phone providers.
The report allows readers to compare the cost of phone calls in thousands of locally-run jails and state-run prisons, and goes into unprecedented depth on the state of the prison and jail phone market.
Unpacking mass incarceration
Learn about the national prison crisis and how we can begin to turn the tide on mass incarceration. Then, drill down to your state.
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2017-2018 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
$1/minute to talk to Dad?
The federal government must act to protect families from the predatory prison telephone industry.
Compare your state's use of the prison to the world at large
Criminal justice policy in every region of the United States is out of step with the rest of the world.
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
Events
- Feb 21, 2019:
Volunteer Attorney Stephen Raher will be presenting his paper “The Company Store and the Literally Captive Market: Consumer Law in Prisons and Jails” at the Consumer Law Conference at Berkeley Law School. The paper will be presented and discussed at 4:00pm.
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.