What’s New
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Cooperation with ICE doesn’t stop community arrests: New data on the results of state strategies
The Trump administration has demanded local and state collusion on immigration enforcement, and promised to pull back on community arrests in return. But our analysis of updated ICE arrest data shows that collaboration has only expanded ICE arrests, and that the mass deportation project falters in places that resist.
October 6: Briefings
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Amicus Brief: Court access needed to address inadequate medical care
Yesterday, the Prison Policy Initiative, in partnership with the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, filed….
October 1: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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A reporter’s guide to reporting guides around incarceration
Resources for honing reporting skills, working with incarcerated writers, and framing your coverage well.
October 1: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured report
Hiding in Plain Sight: How local jails obscure and facilitate mass deportation under Trump
Local jails, even in some sanctuary cities and states, are playing an essential role in President Trump’s mass detention and deportation plan. This report breaks down the complicated overlap between local criminal legal systems and immigration, and offers detailed data tables showing the level of involvement in every state and in specific jails. It also reveals that the Trump administration is circumventing city and county sanctuary policies by referring more immigrants for federal prosecution, meaning they go unnoticed both in local jails and in statistics about detention.
Mass incarceration, state by state
Learn about the national prison crisis and how we can begin to turn the tide on mass incarceration. Then, drill down to your state. Be sure to also check out our pages focused on D.C., and the incarceration of Native people.
Select your state:
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2025-2026 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
50 state incarceration profiles
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
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
- October 27, 2026:
On October 27, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. EST, join the Prison Policy Initiative for a webinar focused on making public records requests. We’ll cover the basics of making a request and provide tips and tricks we’ve learned over decades of sending requests to jails, prisons, and other agencies that can make your requests more effective.
Register here
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.