Can you help us sustain this work?
Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate
What’s New
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As COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly, state prisons and local jails have failed to mitigate the risk of infection behind bars COVID infections are rising across the country. So why are we allowing jail populations to rise?
December 2: Briefings
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No escape: The trauma of witnessing violence in prison A recent study of recently incarcerated people finds that witnessing violence is a frequent and traumatizing experience in prison.
December 2: Briefings
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Naming and Shaming: Violations of the Human Rights of Transgender Persons with Felonies in Texas by Human Rights Clinic, Austin Community Law Center, and Trans Pride Initiative
November 24: Research Library: LGBT
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Dollars and Sense in Cook County: Examining the Impact of General Order 18.8A on Felony Bond Court Decisions, Pretrial Release, and Crime by Safety and Justice Challenge
November 23: Research Library: Crime and Crime Rates
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Hepatitis C Litigation: Healing Inmates as a Public Health Strategy by Robert Katz
November 23: Research Library: Health impact
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Since you asked: Can correctional facilities negotiate phone contracts that prohibit deposit fees? (Yes! Many do.) We review the evidence and find 15 states that said no to unnecessary fees. Who will be next?
November 20: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Evidence Shows That Most Immigrants Appear for Immigration Court Hearings by Vera Institute of Justice
November 19: Research Library: Immigration
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The Case Against Pretrial Risk Assessment Instruments by Pretrial Justice Institute
November 19: Research Library: Pretrial Detention
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Spend Your Values, Cut Your Losses 2021 Divestment Portfolio: Smart and Safe Justice System Solutions That Put Communities First by Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
November 19: Research Library: Economics of Incarceration
Featured report
Eligible, but excluded: A guide to removing the barriers to jail voting
Most of the 746,000 people incarcerated in jails can vote, but nearly-insurmountable barriers prevent them from doing so. In this report with Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.'s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, we provide a concise guide to understanding which people in jail in every state are eligible to vote (including a handy flowchart and 50-state table), and explain how advocates and elected officials can bring down the logistical barriers that prevent people in jail from having their votes counted.
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.
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2019-2020 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Five ways the criminal justice system could slow the pandemic
Quick action could slow the spread of the viral pandemic in prisons and jails and in society as a whole
The "services" offered by jails don't make them safe places for vulnerable people
Even in the best of times, jails are not good at providing health and social services.
The most important statistics from our work on policing
Racial disparities, bloated budgets, the criminalization of homelessness, and more.
Is social distancing possible behind bars?
No. It's even harder than on cruise ships or in nursing homes.