Can you help us sustain this work?
Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate
What’s New
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Updated charts provide insights on racial disparities, correctional control, jail suicides, and more New data visualizations expose the harms of mass incarceration
May 19: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Working in “a meat grinder”: A research roundup showing prison and jail jobs aren’t all that states promise they will be No wonder prisons and jails face constant understaffing and that communities increasingly resist new facilities: Decades of research show that the physical and mental health problems associated with correctional officers’ jobs are inherent to the work, and that new prisons and jails fail to deliver on promises of economic development.
May 9: Briefings
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The Hidden Costs of Pretrial Detention Revisited by Christopher Lowenkamp
May 9: Research Library: Pretrial Detention
Featured report
States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2021
We also have a parallel report from 2018 focused on the incarceration of women.
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 2020-2021 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
The COVID-19 pandemic and the criminal justice system
Our central hub of data, research, and policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in jails and prisons.
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 3,600+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates 1.9 million people, more than any other country. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Jails and bail: Our research
One out of three people behind bars is in a local jail. Our research drives jail reform.