What’s New
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Jails and prisons have reduced their populations in the face of the pandemic, but not enough to save lives Our updated analysis finds that the initial efforts to reduce jail populations have slowed, while the small drops in state prison populations are still too little to save lives.
August 5: Briefings
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Whom the State Kills by Scott Phillips & Justin Marceau
August 4: Research Library: Death Penalty
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Visualizing the racial disparities in mass incarceration Racial inequality is evident in every stage of the criminal justice system - here are the key statistics compiled into a series of charts.
July 27: Briefings
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COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Federal and State Prisons by Brendan Saloner, Kalind Parish, Julie A. Ward, Grace DiLaura, Sharon Dolovich
July 27: Research Library: Health impact
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Proposition 47’s Impact on Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice Outcome by Public Policy Institute of California
July 27: Research Library: Race and ethnicity
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Welcome Tiana Herring! Please welcome Tiana Herring, our newest Research Associate!
July 22: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Why the Senate should pass the Driving for Opportunity Act Suspending drivers license for unpaid fines and fees creates an unnecessary cycle of punishment and poverty.
July 22: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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4 bills you should know about if you support criminal justice reform in Massachusetts These four bills relate to decarceration in response to COVID-19, making phone calls from prison and jail free, strengthening visitation, and “raising the age.”
July 17: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Do prisons draw in Census money for their host communities? No. One of the most common arguments against prison gerrymandering reform is the fear, among people in prison towns, that their communities will lose out on funding. It’s a fear based on a misunderstanding of how federal and state funds are allocated.
July 13: Prisoners of the Census Blog
Featured report
Failing Grades: States' Responses to COVID-19 in Jails & Prisons
We worked with the ACLU to evaluate — and grade — all 50 states’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons and jails. Alarmingly, we found that when faced with this test of their leadership, most states ignored the pleas of incarcerated people and the warnings of medical experts and refused to implement widespread testing, provide protective equipment, and reduce prison and jail populations. The results have been as tragic as they were predictable: Hundreds of incarcerated people and staff have died from the virus, and most of the largest coronavirus outbreaks are behind bars.
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 2018-2019 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.