What’s New
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The False Promise of Bail:
An Analysis of Pretrial Release Mechanisms and Court Appearance in Tulsa County, Oklahoma by The Bail Project
June 13: Research Library: Pretrial detention
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Federal Census policy breaks West Virginia’s democracy — state lawmakers can fix it
West Virginia’s redistricting data was once again skewed after the 2020 Census; the state needs to take action to fix the issue for 2030.
June 12: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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Can they do that? A primer on the powers — and limits — of the president and federal government to shape the criminal legal system
The Trump Administration has made a lot of claims about how it will change the criminal legal system. We explain where the president and federal government have full control over the system, where they have some influence, and where their power ends.
June 11: Briefings
Featured report
Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time
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.
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2023-2024 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
The unmet health needs of people in prison
States fall far short of their duty to meet the health needs of incarcerated people.
All profit, no risk
The bail industry exploits cracks and loopholes in the legal system to avoid accountability, while growing its profits.
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
- June 19-22, 2025:
Wanda Bertram, the Prison Policy Initiative’s Communications Strategist, will be at the Investigative Reporters & Editors conference in New Orleans. To connect with Wanda at the conference, reporters can email her directly at wbertram@prisonpolicy.org.
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.