What’s New
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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
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New research: Adjusted for age and sex, the COVID-19 death rate in prisons is 3 times higher than in the general population New research in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows the tragic results of states’ negligence of incarcerated people.
July 8: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Race and Reasonableness in Police Killings by Jeffrey Fagan and Alexis Campbell
July 2: Research Library: Race and ethnicity
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Second Look for Justice, Safety and Savings: A Plan to Address Rehabilitated Youth Serving Extreme Sentences in Adult Prisons by Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
July 2: Research Library: Youth
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Police Officers Rarely Charged for Excessive Use of Force in Federal Court by TRAC
July 2: Research Library: Police and Policing
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Paying on Probation: How Financial Sanctions Intersect with Probation to Target, Trap, and Punish People Who Cannot Pay by Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School
July 1: Research Library: Probation and parole
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The Broad Scope and Variation of Monetary Sanctions: Evidence From Eight States by Sarah Shannon, Beth M. Huebner, Alexes Harris, et al.
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#DefundPolice Toolkit: Concrete Steps Toward Divestment from Policing & Investment in Community Safety by Interrupting Criminalization: Research in Action & Movement for Black Lives
July 1: Research Library: Police and Policing
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Trauma and Loss During Reentry: Early Findings from a Multi-State Trial by Florida State University Institute for Justice Research and Development
July 1: Research Library: Mental Health
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.