HELP US END MASS INCARCERATION The Prison Policy Initiative uses research, advocacy, and organizing to dismantle mass incarceration. We’ve been in this movement for 20 years, thanks to individual donors like you.

Can you help us sustain this work?

Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate

What’s New

For the poorest people in prison, it’s a struggle to access even basic necessities Our survey of all 50 states and the BOP reveals that prisons make it hard for people to qualify as indigent—and even those who do qualify receive limited resources.

November 18: Briefings
Automating Banishment by Stop LAPD Spying Coalition

November 16: Research Library: Police and Policing
Show me the money: Tracking the companies that have a lock on sending funds to incarcerated people We looked at all fifty state departments of corrections to figure out which companies hold the contracts to provide money-transfer services and what the fees are to use these services.

November 9: Briefings
For the first time ever, Tennessee counties can avoid prison gerrymandering A change to state law frees counties to draw districts that truly represent the residents of their communities.

November 4: Prisoners of the Census Blog
Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with new listings for District of Columbia, Florida and New York.

November 3: Legal Resources
The CFPB’s enforcement order against prison profiteer JPay, explained The company was fined $6 million for exploiting people leaving prison.

October 28: Briefings
Blood from a stone: How New York prisons force people to pay for their own incarceration A study by members of the New York University Prison Education Program Research Collective gives important first-hand accounts of the damage done when prisons shift financial costs to incarcerated people.

October 27: Briefings
How many states have ended prison gerrymandering? About a dozen*! *Our new chart details how to quantify the progress made across the country.

October 26: Prisoners of the Census Blog
One important action can help end local prison gerrymandering in Wisconsin A confusing and outdated attorney general opinion has forced Wisconsin local governments into prison gerrymandering, but there is still time to fix this before districts are drawn for the next decade.

October 26: Prisoners of the Census Blog

Featured report

The Gender Divide: Tracking women's state prison growth

Even as men’s incarceration rates are falling, women’s incarceration rates remain near record highs, a trend driven by criminal justice decisions at the state level. Our new report breaks down women’s incarceration trends in state prisons for all 50 states since 1978. We find that women have scarcely benefited from efforts to reduce state prison populations since 2009. In many states, treating women’s incarceration as an afterthought has, in effect, held back efforts to decarcerate.

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.

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What’s New

For the poorest people in prison, it’s a struggle to access even basic necessities Our survey of all 50 states and the BOP reveals that prisons make it hard for people to qualify as indigent—and even those who do qualify receive limited resources.

Automating Banishment by Stop LAPD Spying Coalition

Show me the money: Tracking the companies that have a lock on sending funds to incarcerated people We looked at all fifty state departments of corrections to figure out which companies hold the contracts to provide money-transfer services and what the fees are to use these services.

For the first time ever, Tennessee counties can avoid prison gerrymandering A change to state law frees counties to draw districts that truly represent the residents of their communities.

Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with new listings for District of Columbia, Florida and New York.

The CFPB’s enforcement order against prison profiteer JPay, explained The company was fined $6 million for exploiting people leaving prison.

Blood from a stone: How New York prisons force people to pay for their own incarceration A study by members of the New York University Prison Education Program Research Collective gives important first-hand accounts of the damage done when prisons shift financial costs to incarcerated people.

How many states have ended prison gerrymandering? About a dozen! Our new chart details how to quantify the progress made across the country.

One important action can help end local prison gerrymandering in Wisconsin A confusing and outdated attorney general opinion has forced Wisconsin local governments into prison gerrymandering, but there is still time to fix this before districts are drawn for the next decade.

Featured report

The Gender Divide: Tracking women's state prison growth

Mass incarceration, state by state

Stay Informed

Recommended Reading:

Five ways the criminal justice system could slow the pandemic

The "services" offered by jails don't make them safe places for vulnerable people

The most important statistics from our work on policing

Is social distancing possible behind bars?

Stay Informed

Tweets

What’s New

For the poorest people in prison, it’s a struggle to access even basic necessities Our survey of all 50 states and the BOP reveals that prisons make it hard for people to qualify as indigent—and even those who do qualify receive limited resources.

Automating Banishment by Stop LAPD Spying Coalition

Show me the money: Tracking the companies that have a lock on sending funds to incarcerated people We looked at all fifty state departments of corrections to figure out which companies hold the contracts to provide money-transfer services and what the fees are to use these services.

For the first time ever, Tennessee counties can avoid prison gerrymandering A change to state law frees counties to draw districts that truly represent the residents of their communities.

Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with new listings for District of Columbia, Florida and New York.

The CFPB’s enforcement order against prison profiteer JPay, explained The company was fined $6 million for exploiting people leaving prison.

Blood from a stone: How New York prisons force people to pay for their own incarceration A study by members of the New York University Prison Education Program Research Collective gives important first-hand accounts of the damage done when prisons shift financial costs to incarcerated people.

How many states have ended prison gerrymandering? About a dozen*! *Our new chart details how to quantify the progress made across the country.

One important action can help end local prison gerrymandering in Wisconsin A confusing and outdated attorney general opinion has forced Wisconsin local governments into prison gerrymandering, but there is still time to fix this before districts are drawn for the next decade.

Featured report

The Gender Divide: Tracking women's state prison growth

Mass incarceration, state by state

Stay Informed

Recommended Reading:

Five ways the criminal justice system could slow the pandemic

The "services" offered by jails don't make them safe places for vulnerable people

The most important statistics from our work on policing

Is social distancing possible behind bars?

How many states have ended prison gerrymandering? About a dozen! Our new chart details how to quantify the progress made across the country.