What’s New
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Association of Jail Decarceration and Anticontagion Policies With COVID-19 Case Growth Rates in US Counties by Eric Reinhart and Daniel L. Chen
September 15: Research Library: COVID-19
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Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with a new listing for Pennsylvania.
September 13: Legal Resources
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New data: Wisconsin jails and telecom giants profiting from high phone rates that keep families apart As people in jail and their families struggle to stay connected during the pandemic, we’ve collected the data on the….
September 10: Briefings
Featured reports
States of emergency: The failure of prison system responses to COVID-19
Nearly 18 months into the pandemic, COVID-19 is still claiming lives behind bars. But a lack of transparency and consistency from state governments makes it hard to track — and compare — how states are addressing this crisis.
Our report States of Emergency fills this gap, aiming to bring attention back to the dangers incarcerated people face during the pandemic. We compile data along 16 factors to offer a state-by-state review of how prisons have responded to COVID-19 as of July 2021.
States of Incarceration: The Global Context
We also have a parallel report 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:
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.