What’s New
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In the Extreme: Women Serving Life Without Parole and Death Sentences in the United States by Sentencing Project
September 24: Research Library: Women
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Welcome to long time volunteer, Stephen Raher! Stephen is joining the Prison Policy Initiative as General Counsel.
September 16: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with a new listing for for all states.
September 16: Legal Resources
Featured report
Getting Back on Course: Educational exclusion and attainment among formerly incarcerated people
It's common knowledge that the U.S. criminal justice system funnels youth from schools to prisons - but what happens after that? How many people, for instance, are able to finish high school later? We break down the most recent data, revealing that incarcerated people rarely get the chance to make up the education they've missed.
This report is the third and last report in a series. In the previous two reports, we presented the first national estimates of unemployment and homelessness among formerly incarcerated people.
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.