What’s New
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Inevitable yet ignored: Prison policies disregard the realities of menopause behind bars
Our survey of state and federal prison policies shows just how little institutional attention is paid to menopause-related healthcare and education behind bars, despite the growing population of aging incarcerated women.
September 1: Briefings
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When bad policies spread: The expansion of the “sex offense registry” model to other convictions
Shaming doesn’t prevent crime.
August 10: Briefings
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Death by incarceration:
Detention duration, overdose, and COVID-19 in Los Angeles County Jails, 2008-2023 by Adrianne Katrina Nelson et al
August 10: Research Library: Jails
Featured report
One size fits none: How ‘standard conditions’ of probation set people up to fail
Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. are on probation, and all are required to follow a set of "standard conditions" set at the state or local level — rules like restrictions on where they can go, expectations to "be good," and mandatory burdensome fees. Our report breaks down the rules set by 76 jurisdictions across all 50 states, showing how conditions are often in conflict with each other and make it impossible for those on probation to succeed.
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.
Select your state:
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2024-2025 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
50 state incarceration profiles
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 4,000+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates nearly 2 million people. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Bad Behavior
This national report explains how prison disciplinary policies manufacture misconduct and severly punish incarcerated people.