But now, more than ever, we need your help to put data & compassion into the conversation. Any gift you can make today will be matched by other donors and go twice as far.
Thank you.
—Peter Wagner, Executive DirectorDonate
What’s New
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We know how to prevent opioid overdose deaths for people leaving prison. So why are prisons doing nothing? Treatment programs offer promising results for recently incarcerated people, but prisons aren’t using them.
December 7: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Who’s really bringing contraband into jails? Our 2018 survey confirms it’s staff, not visitors When jails cut family visits in the name of security, advocates should demand evidence.
December 6: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Our most important successes over the last year We’ve had an incredibly productive year. In our new annual report, we share the highlights.
November 29: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Mujahid Farid dies at 69 Mujahid Farid, the founding organizer of a campaign to reduce the number of elderly and infirm people in New York State….
November 21: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Model Penal Code: Sentencing, Proposed Final Draft by The American Law Institute
November 20: Research Library: Sentencing Policy and Practices
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The Ungers, 5 Years and Counting: A Case Study in Safely Reducing Long Prison Terms and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Justice Policy Institute
November 20: Research Library: Sentencing Policy and Practices
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Eight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences by Prison Policy Initiative
November 20: Research Library: Sentencing Policy and Practices
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The Continuing Leverage of Releasing Authorities: Findings from a National Survey: Executive Summary by Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
November 20: Research Library: Sentencing Policy and Practices
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Defendants Whose Death Sentences Have Been Reduced Because of a Finding of “Mental Retardation” since Atkins v. Virginia by Death Penalty Information Center
November 20: Research Library: Death Penalty
Featured report
Women's Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018
Women in the U.S. experience a starkly different criminal justice system than men do, but data on their experiences is difficult to find and put into context. We fill this gap in the data with a rich visual snapshot of how many women are locked up in the U.S., where, and why. Alongside our detailed "big picture" visualization, this 2018 update to our 2017 report on women's incarceration features a close-up view of women in local jails.
Unpacking mass incarceration
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 2017-2018 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
$1/minute to talk to Dad?
The federal government must act to protect families from the predatory prison telephone industry.
Compare your state's use of the prison to the world at large
Criminal justice policy in every region of the United States is out of step with the rest of the world.
Events
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