What’s New
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Measuring Change: From Rates of Recidivism to Markers of Desistance by Cecelia M. Klingele
January 17: Research Library: Recidivism and Reentry
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“What percent of the U.S. is incarcerated?” (And other ways to measure mass incarceration) Nearly one out of every 100 people in the United States is in a prison or jail.
January 16: Briefings
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New report, Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2019, breaks down where children and teenagers are locked up in the U.S., where, and why At a time when cutting the adult prison population by 50% seems radical to many people, states have already cut the number of confined youth by 60% since 2000.
December 19: Press releases
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New report: State-level criminal justice reforms that can win in 2020 We list 24 high-impact policy ideas for state legislators looking to reform their criminal justice systems.
December 12: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Prisons neglect pregnant women in their healthcare policies Our 50-state survey finds that in spite of national standards, most states lack important policies on prenatal care and nutrition for pregnant women.
December 5: Briefings
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Interview with Heather Villanueva of More Equitable Democracy about their successful campaign to end prison gerrymandering in Washington state How a focus on accurate data and on Native communities helped end prison gerrymandering in Washington State.
December 2: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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The law is supposed to protect consumers from exploitation, but it’s not protecting people in prisons and jails When the only way to get necessities in prison is to buy them from a single retailer, exploitation is the result.
November 14: Briefings
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Since you asked: Is it me, or is the government releasing less data about the criminal justice system? The Bureau of Justice Statistics is tasked with collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the criminal justice system. But its reports are slowing down - and its framing of criminal justice issues is becoming more punitive.
November 14: Briefings
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Welcome Jenny Landon! Welcome Jenny Landon, our new Development & Communications Associate!
November 1: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured report
Does our county really need a bigger jail?
A guide to avoiding unnecessary jail expansion
Our report gives cities and counties a long-needed tool for fighting mass incarceration: a guide to preventing needless jail expansion. With jail populations having tripled in the last three decades, overcrowding in local jails is common — but there are simpler, cheaper, and more just solutions to jail crowding than building a new or bigger jail. We lay out 33 questions, and a list of best practices, to help local decision-makers understand the true costs of — and alternatives to — jail expansion.
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 2018-2019 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census:
State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 3,000+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates 2.3 million people, more than any other country. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Jails and bail: Our research
One out of three people behind bars is in a local jail. Our research drives jail reform.