What’s New
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Disparate Justice: Where Kentuckians Live Determines Whether They Stay in Jail Because They Can’t Afford Cash Bail by Kentucky Center for Economic Policy
July 15: Research Library: Pretrial Detention
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Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with a new listing for California.
June 27: Legal Resources
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Cruel and unusual punishment: When states don’t provide air conditioning in prison 13 states in the hottest parts of the country lack universal A/C in their prisons. We explain the consequences.
June 18: Briefings
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When jails replace in-person visits with video, what happens when the technology fails? As more jails ban face-to-face visits in favor of paid video chats, a growing number of people in jail are being cut off from their families when the technology breaks down.
June 18: Briefings
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Why haven’t presidential candidates proposed to end the criminalization of poverty? The Democratic candidates are missing an opportunity to pitch sweeping criminal justice reform as an economic justice issue.
June 12: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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BJS fuels myths about sex offense recidivism, contradicting its own new data A new government report reinforces harmful misconceptions about people convicted of sex offenses. Here’s our take on how to parse the data.
June 6: Briefings
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Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signs law ending prison gerrymandering Nevada moved swiftly, ending prison gerrymandering in a single legislative session.
May 31: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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Washington Governor Jay Inslee signs law ending prison gerrymandering Washington State moved swiftly, ending prison gerrymandering in a single legislative session.
May 21: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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Policing Women: Race and gender disparities in police stops, searches, and use of force We analyze gender and racial disparities in traffic and street stops, including arrests, searches, and use of force that occurs during stops.
May 14: Briefings
Featured report
Following the Money of Mass Incarceration
In a first-of-its-kind report, the Prison Policy Initiative aggregates economic data to offer a big picture view of who pays for and who benefits from mass incarceration.
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:
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census:
State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 2,900+ 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.