Articles by Wanda Bertram
- How many people in your state go to local jails every year?
New data shows that local jails impact more people in your state than you may think.
Sep 18, 2019 - New report, Arrest, Release, Repeat, reveals how many people go to jail each year and how many times they go
Our analysis reveals that at least 4.9 million people cycle through county jails each year - and most have serious medical and economic needs.
Aug 26, 2019 - Momentum is building to end medical co-pays in prisons and jails
Three states have taken action in 2019 to change one of the most harmful policies in prison healthcare.
Aug 8, 2019 - Testifying before Congress about the mass incarceration of women
"Women’s experiences with the criminal justice system serve to highlight the faults of the whole system," our Legal Director explained to members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Jul 17, 2019 - 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.
Jun 12, 2019 - New report, Does our county really need a bigger jail?, helps counties avoid needless jail growth
All too often, proposals to expand local jails receive no pushback or critical attention. A new report helps counties think twice.
May 6, 2019 - Victory for phone justice: Securus and ICSolutions abandon attempted merger
A merger between the two companies would have curtailed the ability of prisons and jails to choose a phone provider, to the detriment of incarcerated people and their families.
Apr 2, 2019 - New report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019, provides annual “big picture” view of confinement in the U.S. with 7 new infographics
With this year's updated edition of Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, we once again answer the essential questions of how many people are locked up, where, and why.
Mar 19, 2019 - New report uncovers the cost of phone calls in over 2,000 locally-run jails across the U.S.
The movement for phone justice has won huge victories in state-run prisons, but people in jail pretrial are on the front lines of exploitation.
Feb 11, 2019 - New report ranks states on “correctional control,” showing huge state disparities in use of probation
When it comes to ranking U.S. states on the harshness of their criminal justice systems, incarceration rates only tell half of the story. 4.5 million people nationwide....
Dec 11, 2018 - New report: The eight most efficient ways to shorten long prison sentences
Clemency isn't the only way for governors and legislators to show mercy. Our report provides a roadmap with several options.
Nov 15, 2018 - New report, Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018, reveals how many women are locked up in the U.S., where, and why
The report includes a new, data-rich visualization of women in jails, highlighting a critical area for criminal justice reform.
Nov 13, 2018 - Criminal justice reform at the ballot box: Even County Auditors are worth your attention
In some counties - like Multnomah County, Oregon - auditors are joining the movement to hold jails accountable.
Oct 31, 2018 - New report, Getting Back on Course, shows that prison permanently hinders education
Our criminal justice system isn’t just sending people from school to prison – it’s locking them out of education altogether.
Oct 30, 2018 - Philadelphia Inquirer exposes Pennsylvania’s complicity in cutting off incarcerated people’s access to books
The Pennsylvania DOC introduces a telecom company to a large, captive market for e-books.
Sep 21, 2018 - New report, Nowhere to Go, breaks down the housing crisis among formerly incarcerated people
A stable home is all but required for successful reentry. How many formerly incarcerated people are locked out of housing?
Aug 14, 2018 - Victoria Law on Marketplace: How email services in prison exploit incarcerated people
As our research as shown, companies like JPay gouge people who are already overcharged and underpaid.
Aug 8, 2018 - The Idaho prison tablets “hack” is a lesson in how to cover the prison business
Stories about prison tablets are becoming more common. We offer tips to newsrooms for covering this issue fairly.
Aug 2, 2018 - How to spot the hidden costs in a “no-cost” tablet contract
There's no such thing as a free lunch - or a free tablet.
Jul 24, 2018 - New report, Out of Prison & Out of Work, calculates the first unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people
Formerly incarcerated people overwhelmingly want to work, but they face huge obstacles in the job market.
Jul 10, 2018 - New report, The Company Store, questions fairness and purpose of prison commissaries
In a first-of-its-kind data analysis, we explore the economics of prison commissaries in three states.
May 24, 2018 - State-level studies identify causes of the national “gender divide”
Our January report showed how incarcerated women are being left behind, but to identify specific areas for improvement, state-level research is needed.
Apr 11, 2018 - New research ends the “Is it race or class?” debate about mass incarceration
Racial biases in the criminal justice system don't only apply to poor people, according to research from Harvard, Stanford, and the Census Bureau.
Mar 19, 2018 - New Report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018, pieces together systems of confinement and provides 11 new infographics
With this year's updated edition of Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, we once again answer the essential questions of how many people are locked up, where, and why.
Mar 14, 2018 - Video: Why states should stop punishing safe drivers for offenses unrelated to driving
At under two minutes, this is the shortest and sweetest version of our argument against license suspensions for drug offenses.
Mar 6, 2018 - New report, Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie, breaks down where youth are locked up in the U.S. and why
In a series of graphics, we explain how tens of thousands of youth who could be better served in their communities still end up in confinement.
Feb 27, 2018 - Pennsylvania may finally lift the burden of needless driver’s license suspensions
The push to end driver’s license suspensions for drug offenses is picking up steam in Pennsylvania.
Jan 24, 2018 - If you’ve got a minute to think about civil liberties, here’s how to spend it.
We share our favorite recent episodes of Bill Newman's excellent podcast, each just over a minute long and covering a current threat to civil liberties.
Jan 22, 2018 - Our Young Professionals Network, in the words of one volunteer
One of our most dedicated volunteers shares the highlights of his experience.
Jan 22, 2018 - New report, The Gender Divide, identifies state gender disparities in prisons
Women’s prison populations are largely growing faster than men’s. See our 50-state analysis.
Jan 9, 2018 - Our favorite investigative criminal justice reporting of 2017
Investigative reporters are illuminating little-known facets of the criminal justice system. We share our favorite work from 2017.
Dec 28, 2017 - Help us tell the whole story of mass incarceration
Can you support our work this Giving Tuesday?
Nov 28, 2017
Recommended Reading:
Jails and bail: Our research
One out of three people behind bars is in a local jail. Our research drives jail reform.
$1/minute to talk to Dad?
State governments must act to protect families from the predatory jail 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.
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
Events
- November 13-16, 2019:
Wendy Sawyer will be in San Francisco for the American Society of Criminology annual meeting from Nov. 13-16. Please contact us if you’d like to connect.
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.