Briefings on collateral consequences

Aleks Kajstura | April 10, 2026

Guaranteed income helps people leaving jail and prison, and that helps everyone

Guaranteed income programs show reduced recidivism and improved self-sufficiency, quickly paying for themselves.

Aleks Kajstura | February 24, 2026

Hunger as punishment: How states restrict SNAP benefits for people on probation

A patchwork of statutes and administrative choices limits access to the food assistance program SNAP for some people on probation.

Wendy Sawyer | February 5, 2025

Estimating the impact: How many people are excluded from Fair Housing protections because of a past drug conviction?

A little-known 1988 law called the Thurmond Amendment stripped people with drug distribution convictions of federal protections under the Fair Housing Act, making it even more difficult for many people with criminal records to secure housing - even when they are qualified in every other way, and even when the conviction is decades old. By our count, this law makes it more difficult for as many as 3 million people with these kinds of convictions to secure housing.

Eric Seligman and Brian Nam-Sonenstein | August 27, 2024

10 ways that mass incarceration is an engine of economic injustice

The fight for a fair economy and the movement against prisons are one and the same.

Brian Nam-Sonenstein | June 5, 2024

Donald Trump can still be president, but he could be barred from being a bartender, car salesman — or real estate developer

The former president’s conviction spotlights how state policies make it hard for people with felony convictions to find good jobs.

Leah Wang | February 7, 2024

Prison disciplinary fines only further impoverish incarcerated people and families

We analyzed prison policies for all 50 states and the federal prison system, and found that 16 prison systems actually impose fines — in addition to other punishments — when someone violates a prison rule. We explain why disciplinary fines and fees are bad policy, putting excessive hardship on incarcerated people and their loved ones.

Leah Wang | November 8, 2023

Guilty by association: When parole and probation rules disrupt support systems

Requiring people on supervision to avoid others with criminal legal system contact can actually hinder their success in the community. We found that it’s common for probation and parole agencies to impose these “association” restrictions, tearing apart critical social networks and threatening to lock people up for harmless — and even helpful — interactions.

Emmett Sanders | October 30, 2023

Not an alternative: The myths, harms, and expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring

The expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring across 70 counties threatens to undermine Illinois’ groundbreaking Pretrial Fairness Act, despite both the lack of evidence of EM's efficacy and its well-documented flaws and harms.

Brian Nam-Sonenstein | September 11, 2023

Seeking shelter from mass incarceration: Fighting criminalization with Housing First

Providing unconditional housing with embedded services can reduce chronic homelessness, reduce incarceration, and improve quality of life – especially for people experiencing substance use disorder and mental illness.

Brian Nam-Sonenstein | August 15, 2023

High stakes mistakes: How courts respond to “failure to appear”

Research shows that while most people who miss court are not dangerous or evading justice, the way courts treat “failure to appear” may make our communities less safe.

Sarah Staudt | July 6, 2023

Releasing people pretrial doesn’t harm public safety

When these states, cities, and counties began releasing more people pretrial, there were no corresponding waves in crime.

Selena Muñoz-Jones and Emily Widra | February 15, 2023

How your local public housing authority can reduce barriers for people with criminal records

Millions of people with criminal records likely meet the income eligibility requirements for public housing assistance. But needlessly strict local policies lock them out of housing. We explain how your public housing authority may be overly exclusionary.

Wendy Sawyer | August 25, 2022

Since you asked: How many people are released from each state’s prisons and jails every year?

The number of people going through reentry each year vastly exceeds the resources available to them in most communities.

Leah Wang and Wanda Bertram | February 8, 2022

New data on formerly incarcerated people’s employment reveal labor market injustices

Newly released data doubles down on what we’ve reported before: Formerly incarcerated people face huge obstacles to finding stable employment, leading to detrimental society-wide effects. Considering the current labor market, there may be plenty of jobs available, but they don’t guarantee stability or economic mobility for this vulnerable population.

Katie Rose Quandt and Alexi Jones | May 13, 2021

Research Roundup: Incarceration can cause lasting damage to mental health

Incarceration can trigger and worsen symptoms of mental illness — and those effects can last long after someone leaves the prison gates.

Wanda Bertram and Wendy Sawyer | May 5, 2021

Prisons and jails will separate millions of mothers from their children in 2021

The most important statistics about the incarceration of mothers and pregnant women.

Alexi Jones | February 10, 2021

New data: The revolving door between homeless shelters and prisons in Connecticut

New statewide data from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness underscore the harms of criminalizing homelessness and the destabilizing effects of incarceration.

Jenny Landon and Alexi Jones | February 10, 2021

Food insecurity is rising, and incarceration puts families at risk

Several studies show that formerly incarcerated people - and the children of currently incarcerated people - are at especially high risk of experiencing food insecurity.

Wanda Bertram | September 2, 2020

Returning from prison and jail is hard during normal times — it’s even more difficult during COVID-19

We review the evidence and call for state and local governments to provide more support for success upon release from prison or jail.

Tiana Herring | June 10, 2020

How inflation makes your state’s criminal justice system harsher today than it was yesterday

The case for increasing the monetary level for felony theft.

Mack Finkel | April 9, 2019

New data: Low incomes – but high fees – for people on probation

People on probation are much more likely to be low-income than those who aren't, and steep monthly probation fees put them at risk of being jailed when they can't pay.

Maddy Troilo | December 7, 2018

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.

Aleks Kajstura | August 29, 2018

Progress: With reforms in Iowa and Utah, 12,000 fewer people will be denied driver’s licenses every year

Two more states have opted to help safe drivers get their lives back on track after drug convictions.

Lucius Couloute | May 14, 2018

New report from Essie Justice shows women with incarcerated loved ones are traumatized by marginalization

Mass incarceration intensifies the financial and social burdens that already fall too hard on women.

Wendy Sawyer and Wanda Bertram | May 13, 2018

Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year

80% of the women jailed each year are mothers. We're inflicting profound damage not only on them, but their children as well.

Lucius Couloute | April 11, 2018

Target agrees to compensate thousands in discriminatory hiring case

A new court settlement illustrates the pervasiveness of criminal record discrimination in the United States.

Aleks Kajstura | March 23, 2018

DC ends driver’s license suspensions for unrelated drug offenses

D.C. will no longer suspend driver's licenses for drug offenses completely unrelated to driving, but 12 states still cling to failed law.

Emily Widra | March 10, 2017

It’s not just the franchise: Mass incarceration undermines political engagement

Contact with the criminal justice system impacts not only individual experiences of political participation, but also community-wide political engagement.

Alison Walsh | March 30, 2016

Massachusetts removes major roadblock to re-entry: unnecessary license suspensions

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill to end license suspensions for people convicted of drug offenses unrelated to road safety, eliminating a major barrier toward successful re-entry.

Stay Informed

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Briefings on collateral consequences

Guaranteed income helps people leaving jail and prison, and that helps everyone

Guaranteed income programs show reduced recidivism and improved self-sufficiency, quickly paying for themselves.

Hunger as punishment: How states restrict SNAP benefits for people on probation

A patchwork of statutes and administrative choices limits access to the food assistance program SNAP for some people on probation.

Estimating the impact: How many people are excluded from Fair Housing protections because of a past drug conviction?

10 ways that mass incarceration is an engine of economic injustice

The fight for a fair economy and the movement against prisons are one and the same.

Donald Trump can still be president, but he could be barred from being a bartender, car salesman — or real estate developer

The former president’s conviction spotlights how state policies make it hard for people with felony convictions to find good jobs.

Prison disciplinary fines only further impoverish incarcerated people and families

Guilty by association: When parole and probation rules disrupt support systems

Not an alternative: The myths, harms, and expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring

The expansion of pretrial electronic monitoring across 70 counties threatens to undermine Illinois’ groundbreaking Pretrial Fairness Act, despite both the lack of evidence of EM's efficacy and its well-documented flaws and harms.

Seeking shelter from mass incarceration: Fighting criminalization with Housing First

Providing unconditional housing with embedded services can reduce chronic homelessness, reduce incarceration, and improve quality of life – especially for people experiencing substance use disorder and mental illness.

High stakes mistakes: How courts respond to “failure to appear”

Research shows that while most people who miss court are not dangerous or evading justice, the way courts treat “failure to appear” may make our communities less safe.

Releasing people pretrial doesn’t harm public safety

When these states, cities, and counties began releasing more people pretrial, there were no corresponding waves in crime.

How your local public housing authority can reduce barriers for people with criminal records

Millions of people with criminal records likely meet the income eligibility requirements for public housing assistance. But needlessly strict local policies lock them out of housing. We explain how your public housing authority may be overly exclusionary.

Since you asked: How many people are released from each state’s prisons and jails every year?

The number of people going through reentry each year vastly exceeds the resources available to them in most communities.

New data on formerly incarcerated people’s employment reveal labor market injustices

Research Roundup: Incarceration can cause lasting damage to mental health

Incarceration can trigger and worsen symptoms of mental illness — and those effects can last long after someone leaves the prison gates.

Prisons and jails will separate millions of mothers from their children in 2021

The most important statistics about the incarceration of mothers and pregnant women.

New data: The revolving door between homeless shelters and prisons in Connecticut

New statewide data from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness underscore the harms of criminalizing homelessness and the destabilizing effects of incarceration.

Food insecurity is rising, and incarceration puts families at risk

Several studies show that formerly incarcerated people - and the children of currently incarcerated people - are at especially high risk of experiencing food insecurity.

Returning from prison and jail is hard during normal times — it’s even more difficult during COVID-19

We review the evidence and call for state and local governments to provide more support for success upon release from prison or jail.

How inflation makes your state’s criminal justice system harsher today than it was yesterday

The case for increasing the monetary level for felony theft.

New data: Low incomes – but high fees – for people on probation

People on probation are much more likely to be low-income than those who aren't, and steep monthly probation fees put them at risk of being jailed when they can't pay.

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.

Progress: With reforms in Iowa and Utah, 12,000 fewer people will be denied driver’s licenses every year

Two more states have opted to help safe drivers get their lives back on track after drug convictions.

New report from Essie Justice shows women with incarcerated loved ones are traumatized by marginalization

Mass incarceration intensifies the financial and social burdens that already fall too hard on women.

Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year

80% of the women jailed each year are mothers. We're inflicting profound damage not only on them, but their children as well.

Target agrees to compensate thousands in discriminatory hiring case

A new court settlement illustrates the pervasiveness of criminal record discrimination in the United States.

DC ends driver’s license suspensions for unrelated drug offenses

D.C. will no longer suspend driver's licenses for drug offenses completely unrelated to driving, but 12 states still cling to failed law.

It’s not just the franchise: Mass incarceration undermines political engagement

Contact with the criminal justice system impacts not only individual experiences of political participation, but also community-wide political engagement.

Massachusetts removes major roadblock to re-entry: unnecessary license suspensions

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill to end license suspensions for people convicted of drug offenses unrelated to road safety, eliminating a major barrier toward successful re-entry.

Stay Informed

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