Wendy Sawyer and Alex Clark | July 13, 2017

New data: The rise of the “prosecutor politician”

Jed Shugerman argues that the prosecutor's office has become a "stepping stone to higher office... with dramatic consequences in American criminal law and mass incarceration." His extensive database explores connections between prosecutors and politics in each state since the 1880s.

Stephen Raher | July 6, 2017

The Wireless Prison: How Colorado’s tablet computer program misses opportunities and monetizes the poor

Colorado's tablet program foreshadows a potential new paradigm in corrections, shifting numerous communications, educational, and recreational functions to a for-profit contractor; and making incarcerated people and their families pay for services that are commonly funded by the state.

Wendy Sawyer | June 28, 2017

BJS report: Drug abuse and addiction at the root of 21% of crimes

Emily Widra | June 26, 2017

Incarceration shortens life expectancy

Each year in prison takes 2 years off an individual's life expectancy. With over 2.3 million people locked up, mass incarceration has shortened the overall U.S. life expectancy.

Wendy Sawyer | June 22, 2017

New government report points to continuing mental health crisis in prisons and jails

U.S. prisons and jails are filled with people who have a current or past mental health problem, and facilities are still not meeting the demand for treatment.

Joshua Aiken | June 14, 2017

The downstream effect of 35 years of jail growth? A state prison boom

Lucius Couloute | June 13, 2017

For families of incarcerated dads, Father’s day comes at a premium

Over 1.5 million children have a father incarcerated in prison today. As Father's day approaches, millions of children will be without their fathers, and without the ability to pay the outrageous fees associated with speaking to them. State lawmakers should take the initiative to better regulate prison telecom companies, and most importantly, reduce the number of incarcerated people.

Lucius Couloute | June 8, 2017

Data confirms that police treat Black Americans with less respect

New research out of Stanford University substantiates what Black America has always known – that police officers treat Blacks differently than they do whites.

Wendy Sawyer and Emily Widra | May 8, 2017

Unpacking the connections between race, incarceration, and women’s HIV rates

Current research points to an unexpected contributor to the high rates of HIV infection among Black women: the mass incarceration of Black men.

Lucius Couloute | May 2, 2017

Aging alone: Uncovering the risk of solitary confinement for people over 45

We estimate that more than 44,000 people 45 and older experience solitary in state prisons each year. As prisons continue to get grayer, policymakers must understand that denying older incarcerated people access to sunlight, exercise, and interaction with other people and spaces is both inhumane and fiscally irresponsible.