Wendy Sawyer | March 3, 2017

Food for thought: Prison food is a public health problem

Research confirms that prison food is not just gross; it is often nutritionally inadequate. A recent report from Washington provides new evidence and our policy analyst examines the public health costs.

Bernadette Rabuy | February 7, 2017

Pretrial detention costs $13.6 billion each year

Our new report looks at the big picture to find that mass incarceration costs $182 billion per year; and we also calculate the cost of locking people up before trial.

Aleks Kajstura | January 19, 2017

Evading regulation, some in-state phone calls from jails cost over $1.50 a minute

The first ever national survey of in-state jail phone rates finds some jails charge more than $1.50 a minute.

Stephen Raher | January 18, 2017

The multi-million dollar market of sending money to an incarcerated loved one

Private companies amassing monopoly contracts, creating potential to rake in $172 million from friends and family sending money to incarcerated loved ones.

Joshua Aiken and Wendy Sawyer | December 30, 2016

Another century of mass incarceration?

If the U.S. doesn't make reducing the correctional population a policy priority, generations will continue to be burdened by mass incarceration.

Bernadette Rabuy | December 22, 2016

The life-threatening reality of short jail stays

New BJS data shows suicide is still the leading cause of death in local jails. And most suicides occur shortly after jail admission.

Wendy Sawyer | December 21, 2016

Probation population declines: Good, but not good enough

After decades of exponential growth, any news that the population under correctional control is decreasing is good news. But this progress is too slow.

Wendy Sawyer | October 26, 2016

Don’t confuse respect for police with confidence in them

Americans’ respect for local police is apparently much higher than their confidence in the police in general.

Joshua Aiken | September 30, 2016

Girls are being put behind bars more and more. Will Congress do anything to help?

Joshua Aiken | September 15, 2016

Why do we lock juveniles up for life and throw away the key? Race plays a big part.

The United States is the only country in the world that sentences people under 18 to die behind bars. Which states do it, and why?