I need your help. I co-founded the Prison Policy Initiative to put the problem of mass incarceration — and the perverse incentives that fuel it — on the national agenda. Over the last 15 years, our campaigns have protected our democracy from the prison system and the poorest families in this country from the predatory prison telephone industry. Our reports untangle the statistics and recruit new allies.

But now, more than ever, we need your help to put data & compassion into the conversation.

Thank you.
—Peter Wagner, Executive DirectorDonate

Our expertise

The FactsEmpowering our movement with useful & accessible data.
Jails & BailOne out of three people behind bars are in a jail. Jail reform is criminal justice reform.
Graphics & MultimediaVisual explanations of mass incarceration
ExploitationCompanies & facilities exploit captive markets. We expose them.
Racial justiceRacial disparities are a defining characteristic of our criminal justice system.
Collateral consequencesPunishment doesn't end when your sentence does.
Prison gerrymanderingHow the prison system distorts democracy
CommunicationsProtecting phone, visitation, email, and postal contact for people behind bars.
Geographic punishmentsPunishing based on location of offense, not severity of offense is a bad idea.
WomenHow women fare in the world’s most punitive justice system.
Legal ResourcesThe only up-to-date list of legal assistance organizations for incarcerated people.
The FieldWe curate the internet's largest database of empirical justice research.
Public healthThe harms of mass incarceration extend far beyond prisons