Comparing Kentucky's total population to its incarcerated population, by race

HELP US END MASS INCARCERATION The Prison Policy Initiative uses research, advocacy, and organizing to dismantle mass incarceration. We’ve been in this movement for 24 years, thanks to individual donors like you.

Can you help us sustain this work?

Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate

Stay Informed

Get the latest updates:

Meet us

July 1, 2026:
On July 1, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST, join the Prison Policy Initiative and guests Jodi Hocking, Executive Director of Return Strong Nevada, and Taj Mahon-Haft PhD, Director of The Humanization Project, as they discuss the importance of family connections, highlight the ways they are under attack, and share strategies to help families fight back.

Register here

Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.

Bar chart showing that compared to the total state population, Black people are overrepresented in the incarcerated population, while white and Hispanic people are underrepresented.

(Graph: Wendy Sawyer, September 2023)

For more research and graphs about Kentucky, see our Kentucky state profile.

Events

July 1, 2026:
On July 1, 2026 at 1 p.m. EST, join the Prison Policy Initiative and guests Jodi Hocking, Executive Director of Return Strong Nevada, and Taj Mahon-Haft PhD, Director of The Humanization Project, as they discuss the importance of family connections, highlight the ways they are under attack, and share strategies to help families fight back.

Register here

Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.

Stay Informed

Meet us

Stay Informed

Featured Graphs:

Who profits and who pays in the U.S. criminal justice system?

How does experiencing incarceration impact one's economic welfare?

What's driving jail growth in the United States?

How does the suicide rate in jails compare to the general population, or even the prison population?

Events