Graph showing the pre-incarceration incomes of people who are unable to afford bail with people of similar ages who are not detained, for both men and women. The median bail amount is $10,000; and people detained pre-trial tend to be poor with annual incomes not far above that median bail amount.

Data Source: For detailed data notes, see our report Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time. (Graph: Wendy Sawyer & Peter Wagner, 2025)

This graph originally appeared in Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2025.

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