Racial justice
Below is some of our key research and organizing:
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/EthnicityRacial and ethnic disparities are an unacceptable but defining characteristic of our prison system, yet in 2006 the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics stopped publishing state-level information about racial disparities in incarceration. We used our familiarity with U.S. Census data to chart racial disparities in incarceration with 200+ graphs.
Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisoned
Prisons of Poverty: Uncovering the pre-incarceration incomes of the imprisonedWith data scientist Daniel Kopf, we uncover the data to show that even before their incarceration, the people in prison are much poorer than Americans of similar ages. This was the first report to provides national data on the pre-incarceration incomes of incarcerated people by race and gender.
Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail time
Detaining the Poor: How money bail perpetuates an endless cycle of poverty and jail timeWith data scientist Daniel Kopf, we find that the ability to pay money bail is impossible for too many defendants because the typical bail amount represents -- depending on race and gender of the defendant -- between 8 and 13 months of income.
The Racial Geography of Mass Incarceration
The Racial Geography of Mass IncarcerationRacial and ethnic disparities are an unacceptable but defining characteristic of our prison system, and here we unlock part of the answer to why African-Americans and Latinos fill the prisons while Whites get the jobs running the prisons: the prisons are disproportionately built in white areas.
See also:
- Why do we lock juveniles up for life and throw away the key? Race plays a big part.
- The criminal justice system is riddled with racial disparities
- Oregon passes legislation to rein in racial disparities in criminal law; which state will be next?
- Reaching too far, coming up short: How large sentencing enhancement zones miss the mark about the racial disparity inherent in Massachusetts' now-reformed drug zone law. We expect to find similar results in other states that have similar laws creating high penalties for offenses committed in dense urban areas where people of color disproportionately live.
- The civil rights section of our Research Clearinghouse for comprehensive edited links to empirical research by other organizations.
Recommended Reading:
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
Legal Resources for Incarcerated People
The internet's first always-up-to-date list of organizations that provide legal services and resources for incarcerated people, organized by state.
Tracking State Prison Growth in 50 States
State-by-state briefing on prison growth (and occassional contraction) from 1978 to 2012
Events
Nothing scheduled right now. Invite us to to your city, college or organization.