Research Library

Our mission is to empower activists, journalists, and policymakers to shape effective criminal justice policy, so we go beyond our original reports and analyses to curate a database of virtually all the empirical criminal justice research available online.

Tips: If you know what you are looking for, you may also search the database. We also have an email newsletter (at right)(at bottom) for new research library updates.

  • COVID-19 (82) Research on the pandemic’s impact on prisons and jails
  • Community impact (128) Research on the impact of the criminal legal system on housing, schools, employment, neighborhoods, and more
  • Conditions of confinement (302) Research on prison and jail conditions such as solitary confinement, labor, discipline, food, and more
  • Courts and trials (188) Research on prosecutors, judges, public defense, court caseloads, and more
  • Crime (291) Curated research on crime, crime rates, and victimization
  • Death penalty (157) Information and data on capital punishment and executions
  • Disability (36) Research on the prevalence of, and challenges faced by, people with disabilities in the criminal legal system
  • Drug policy and treatment (187) Research on punishing and treating drug use in the criminal legal system
  • Economics of incarceration (195) Research on the economic drivers and consequences of mass incarceration
  • Education (135) Curated research on education programs in prisons and the school-to-prison pipeline
  • Families (163) Information and data on the criminal legal system’s impacts on families
  • Felony disenfranchisement and voting rights (94) Information about laws barring people from the polls because of criminal convictions
  • General (177) Broad-based research and information about the criminal legal system
  • Gun control (47) Information and data about gun violence, firearms, and gun control policy
  • Health and healthcare (277) Research on access to healthcare, chronic and infectious disease, mortality, and more
  • Immigration (84) Research on the incarceration and detainment of immigrants
  • Incarceration rates and trends (342) Research documenting the growth of prison and jail populations
  • International incarceration (45) Curated research on incarceration trends worldwide, and how they compare to the U.S.
  • Jails (308) Research on jail populations, jail conditions, jail construction, and more
  • LGBTQ (27) Information and data on the mass criminalization and incarceration of LGBTQ+ people
  • Mental health (100) Research on the prevalence and treatment of mental illness in the criminal legal system
  • Policing (288) Information and data on arrests, traffic stops, law enforcement interactions, and more
  • Poverty and wealth (176) Research on fines, fees, debt, and the criminalization of poor people
  • Pretrial detention (152) Research on the costs and outcomes of detaining people before trial
  • Prison gerrymandering (20) Research on prison-based gerrymandering (see also www.prisonersofthecensus.org)
  • Privatization (106) Information and data on how private companies exploit incarcerated people and their families
  • Probation and parole (144) Information about community supervision policies, conditions, violations, and more
  • Public opinion (52) Research on public perceptions of crime, prison, reform, and more
  • Racial and ethnic disparities (196) Research and statistics on racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal legal system
  • Reentry and recidivism (272) Information and research on the challenges and outcomes for people released from incarceration, including collateral consequences
  • Sentencing policy (159) Research on the rise and impact of excessive criminal sentences
  • Sex-related convictions (18) Research about the unique punishment of sex-related crimes through registries, civil commitment, and other means
  • Women and gender (167) Information and data on gender disparities in the criminal legal system
  • Youth and juvenile justice (409) Research about youth in the criminal legal system

Enter one word from the title, author or topic to search the library:

Advanced search options or view entire database by the date added.


Some of the most recently added reports are:

Tuesday, July 7 2026:

  • Local Courts, National Impact: A Roadmap to Equity, Center for Justice Innovation & JustLeadershipUSA. June, 2026. "This report details a series of recommendations which emerged from this conversation, offering a pathway to justice crafted by the people who know [local court systems] best: the people and communities who have experienced them first-hand."
  • Access to Home- and Community-Based Services for People with Disabilities Leaving Incarceration: Barriers and Policy Priorities, Community Living Policy Center at Brandeis. March, 2026. "This brief examines barriers people with disabilities, including older adults, face when released from incarceration in accessing long-term services and supports."
  • Emergency department utilization among recently released prisoners: a retrospective cohort study, Joseph W Frank, et al. November, 2013. "Early emergency department utilization following release from prison in RI is common among a cohort of [people recently released from prison]... and is associated with older age, white race and...re-incarceration."
  • A High Risk of Hospitalization Following Release From Correctional Facilities in Medicare Beneficiaries A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study, 2002 to 2010, Emily A Wang, Yongfei Wang, & Harlan M Krumholz. June, 2014. "About 1 in 70 formerly incarcerated people are hospitalized for an acute condition within 7 days of release, and 1 in 12 by 90 days, a rate much higher than in the general population."
  • Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Control Following Release From Carceral Facilities: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jenerius A Aminawung, et al. September, 2024. "Release from jail, as compared with prison, was associated with an increased odds of having an uncontrolled CVD risk factor, even after adjusting for age, race and ethnicity, gender, [and other factors]."
  • Thermal Abandonment: Best Practices to End Correctional Heat Death for Menopausal Black Women in Prison, Paywall :( Erin Michelle Turner Kerrison. May, 2026. "Menopausal Black women in U.S. prisons face a convergence of three accelerating crises: bodies made biologically older... a menopausal transition that arrives earlier and manifests more severely... and thermally hostile carceral infrastructure."
  • Malign Neglect: Assessing Older Women's Health Care Experiences in Prison, Paywall :( Ronald Aday & Lori Farney. July, 2014. "With an average of 4.2 chronic health conditions, frequently histories of victimization, and high rates of mental health issues, the [surveyed older women's] experiences of negotiating health care was particularly challenging."
  • The Rising Cost of Women's Justice System Involvement: Projected Growth in System Size and Costs Through 2035, Council on Criminal Justice. June, 2026. "The number of women under correctional control will rise to 1.1 million by 2035, representing an increase of 10% since 2022...The costs of women's justice system involvement is also projected to rise about 34%... to $30 billion... by 2035."
  • State Laws on Enhanced Perinatal Support Programs for People who are Pregnant and Incarcerated, ARRWIP & Justice-Involved Women and Children. 2026. "Fewer than half of U.S. states have passed laws mandating that prisons and jails provide pregnant people with enhanced perinatal support."

Wednesday, June 24 2026:



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