What’s New
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Key characteristics of medical parole applications in Massachusetts in 2022-2023
by Michelle Suh et al
January 14: Research Library: Probation and parole
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How many jail stays are due to missed court dates?
Failing to make it to a court appearance – routine for attorneys and witnesses – leads to 19 million additional nights in jail each year for people accused of crimes.
January 8: Briefings
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Our favorite journalism about the criminal legal system in 2025
And some commentary and editorial writing, too.
December 22: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured reports
Chronic Punishment: The unmet health needs of people in state prisons
This report offers the most recent national data on the health of people in U.S. state prisons, showing that prisons are continuing to ignore the plight of people in their care. People in prison suffer from several chronic illnesses and infectious diseases at disproportionate rates — such as hepatitis C, HIV, and mental illness — and prisons are failing to get many people the treatment they need. 50% of incarcerated people also lacked health insurance before prison, underscoring the reality that our criminal justice system punishes poverty.
Mass incarceration, state by state
Learn about the national prison crisis and how we can begin to turn the tide on mass incarceration. Then, drill down to your state. Be sure to also check out our pages focused on D.C., and the incarceration of Native people.
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2024-2025 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Advocacy Toolkit
Resources, tips, and best practices to help advocates working to end mass incarceration.
50 state incarceration profiles
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates nearly 2 million people. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
