What’s New
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Federal Census policy breaks Michigan’s democracy — state lawmakers can fix it
Michigan’s redistricting data was once again skewed after the 2020 Census; the state needs to take action to fix the issue for 2030.
August 6: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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Trump’s executive order targeting unhoused people will leave everyone worse off
The harsh reality is that this order will criminalize already-vulnerable people who are in need of care, putting our communities in danger.
August 5: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Legal Resources
The legal resource database was updated with a new listing for Minnesota.
July 31: Legal Resources
Featured report
Hiding in Plain Sight: How local jails obscure and facilitate mass deportation under Trump
Local jails, even in some sanctuary cities and states, are playing an essential role in President Trump’s mass detention and deportation plan. This report breaks down the complicated overlap between local criminal legal systems and immigration, and offers detailed data tables showing the level of involvement in every state and in specific jails. It also reveals that the Trump administration is circumventing city and county sanctuary policies by referring more immigrants for federal prosecution, meaning they go unnoticed both in local jails and in statistics about detention.
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 2023-2024 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
The unmet health needs of people in prison
States fall far short of their duty to meet the health needs of incarcerated people.
All profit, no risk
The bail industry exploits cracks and loopholes in the legal system to avoid accountability, while growing its profits.
Compare your state's use of the prison to the world at large
Criminal justice policy in every region of the United States is out of step with the rest of the world.
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.