What’s New
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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signs law ending prison gerrymandering For immediate release — On Tuesday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed an omnibus criminal justice package….
February 25: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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Warning: A painful road ahead for postal customers Thanks to new regulations, the imminent spike in postage prices will fall heavily, and unfairly, on people in prison and jail.
February 20: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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New data: The revolving door between homeless shelters and prisons in Connecticut New statewide data from the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness underscore the harms of criminalizing homelessness and the destabilizing effects of incarceration.
February 10: Briefings
Featured report
Rigging the jury: How each state reduces jury diversity by excluding people with criminal records
Our first-of-its-kind report shows how all 50 states reduce jury diversity by excluding some people with criminal records from serving. Our report includes an easy-to-read map and detailed table describing each state’s policies, and explains how excluding people with criminal records makes juries less diverse — which in turn makes criminal trials even less fair.
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.
If our work is new to you, you might want to check out our 2019-2020 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Five ways the criminal justice system could slow the pandemic
Quick action could slow the spread of the viral pandemic in prisons and jails and in society as a whole
The "services" offered by jails don't make them safe places for vulnerable people
Even in the best of times, jails are not good at providing health and social services.
The most important statistics from our work on policing
Racial disparities, bloated budgets, the criminalization of homelessness, and more.
Is social distancing possible behind bars?
No. It's even harder than on cruise ships or in nursing homes.