What’s New
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Race and Reasonableness in Police Killings by Jeffrey Fagan and Alexis Campbell
July 2: Research Library: Race and ethnicity
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Legal Resources The legal resource database was updated with a new listing for Louisiana, New York, for all states and Texas.
July 1: Legal Resources
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What do we know about the spread — and toll — of the coronavirus in state prisons? Wide variation in the rates of reported infections and deaths in state prisons reflect the uneven spread of the virus and disparate responses by state criminal justice systems.
June 24: Briefings
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Massachusetts should stop “committing” people to prisons and jails for drug treatment The Prison Policy Initiative signs on to a letter urging Massachusetts state lawmakers to stop jailing people who need substance use treatment.
June 23: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Solitary Confinement is Never the Answer by Unlock the Box
June 23: Research Library: Conditions of Confinement
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A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States by Emma Pierson et al
June 23: Research Library: Police and Policing
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The Case for Violence Interruption Programs as an Alternative to Policing by The Justice Collaborative Institute
June 23: Research Library: Police and Policing
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Principles for using information technology in response to COVID-19 Joining over 80 partner organizations, the Prison Policy Initiative signs on to a set of principles calling for the protection of privacy and democracy as the technology sector responds to the pandemic.
June 12: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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A legislative guide for winnable, high-impact criminal justice reforms We list some high-impact policy ideas for state legislators looking to reform their criminal justice system without making it bigger.
June 10: Briefings
Featured report
Failing Grades: States' Responses to COVID-19 in Jails & Prisons
We worked with the ACLU to evaluate — and grade — all 50 states’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons and jails. Alarmingly, we found that when faced with this test of their leadership, most states ignored the pleas of incarcerated people and the warnings of medical experts and refused to implement widespread testing, provide protective equipment, and reduce prison and jail populations. The results have been as tragic as they were predictable: Hundreds of incarcerated people and staff have died from the virus, and most of the largest coronavirus outbreaks are behind bars.
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 2018-2019 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.