What’s New
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New report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019, provides annual “big picture” view of confinement in the U.S. with 7 new infographics With this year’s updated edition of Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, we once again answer the essential questions of how many people are locked up, where, and why.
March 19: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study by J.J. Prescott and Sonja B. Starr
March 19: Research Library: Sentencing Policy and Practices
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More states are signing harmful “free prison tablet” contracts Tablet computers are delivering a captive audience to profit-seeking companies, while enabling prisons to cut essential services like law libraries. We investigate.
March 7: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Bill to end prison gerrymandering clears New Jersey Senate If it passes, the bill would make New Jersey the fifth state to end prison gerrymandering.
February 26: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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As Connecticut prison gerrymandering lawsuit moves forward, six states consider legislation Bills to end prison gerrymandering are pending in six states’ new legislative sessions. Conn. prison gerrymandering challenge passes first hurdle in court.
February 21: Prisoners of the Census Blog
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New report uncovers the cost of phone calls in over 1,800 locally-run jails across the U.S. The movement for phone justice has won huge victories in state-run prisons, but people in jail pretrial are on the front lines of exploitation.
February 11: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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On kickbacks and commissions in the prison and jail phone market Phone providers are so creative in their influence-peddling that the most viable reform strategies do not focus only on “commissions.”
February 11: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Why expensive phone calls can be life-altering for people in jail - and can derail the justice process The cost of jail phone calls punishes people in the most desperate circumstances, most of whom have not been convicted of a crime.
February 5: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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LGBTQ youth are at greater risk of homelessness and incarceration Homelessness is the greatest predictor of involvement with the juvenile justice system. And since LGBTQ youth compose 40% of the homeless youth population, they are at an increased risk of incarceration.
January 22: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured report
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019
With 2.3 million people locked up in more than 6,000 correctional facilities operated by thousands of agencies, getting the big picture is anything but easy. In our new report and comprehensive graphic (as well as 23 other graphics), we break down how many people are locked up in the U.S., where, and why - highlighting causes of incarceration that get too little attention as well as incarceration "myths" that receive too much. Our report gives the public and policymakers the foundation for considering changes that would end the country’s reign as the number one incarcerator in the world.
Unpacking mass incarceration
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 2017-2018 annual report.
Recommended Reading:
Tracking State Prison Growth in 50 States
State-by-state briefing on prison growth (and occasional contraction) from 1978 to 2012
Legal Resources for Incarcerated People
The internet's first always-up-to-date list of organizations that provide legal services and resources for incarcerated people, organized by state.
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
Events
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