Leah Wang | October 8, 2021

The U.S. criminal justice system disproportionately hurts Native people: the data, visualized

We’re lucky when criminal justice data is broken down by race and ethnicity enough to see how Native populations are criminalized and incarcerated. Here’s a roundup of what we know.

Leah Wang | August 19, 2021

Unsupportive environments and limited policies: Pregnancy, postpartum, and birth during incarceration

Making up for a serious gap in government data collection and understanding, researchers are discovering what pregnant incarcerated women should expect when they’re expecting (or when they give birth while in custody). Findings indicate that jails, prisons, and youth facilities have yet to adequately recognize pregnancy and postpartum needs either in policy or in practice.

Leah Wang | June 23, 2021

Rise in jail deaths is especially troubling as jail populations become more rural and more female

New data show record high deaths of people locked up in jail, as jail populations have shifted toward smaller, rural jails and growing numbers of women. A lack of accountability and acknowledgement of women’s unique disadvantages all but ensures more deaths to come.

Wanda Bertram and Wendy Sawyer | May 5, 2021

Prisons and jails will separate millions of mothers from their children in 2021

The most important statistics about the incarceration of mothers and pregnant women.

Alexi Jones | March 2, 2021

Visualizing the unequal treatment of LGBTQ people in the criminal justice system

LGBTQ people are overrepresented at every stage of our criminal justice system, from juvenile justice to parole.

Tiana Herring | November 10, 2020

Since you asked: What role does drug enforcement play in the rising incarceration of women?

Women are being jailed at higher rates than ever. We explore whether drug arrests and substance abuse could be having an impact.

Wendy Sawyer | July 27, 2020

Visualizing the racial disparities in mass incarceration

Racial inequality is evident in every stage of the criminal justice system - here are the key statistics compiled into a series of charts.

Roxanne Daniel | December 5, 2019

Prisons neglect pregnant women in their healthcare policies

Our 50-state survey finds that in spite of national standards, most states lack important policies on prenatal care and nutrition for pregnant women.

Wendy Sawyer | July 19, 2019

Who’s helping the 1.9 million women released from prisons and jails each year?

Women make up a growing share of incarcerated populations, and they have different needs than justice-involved men. Accordingly, some prison systems have begun to implement gender-responsive policies and programs. But what happens after release?

Prison Policy Initiative | May 14, 2019

Policing Women: Race and gender disparities in police stops, searches, and use of force

We analyze gender and racial disparities in traffic and street stops, including arrests, searches, and use of force that occurs during stops.

Wendy Sawyer | March 29, 2019

Massachusetts women do not need a new jail

The Mass. Senate is considering building a new women's jail. We offer a number of reasons why this is a bad idea.

Lucius Couloute | May 14, 2018

New report from Essie Justice shows women with incarcerated loved ones are traumatized by marginalization

Mass incarceration intensifies the financial and social burdens that already fall too hard on women.

Wendy Sawyer and Wanda Bertram | May 13, 2018

Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year

80% of the women jailed each year are mothers. We're inflicting profound damage not only on them, but their children as well.

Wanda Bertram | April 11, 2018

State-level studies identify causes of the national “gender divide”

Our January report showed how incarcerated women are being left behind, but to identify specific areas for improvement, state-level research is needed.

Lucius Couloute | March 22, 2018

New data highlights pre-incarceration disadvantages

New research illustrates that many formerly incarcerated people never received a fair first chance at economic mobility, never mind a second one.

Wendy Sawyer | January 10, 2018

BJS update: Women’s state prison populations rose while men’s fell, again.

Released on the heels of our recent report on women's state prison populations, a new BJS report shows that in 2016, the "gender divide" in incarceration trends widened even more.

Elliot Oberholtzer | November 8, 2017

The dismal state of transgender incarceration policies

We evaluated the current transgender and gender non-conforming policies of 21 states in terms of PREA standards, World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care, and correctional staff training and treatment of transgender individuals. All but one come up short.

Wendy Sawyer | June 22, 2017

New government report points to continuing mental health crisis in prisons and jails

U.S. prisons and jails are filled with people who have a current or past mental health problem, and facilities are still not meeting the demand for treatment.

Wendy Sawyer and Emily Widra | May 8, 2017

Unpacking the connections between race, incarceration, and women’s HIV rates

Current research points to an unexpected contributor to the high rates of HIV infection among Black women: the mass incarceration of Black men.

Joshua Aiken | September 30, 2016

Girls are being put behind bars more and more. Will Congress do anything to help?

Leah Sakala | December 12, 2013

It’s time for Massachusetts to stop shackling incarcerated women who are giving birth

We submitted testimony in support of S.1171, a bill that would ban the routine use of physical restraints on incarcerated pregnant women in Massachusetts.