What’s New
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Expanding Alternatives to Incarceration in NYC:
A Pathway to Safely Closing Rikers Island by New York City Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) and Reentry Coalition
April 4: Research Library: Jails
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Seven facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ Day hoaxes, but aren’t
Fines for suicide attempts, prisons built near toxic wastelands, the overwhelming number of people in the system…it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.
April 1: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
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Resource spotlight: UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project leads the way in prison mortality statistics
There is less transparency about prison deaths than ever before. A new central resource aims to bring carceral mortality data out of the shadows.
March 24: Prison Policy Initiative Blog
Featured reports
Chronic Punishment: The unmet health needs of people in state prisons
This report offers the most recent national data on the health of people in U.S. state prisons, showing that prisons are continuing to ignore the plight of people in their care. People in prison suffer from several chronic illnesses and infectious diseases at disproportionate rates — such as hepatitis C, HIV, and mental illness — and prisons are failing to get many people the treatment they need. 50% of incarcerated people also lacked health insurance before prison, underscoring the reality that our criminal justice system punishes poverty.
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:
Why are calls from prisons and jails so expensive?
We look at the progress in the fight for phone justice and what comes next.
Research Library
We curate a searchable database of 4,000+ original research reports, organizing each entry by topic and adding brief summaries.
Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie
The U.S. incarcerates nearly 2 million people. Where are they locked up and why? Read our report.
Bad Behavior
This national report explains how prison disciplinary policies manufacture misconduct and severly punish incarcerated people.
Events
- April 15-17, 2025:
Sarah Staudt, our Director of Policy and Advocacy, will be attending the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge Network Meeting from April 15-17 in Chicago. Drop her a line if you’d like to meet up!
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.