Short, timely investigations and issue explainers

Leah Wang | April 27, 2026

Updated data and charts: Women’s incarceration, national prison population counts, psychological distress behind bars, and more

Updated data visualizations illustrate the scale of — and disparities within — mass incarceration.

Aleks Kajstura | April 10, 2026

Guaranteed income helps people leaving jail and prison, and that helps everyone

Guaranteed income programs show reduced recidivism and improved self-sufficiency, quickly paying for themselves.

More briefings

Brian Nam-Sonenstein | March 24, 2026

In federal prisons, the grievance system is designed to reject nearly all complaints about medical care

We analyzed data about formal complaints made by incarcerated people regarding medical care in federal prisons and can only conclude that grievance systems are designed to thwart nearly every one.

Sarah Staudt | March 4, 2026

Bad Omens: Reform rollbacks in Washington D.C. are a warning sign for state-level advocates

Bills in Congress that repeal bail reform, worsen mandatory minimums, and further criminalize youth threaten to undo decades of criminal legal system reform in D.C.

Aleks Kajstura | February 24, 2026

Hunger as punishment: How states restrict SNAP benefits for people on probation

A patchwork of statutes and administrative choices limits access to the food assistance program SNAP for some people on probation.

Leah Wang | February 2, 2026

Specialty courts: A disappointing form of diversion

It seems like specialty courts — also called treatment courts, problem-solving courts, or accountability courts — are everywhere, claiming to tackle the root causes of criminalized behavior while reducing the use of jails. But decades of research and advocacy suggest that these courts are no panacea, failing to adhere to best practices or prevent incarceration for many participants.

Wendy Sawyer and Emily Widra | January 26, 2026

Resource spotlight: Data projects tracking police misconduct, use of force, and employment histories

The need for law enforcement transparency, oversight, and accountability has never been clearer. We highlight data projects that have helped document and investigate misconduct, as both data sources and as models for others who want to contribute to these collective efforts.

Brian Nam-Sonenstein | January 22, 2026

New study: Kids who need treatment for opioid use disorder rarely get it

A new nationwide study published in Health Affairs finds that adolescents aged 12 to 17 struggle to access and remain engaged in treatment, often because they are not offered youth-tailored treatment and gold-standard opioid use disorder medications.

Jacob Kang-Brown | January 8, 2026

How many jail stays are due to missed court dates?

Failing to make it to a court appearance – routine for attorneys and witnesses – leads to 19 million additional nights in jail each year for people accused of crimes.

Emily Widra | December 18, 2025

Large Minnesota study underscores disproportionate rates of health problems among recently incarcerated and unhoused people

In a study of more than 4.3 million people in Minnesota, researchers found widespread disparities in health conditions between the general population and people who were recently unhoused, jailed, or imprisoned.

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Short, timely investigations and issue explainers

Updated data and charts: Women’s incarceration, national prison population counts, psychological distress behind bars, and more

Updated data visualizations illustrate the scale of — and disparities within — mass incarceration.

Guaranteed income helps people leaving jail and prison, and that helps everyone

Guaranteed income programs show reduced recidivism and improved self-sufficiency, quickly paying for themselves.

More briefings

In federal prisons, the grievance system is designed to reject nearly all complaints about medical care

We analyzed data about formal complaints made by incarcerated people regarding medical care in federal prisons and can only conclude that grievance systems are designed to thwart nearly every one.

Bad Omens: Reform rollbacks in Washington D.C. are a warning sign for state-level advocates

Bills in Congress that repeal bail reform, worsen mandatory minimums, and further criminalize youth threaten to undo decades of criminal legal system reform in D.C.

Hunger as punishment: How states restrict SNAP benefits for people on probation

A patchwork of statutes and administrative choices limits access to the food assistance program SNAP for some people on probation.

Specialty courts: A disappointing form of diversion

Resource spotlight: Data projects tracking police misconduct, use of force, and employment histories

The need for law enforcement transparency, oversight, and accountability has never been clearer. We highlight data projects that have helped document and investigate misconduct, as both data sources and as models for others who want to contribute to these collective efforts.

New study: Kids who need treatment for opioid use disorder rarely get it

A new nationwide study published in Health Affairs finds that adolescents aged 12 to 17 struggle to access and remain engaged in treatment, often because they are not offered youth-tailored treatment and gold-standard opioid use disorder medications.

How many jail stays are due to missed court dates?

Failing to make it to a court appearance – routine for attorneys and witnesses – leads to 19 million additional nights in jail each year for people accused of crimes.

Large Minnesota study underscores disproportionate rates of health problems among recently incarcerated and unhoused people

In a study of more than 4.3 million people in Minnesota, researchers found widespread disparities in health conditions between the general population and people who were recently unhoused, jailed, or imprisoned.

Stay Informed

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Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie

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