Short, timely investigations and issue explainers

Wendy Sawyer, Alexi Jones and Maddy Troilo | March 18, 2020

Technical violations, immigration detainers, and other bad reasons to keep people in jail

How ICE and probation and parole detainers (or “holds”) contribute to unnecessary jailing

Peter Wagner and Emily Widra | March 6, 2020

No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform

We offer five examples of policies that could slow the spread of a viral pandemic in prisons and jails - and would mitigate the everyday impact of incarceration on public health.

Emily Widra | February 13, 2020

Deaths in state prisons are on the rise, new data shows. What can be done?

Prison systems have shown they are unprepared and unwilling to care for an aging prison population - whether by improving healthcare or expanding compassionate release.

Alexi Jones | February 13, 2020

New BJS report reveals staggering number of preventable deaths in local jails

In 2016, over 1,000 people died in local jails - many the tragic result of healthcare and jail systems that fail to address serious health problems among the jail population, and of the trauma of incarceration itself.

Peter Wagner and Wanda Bertram | January 16, 2020

“What percent of the U.S. is incarcerated?” (And other ways to measure mass incarceration)

Nearly one out of every 100 people in the United States is in a prison or jail.

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.

Wanda Bertram | November 14, 2019

The law is supposed to protect consumers from exploitation, but it’s not protecting people in prisons and jails

When the only way to get necessities in prison is to buy them from a single retailer, exploitation is the result.

Wendy Sawyer | November 14, 2019

Since you asked: Is it me, or is the government releasing less data about the criminal justice system?

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is tasked with collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the criminal justice system. But its reports are slowing down - and its framing of criminal justice issues is becoming more punitive.

Wendy Sawyer | October 9, 2019

How race impacts who is detained pretrial

The government hasn’t collected national data on the race or ethnicity of people awaiting trial in jail since 2002. We review the academic literature published since then to offer a more current assessment of racial disparities in pretrial detention.

Wanda Bertram and Alexi Jones | September 18, 2019

How many people in your state go to local jails every year?

New data shows that local jails impact more people in your state than you may think.

← Newer Briefings Older Briefings →

Stay Informed

Share on 𝕏 Donate

Stay Informed

Support us

Short, timely investigations and issue explainers

Technical violations, immigration detainers, and other bad reasons to keep people in jail

How ICE and probation and parole detainers (or “holds”) contribute to unnecessary jailing

No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform

We offer five examples of policies that could slow the spread of a viral pandemic in prisons and jails - and would mitigate the everyday impact of incarceration on public health.

Deaths in state prisons are on the rise, new data shows. What can be done?

Prison systems have shown they are unprepared and unwilling to care for an aging prison population - whether by improving healthcare or expanding compassionate release.

New BJS report reveals staggering number of preventable deaths in local jails

In 2016, over 1,000 people died in local jails - many the tragic result of healthcare and jail systems that fail to address serious health problems among the jail population, and of the trauma of incarceration itself.

“What percent of the U.S. is incarcerated?” (And other ways to measure mass incarceration)

Nearly one out of every 100 people in the United States is in a prison or jail.

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.

The law is supposed to protect consumers from exploitation, but it’s not protecting people in prisons and jails

When the only way to get necessities in prison is to buy them from a single retailer, exploitation is the result.

Since you asked: Is it me, or is the government releasing less data about the criminal justice system?

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is tasked with collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the criminal justice system. But its reports are slowing down - and its framing of criminal justice issues is becoming more punitive.

How race impacts who is detained pretrial

The government hasn’t collected national data on the race or ethnicity of people awaiting trial in jail since 2002. We review the academic literature published since then to offer a more current assessment of racial disparities in pretrial detention.

How many people in your state go to local jails every year?

New data shows that local jails impact more people in your state than you may think.

Stay Informed

Recommended Reading:

50 state incarceration profiles

The rapid & unregulated growth of e-messaging in prisons

Incarceration and supervision by states

Prison Gerrymandering Project