Prison Policy Initiative
@prisonpolicy.org
Challenging mass incarceration and over-criminalization through research, advocacy, and organizing. Get email updates: https://prisonpolicy.org/subscribe/
The U.S. spends $13.6 billion every year locking people up who haven't even been convicted of a crime.
November 10, 2025 at 8:15 PM
The U.S. spends $13.6 billion every year locking people up who haven't even been convicted of a crime.
Each year, thousands of pregnant people are incarcerated – yet some states fail to provide basic care and necessary accommodations during pregnancy.
Locking up pregnant people does not leave anyone better off.
Locking up pregnant people does not leave anyone better off.
November 9, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Each year, thousands of pregnant people are incarcerated – yet some states fail to provide basic care and necessary accommodations during pregnancy.
Locking up pregnant people does not leave anyone better off.
Locking up pregnant people does not leave anyone better off.
13,300 confined children in the U.S. are detained pretrial – aka, they’re legally innocent
Locking kids up in deplorable conditions is traumatizing and counterproductive to public safety in the short & long term
Locking kids up in deplorable conditions is traumatizing and counterproductive to public safety in the short & long term
November 9, 2025 at 2:15 PM
13,300 confined children in the U.S. are detained pretrial – aka, they’re legally innocent
Locking kids up in deplorable conditions is traumatizing and counterproductive to public safety in the short & long term
Locking kids up in deplorable conditions is traumatizing and counterproductive to public safety in the short & long term
Reminder: Crime in the U.S. is at its lowest since 1961.
November 8, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Reminder: Crime in the U.S. is at its lowest since 1961.
The idea that incarceration is a problem unique to big cities is a myth.
Take a look at New York: People in state prisons come from every corner of the state, but upstate counties send the most people to prison per capita.
#30DayMapChallenge | Day 8 - Urban
Take a look at New York: People in state prisons come from every corner of the state, but upstate counties send the most people to prison per capita.
#30DayMapChallenge | Day 8 - Urban
November 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The idea that incarceration is a problem unique to big cities is a myth.
Take a look at New York: People in state prisons come from every corner of the state, but upstate counties send the most people to prison per capita.
#30DayMapChallenge | Day 8 - Urban
Take a look at New York: People in state prisons come from every corner of the state, but upstate counties send the most people to prison per capita.
#30DayMapChallenge | Day 8 - Urban
Each year, one-third of jail admissions are for misdemeanor charges.
Yes, this includes charges for behaviors like jaywalking or even sitting on a sidewalk – and, evidently, throwing a sandwich.
Yes, this includes charges for behaviors like jaywalking or even sitting on a sidewalk – and, evidently, throwing a sandwich.
November 7, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Each year, one-third of jail admissions are for misdemeanor charges.
Yes, this includes charges for behaviors like jaywalking or even sitting on a sidewalk – and, evidently, throwing a sandwich.
Yes, this includes charges for behaviors like jaywalking or even sitting on a sidewalk – and, evidently, throwing a sandwich.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are incarcerated at 3x the rate of straight people, despite only making up a fraction of the total population.
Jails & prisons are not safe places — especially for the LGBTQ+ community.
Jails & prisons are not safe places — especially for the LGBTQ+ community.
November 7, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are incarcerated at 3x the rate of straight people, despite only making up a fraction of the total population.
Jails & prisons are not safe places — especially for the LGBTQ+ community.
Jails & prisons are not safe places — especially for the LGBTQ+ community.
Native women are disproportionately affected by every part of the system. They account for a larger portion of the Indian country jail population than they do in other jails across the US.
They’re also incarcerated at higher rates than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
They’re also incarcerated at higher rates than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
November 6, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Native women are disproportionately affected by every part of the system. They account for a larger portion of the Indian country jail population than they do in other jails across the US.
They’re also incarcerated at higher rates than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
They’re also incarcerated at higher rates than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
The ugly truth about the "big beautiful bill:" It will come with the closure of many rural hospitals.
This will have disastrous consequences for entire communities across the U.S. – especially incarcerated people who have no choice about where they receive medical care.
This will have disastrous consequences for entire communities across the U.S. – especially incarcerated people who have no choice about where they receive medical care.
November 6, 2025 at 6:35 PM
The ugly truth about the "big beautiful bill:" It will come with the closure of many rural hospitals.
This will have disastrous consequences for entire communities across the U.S. – especially incarcerated people who have no choice about where they receive medical care.
This will have disastrous consequences for entire communities across the U.S. – especially incarcerated people who have no choice about where they receive medical care.
Older people now make up 5x as much of the prison population as they did 3 decades ago.
Turning prisons into “makeshift nursing homes” is one of the nation’s most wasteful, morally bankrupt experiments to date.
Turning prisons into “makeshift nursing homes” is one of the nation’s most wasteful, morally bankrupt experiments to date.
November 5, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Older people now make up 5x as much of the prison population as they did 3 decades ago.
Turning prisons into “makeshift nursing homes” is one of the nation’s most wasteful, morally bankrupt experiments to date.
Turning prisons into “makeshift nursing homes” is one of the nation’s most wasteful, morally bankrupt experiments to date.
Nearly half of people with multiple arrests have incomes below $10,000/year, according to 2017 data.
The carceral system perpetuates poverty. It's time to support communities instead of locking them up.
The carceral system perpetuates poverty. It's time to support communities instead of locking them up.
November 5, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Nearly half of people with multiple arrests have incomes below $10,000/year, according to 2017 data.
The carceral system perpetuates poverty. It's time to support communities instead of locking them up.
The carceral system perpetuates poverty. It's time to support communities instead of locking them up.
Even laws like the Prison Rape Elimination Act aren't capable of holding prisons accountable and are basically unenforceable:
November 4, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Even laws like the Prison Rape Elimination Act aren't capable of holding prisons accountable and are basically unenforceable:
For the women who do report sexual abuse, they can be met with compounding trauma: Being thrown into solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day.
This is not a system that values safety or justice.
www.investigatewest.org/in-idaho-wom...
This is not a system that values safety or justice.
www.investigatewest.org/in-idaho-wom...
November 4, 2025 at 8:20 PM
For the women who do report sexual abuse, they can be met with compounding trauma: Being thrown into solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day.
This is not a system that values safety or justice.
www.investigatewest.org/in-idaho-wom...
This is not a system that values safety or justice.
www.investigatewest.org/in-idaho-wom...
An investigation in Idaho by @investigatewest.bsky.social found that, since 2020, there have been dozens of allegations of staff sexually abusing women behind bars.
This number is alarming – and it's an undercount, since some women do not report abuse out of fear of retaliation.
This number is alarming – and it's an undercount, since some women do not report abuse out of fear of retaliation.
November 4, 2025 at 8:20 PM
An investigation in Idaho by @investigatewest.bsky.social found that, since 2020, there have been dozens of allegations of staff sexually abusing women behind bars.
This number is alarming – and it's an undercount, since some women do not report abuse out of fear of retaliation.
This number is alarming – and it's an undercount, since some women do not report abuse out of fear of retaliation.
Prisons & jails are already inherently harmful, and placing people in solitary confinement can be lethal to their mental health:
November 3, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Prisons & jails are already inherently harmful, and placing people in solitary confinement can be lethal to their mental health:
Today, 1 in 5 formerly incarcerated people is experiencing food insecurity. That's at least 1 million people nationwide.
We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.
We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.
November 3, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Today, 1 in 5 formerly incarcerated people is experiencing food insecurity. That's at least 1 million people nationwide.
We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.
We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.
Harm is real – mass support for mass incarceration is not.
November 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Harm is real – mass support for mass incarceration is not.
Across the US, 113 million adults have an immediate family member who has ever been to prison or jail.
Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences that don't stop at the prison gates.
Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences that don't stop at the prison gates.
November 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Across the US, 113 million adults have an immediate family member who has ever been to prison or jail.
Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences that don't stop at the prison gates.
Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences that don't stop at the prison gates.
The national incarceration rate of Native Americans is more than double that of white Americans.
For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately THREE TIMES that of white youth.
For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately THREE TIMES that of white youth.
November 1, 2025 at 7:15 PM
The national incarceration rate of Native Americans is more than double that of white Americans.
For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately THREE TIMES that of white youth.
For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately THREE TIMES that of white youth.
🚨NEW: Everyone in Georgia is supposed to have an equal voice, but an outdated US Census Bureau policy counts incarcerated people in the wrong place, giving a few residents a megaphone – aka prison gerrymandering
The state can fix this. Here's how👇
www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2025/10...
The state can fix this. Here's how👇
www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2025/10...
November 1, 2025 at 1:15 PM
🚨NEW: Everyone in Georgia is supposed to have an equal voice, but an outdated US Census Bureau policy counts incarcerated people in the wrong place, giving a few residents a megaphone – aka prison gerrymandering
The state can fix this. Here's how👇
www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2025/10...
The state can fix this. Here's how👇
www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2025/10...
4. The criminal legal system punishes poverty.
The median felony bail bond amount ($10,000) is the equivalent of 8 months’ income for the typical person in jail because they can’t afford a bail bond.
The median felony bail bond amount ($10,000) is the equivalent of 8 months’ income for the typical person in jail because they can’t afford a bail bond.
October 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
4. The criminal legal system punishes poverty.
The median felony bail bond amount ($10,000) is the equivalent of 8 months’ income for the typical person in jail because they can’t afford a bail bond.
The median felony bail bond amount ($10,000) is the equivalent of 8 months’ income for the typical person in jail because they can’t afford a bail bond.
3. More than 80% of people in local jails have not been convicted of a crime and are legally innocent.
Many are stuck there because they cannot afford bail.
Many are stuck there because they cannot afford bail.
October 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
3. More than 80% of people in local jails have not been convicted of a crime and are legally innocent.
Many are stuck there because they cannot afford bail.
Many are stuck there because they cannot afford bail.
2. The U.S. criminal legal system controls more than 5.5 million people. More than half are on probation.
October 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
2. The U.S. criminal legal system controls more than 5.5 million people. More than half are on probation.
1. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any independent democracy on Earth. Worse, every single state incarcerates more people per capita than most nations.
www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024....
www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024....
October 31, 2025 at 5:15 PM
1. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any independent democracy on Earth. Worse, every single state incarcerates more people per capita than most nations.
www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024....
www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024....
Meanwhile, the LA Regional Food Bank reports that for every dollar donated, they can provide roughly 4 meals.
www.lafoodbank.org/stories/cash...
www.lafoodbank.org/stories/cash...
October 31, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Meanwhile, the LA Regional Food Bank reports that for every dollar donated, they can provide roughly 4 meals.
www.lafoodbank.org/stories/cash...
www.lafoodbank.org/stories/cash...