Prison Policy Initiative

🚨WEBINAR: Recidivism stories & stats are often cited to derail reforms – in this webinar, we'll discuss how advocates can push back against these unproductive and inaccurate claims Register here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gHwsX_Nt #incarceration #webinar #criminaljustice #data #advocates #advocacy

Roses are red, violets are blue, to end mass incarceration there is lots of work to do. It's time for the US to break up with the carceral system. #valentinesday #incarceration #criminaljustice #data

A little-known 1988 law called the Thurmond Amendment stripped people with drug distribution convictions of federal protections under the Fair Housing Act, making it even more difficult for many people with criminal records to secure housing - even when they are qualified in every other way, and even when the conviction is decades old. By our count, this law makes it more difficult for as many as 3 million people with these kinds of convictions to secure housing. Securing safe, stable housing is one of the greatest challenges for people during reentry, and it makes a difference in reentry success, as previous research has shown. Creating additional barriers to housing for people with criminal records is simply bad policy. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gCsWntpb #incarceration #criminaljustice #data #housing

🚨Advocates, this new guide is for you 👇 Stories about people who commit new violent crimes following their release from jail or prison are often weaponized to push back on important criminal legal system reforms. Sometimes, opponents come armed with stats suggesting that the majority of people who are released from prison commit new crimes. These recidivism stories often hold great weight with legislators and other decision-makers who see it as their duty to protect the public from “dangerous people." But the truth is that recidivism statistics are complex – and they must be used in the correct context. Here's how you can push back against efforts to derail reforms that are based on recidivism: https://lnkd.in/gkAq4sBv #incarceration #criminaljustice #data #advocates

Clearly the US' approach to the nation's mental health crisis & homelessness is not working. It's time to focus on housing – not criminalization. #incarceration #criminaljustice #data

Jails are killing people – and it's not just people behind bars. New research adds evidence to what advocates have long known: The health, social, and economic harms of incarceration extend far beyond the people behind bars to their children, families, and entire communities. The study, done by a researcher at University of Pennsylvania, finds that higher jail rates are associated with higher death rates, especially for Black people and women. It supports our understanding that policing and criminalization disproportionately impact the same communities that are most vulnerable to any number of negative outcomes, including high unemployment rates, decreased life expectancy, worse health and worse access to healthcare, and exposure to environmental dangers, inevitably contributing to the observed differences in community death rates. Ultimately, mass incarceration has fatal consequences that extend far beyond jail cells and prison walls. Read more: https://lnkd.in/grFk9Neh

Now more than ever, it's important to recognize and, most importantly, fix policies that have long driven mass incarceration while disproportionately impacting Black people. #BlackHistoryMonth #criminaljustice #data

🚨NEW REPORT: Prison disciplinary systems are supposed to provide safety, security, and the orderly operation of corrections institutions. In some cases, they’re even supposed to aid in rehabilitation. However, our analysis of policies in all state prison systems and testimony from dozens of incarcerated people show these unfair and unaccountable systems are counterproductive, traumatizing, and lengthen prison stays. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g-vjwHv3 #incarceration #crimianljustice #data

The US crackdown on immigration is underway, with ICE raiding cities & arresting people across the country. Sadly, there are already 65,000 people confined for immigration reasons – the vast majority of them are accused of nothing more than crossing the border without permission. #incarceration #criminaljustice #data

Brutal temperatures froze much of the US this week. These conditions can be especially deadly for incarcerated people – especially in states like Texas or Louisiana that 1. have extremely high incarceration rates and 2. lack the infrastructure to handle cold blasts. More research is focusing on how extreme temperatures affect people behind bars, but up until recently, it has mostly focused on extreme heat. Now, a new analysis shows just how harmful frigid temperatures can be in prisons & jails across the country. It's also important to mention that unhoused people — a group that is disproportionately likely to have been incarcerated — are being hit hardest by extreme cold right now. As cold weather blankets the country for the foreseeable future, remember that it is not just extreme heat that puts peoples’ lives at risk in the carceral system. #incarceration #criminaljustice #data