Prison Policy Initiative
@prisonpolicy.org
Challenging mass incarceration and over-criminalization through research, advocacy, and organizing. Get email updates: https://prisonpolicy.org/subscribe/
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🚨NEW REPORT: Parole is one of the most powerful release mechanisms that could significantly reduce the number of people behind bars. But across the U.S., parole systems are dysfunctional, to say the least.
We examine how parole boards work, and how parole decisions are made 🧵
We examine how parole boards work, and how parole decisions are made 🧵
Sanctuary cities, counties, and states are not immune from ICE's arrest & deportation agenda – but these policies DO make a difference in limiting the criminalization of immigration:
November 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Sanctuary cities, counties, and states are not immune from ICE's arrest & deportation agenda – but these policies DO make a difference in limiting the criminalization of immigration:
As millions of families struggle to get by this holiday season, the U.S. spends $13.6 billion of taxpayer money locking people up who haven't even been convicted of a crime.
November 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
As millions of families struggle to get by this holiday season, the U.S. spends $13.6 billion of taxpayer money locking people up who haven't even been convicted of a crime.
Another bad deal to highlight on #BlackFriday: Some jails & prisons are taking money from incarcerated people and their families to go on shopping sprees for gun range memberships and fitness trackers 🤔
November 28, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Another bad deal to highlight on #BlackFriday: Some jails & prisons are taking money from incarcerated people and their families to go on shopping sprees for gun range memberships and fitness trackers 🤔
This Black Friday, you'll probably notice the effects of inflation on price tags. What might not be so obvious, though, is its effect on the criminal legal system.
Each year, inflation makes the system more punitive – and that's not a good deal. 🧵
Each year, inflation makes the system more punitive – and that's not a good deal. 🧵
November 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
This Black Friday, you'll probably notice the effects of inflation on price tags. What might not be so obvious, though, is its effect on the criminal legal system.
Each year, inflation makes the system more punitive – and that's not a good deal. 🧵
Each year, inflation makes the system more punitive – and that's not a good deal. 🧵
The national incarceration rate of Native Americans is more than 2x that of white Americans. For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately 3x that of white youth.
This is the legacy of centuries of oppression & theft from Native people.
This is the legacy of centuries of oppression & theft from Native people.
November 28, 2025 at 1:55 AM
The national incarceration rate of Native Americans is more than 2x that of white Americans. For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately 3x that of white youth.
This is the legacy of centuries of oppression & theft from Native people.
This is the legacy of centuries of oppression & theft from Native people.
Food for thought: As families across the U.S. sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, it's hard not to think about the nutritionally inadequate slop that incarcerated people are fed every single day (including holidays).
It doesn’t just taste bad – it’s a public health concern 🧵
It doesn’t just taste bad – it’s a public health concern 🧵
November 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Food for thought: As families across the U.S. sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, it's hard not to think about the nutritionally inadequate slop that incarcerated people are fed every single day (including holidays).
It doesn’t just taste bad – it’s a public health concern 🧵
It doesn’t just taste bad – it’s a public health concern 🧵
Don’t worry! If your Thanksgiving dinner conversation turns from pie to prisons, or from cranberries to crime, we’ve got you covered. 🧵
November 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Don’t worry! If your Thanksgiving dinner conversation turns from pie to prisons, or from cranberries to crime, we’ve got you covered. 🧵
67% of incarcerated parents have never received a visit from their child – mostly b/c they’re too far.
Remote connections like call/email can easily be exploited, making them less than ideal replacements.
Every child deserves the opportunity to visit their incarcerated parent.
Remote connections like call/email can easily be exploited, making them less than ideal replacements.
Every child deserves the opportunity to visit their incarcerated parent.
November 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
67% of incarcerated parents have never received a visit from their child – mostly b/c they’re too far.
Remote connections like call/email can easily be exploited, making them less than ideal replacements.
Every child deserves the opportunity to visit their incarcerated parent.
Remote connections like call/email can easily be exploited, making them less than ideal replacements.
Every child deserves the opportunity to visit their incarcerated parent.
This Thanksgiving, countless families will sit down for dinner without their loved ones, as nearly 2 million people are confined behind bars, far away from home.
The harms of mass incarceration are felt by us all.
The harms of mass incarceration are felt by us all.
November 26, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This Thanksgiving, countless families will sit down for dinner without their loved ones, as nearly 2 million people are confined behind bars, far away from home.
The harms of mass incarceration are felt by us all.
The harms of mass incarceration are felt by us all.
The U.S. just received a D+ for maternal healthcare from @marchofdimes.org – again.
With this horrific grade, it's no coincidence that the scale of maternal incarceration & its related harms is also monumental across the country.
With this horrific grade, it's no coincidence that the scale of maternal incarceration & its related harms is also monumental across the country.
November 25, 2025 at 8:15 PM
The U.S. just received a D+ for maternal healthcare from @marchofdimes.org – again.
With this horrific grade, it's no coincidence that the scale of maternal incarceration & its related harms is also monumental across the country.
With this horrific grade, it's no coincidence that the scale of maternal incarceration & its related harms is also monumental across the country.
Let's talk turkey: After months of targeting incarcerated people who received commutations from Biden, Pres. Trump pardoned 2 turkeys today.
Sparing a turkey while supporting the death penalty and punishing people for no longer being on death row is no act of festive goodwill.
Sparing a turkey while supporting the death penalty and punishing people for no longer being on death row is no act of festive goodwill.
November 25, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Let's talk turkey: After months of targeting incarcerated people who received commutations from Biden, Pres. Trump pardoned 2 turkeys today.
Sparing a turkey while supporting the death penalty and punishing people for no longer being on death row is no act of festive goodwill.
Sparing a turkey while supporting the death penalty and punishing people for no longer being on death row is no act of festive goodwill.
A reminder that on day one back in office, Trump ended the moratorium on the federal death penalty.
Pardoning turkeys but being a fierce defender of the death penalty just doesn’t add up. It’s time for the U.S. to end the death penalty, full stop.
Pardoning turkeys but being a fierce defender of the death penalty just doesn’t add up. It’s time for the U.S. to end the death penalty, full stop.
As President Donald Trump prepares to pardon a turkey ahead of Thanksgiving, take a look back at the history of the merciful tradition.
Who was the first president to pardon a turkey? History of the unusual event
As President Donald Trump prepares to pardon a turkey ahead of Thanksgiving, take a look back at the history of the merciful tradition.
bit.ly
November 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
A reminder that on day one back in office, Trump ended the moratorium on the federal death penalty.
Pardoning turkeys but being a fierce defender of the death penalty just doesn’t add up. It’s time for the U.S. to end the death penalty, full stop.
Pardoning turkeys but being a fierce defender of the death penalty just doesn’t add up. It’s time for the U.S. to end the death penalty, full stop.
Thinking about that time an Arizona sheriff bragged about giving incarcerated people a 56¢ Thanksgiving meal 🤨
Cutting corners to give cheap, nutritionally inadequate slop is not a triumph – it's a public health concern.
Cutting corners to give cheap, nutritionally inadequate slop is not a triumph – it's a public health concern.
November 24, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Thinking about that time an Arizona sheriff bragged about giving incarcerated people a 56¢ Thanksgiving meal 🤨
Cutting corners to give cheap, nutritionally inadequate slop is not a triumph – it's a public health concern.
Cutting corners to give cheap, nutritionally inadequate slop is not a triumph – it's a public health concern.
As the U.S. continues to criminalize substance use disorder, jails & prisons are often thought of as de facto treatment facilities – but the reality couldn't be further from the truth
Communities must prioritize public health, not punishment
Communities must prioritize public health, not punishment
November 23, 2025 at 8:15 PM
As the U.S. continues to criminalize substance use disorder, jails & prisons are often thought of as de facto treatment facilities – but the reality couldn't be further from the truth
Communities must prioritize public health, not punishment
Communities must prioritize public health, not punishment
The U.S. is failing when it comes to maternal healthcare – and behind bars, it's even worse.
One analysis found that in at least one-third of jail births, the baby was born preterm. That's 3x the rate of preterm births across the U.S.
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07...
One analysis found that in at least one-third of jail births, the baby was born preterm. That's 3x the rate of preterm births across the U.S.
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07...
Birth behind bars: Ten years of U.S. jail births covered in the news highlight horrific experiences and minimal data collection
For some of the thousands of pregnant people entering jails each year, at what might be their moment of greatest need — going into labor ...
www.prisonpolicy.org
November 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The U.S. is failing when it comes to maternal healthcare – and behind bars, it's even worse.
One analysis found that in at least one-third of jail births, the baby was born preterm. That's 3x the rate of preterm births across the U.S.
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07...
One analysis found that in at least one-third of jail births, the baby was born preterm. That's 3x the rate of preterm births across the U.S.
www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07...
November is Native American Heritage Month.
Sadly, Native people are consistently overrepresented in the US criminal legal system, accounting for only 1% of the total population but 3% of the incarcerated population.
Sadly, Native people are consistently overrepresented in the US criminal legal system, accounting for only 1% of the total population but 3% of the incarcerated population.
November 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
November is Native American Heritage Month.
Sadly, Native people are consistently overrepresented in the US criminal legal system, accounting for only 1% of the total population but 3% of the incarcerated population.
Sadly, Native people are consistently overrepresented in the US criminal legal system, accounting for only 1% of the total population but 3% of the incarcerated population.
As the Trump administration continues to ramp up its immigration agenda, taxpayers are left footing the bill.
A new report from @bloomberg.com shows that on average, it costs more $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
A new report from @bloomberg.com shows that on average, it costs more $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
November 22, 2025 at 2:15 PM
As the Trump administration continues to ramp up its immigration agenda, taxpayers are left footing the bill.
A new report from @bloomberg.com shows that on average, it costs more $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
A new report from @bloomberg.com shows that on average, it costs more $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
When prisons are understaffed, conditions become even more nightmarish. Now, some prisons blame ICE for "poaching" COs. But the reality is that understaffing existed long before ICE's recent recruitment push.
Why? The obvious answer: There are way too many people locked up 🧵
Why? The obvious answer: There are way too many people locked up 🧵
November 21, 2025 at 8:05 PM
When prisons are understaffed, conditions become even more nightmarish. Now, some prisons blame ICE for "poaching" COs. But the reality is that understaffing existed long before ICE's recent recruitment push.
Why? The obvious answer: There are way too many people locked up 🧵
Why? The obvious answer: There are way too many people locked up 🧵
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
From what I've seen, the best analysis of this definitional game played by DHS is from @prisonpolicy.org. Their report back in July showed that ICE's public detention numbers capture about 2/3 of the actual number of people in ICE custody.
www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
November 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM
From what I've seen, the best analysis of this definitional game played by DHS is from @prisonpolicy.org. Their report back in July showed that ICE's public detention numbers capture about 2/3 of the actual number of people in ICE custody.
www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/jail...
While U.S. families struggle through an affordability crisis, mass incarceration still costs taxpayers $182 billion a year.
That's a lot of money that could be spent on communities instead of cages.
That's a lot of money that could be spent on communities instead of cages.
November 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM
While U.S. families struggle through an affordability crisis, mass incarceration still costs taxpayers $182 billion a year.
That's a lot of money that could be spent on communities instead of cages.
That's a lot of money that could be spent on communities instead of cages.
The U.S. unemployment rate just hit a four-year high at 4.4%. Now, try wrapping your head around the idea of a 43% unemployment rate.
That’s the reality formerly incarcerated Black women face, thanks to the prison penalty:
That’s the reality formerly incarcerated Black women face, thanks to the prison penalty:
November 20, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The U.S. unemployment rate just hit a four-year high at 4.4%. Now, try wrapping your head around the idea of a 43% unemployment rate.
That’s the reality formerly incarcerated Black women face, thanks to the prison penalty:
That’s the reality formerly incarcerated Black women face, thanks to the prison penalty:
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Far too many trans people are targeted by the carceral system and caught in its vicious conditions.
Far too many trans people are targeted by the carceral system and caught in its vicious conditions.
November 20, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Far too many trans people are targeted by the carceral system and caught in its vicious conditions.
Far too many trans people are targeted by the carceral system and caught in its vicious conditions.
The U.S. just received a D+ grade on maternal healthcare from @marchofdimes.org. Again.
That's horrific. And for the nearly 60,000 pregnant people who get sent to prison or jail every year, the standard for maternal healthcare in the U.S. is even WORSE. 🧵
That's horrific. And for the nearly 60,000 pregnant people who get sent to prison or jail every year, the standard for maternal healthcare in the U.S. is even WORSE. 🧵
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
The U.S. just received a D+ grade on maternal healthcare from @marchofdimes.org. Again.
That's horrific. And for the nearly 60,000 pregnant people who get sent to prison or jail every year, the standard for maternal healthcare in the U.S. is even WORSE. 🧵
That's horrific. And for the nearly 60,000 pregnant people who get sent to prison or jail every year, the standard for maternal healthcare in the U.S. is even WORSE. 🧵
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
Important Report from @prisonpolicy.org
The criminal legal system doesn't have to get any bigger in 2026. Here are 34 actionable policies I'm counting on lawmakers to follow for meaningful criminal justice reform.
By Sarah Staut & Emmett Sanders
The criminal legal system doesn't have to get any bigger in 2026. Here are 34 actionable policies I'm counting on lawmakers to follow for meaningful criminal justice reform.
By Sarah Staut & Emmett Sanders
Winnable criminal justice reforms in 2026
The criminal legal system doesn't have to get any bigger in 2026. Here are 34 actionable policies lawmakers can use for meaningful criminal legal system reform.
www.prisonpolicy.org
November 19, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Important Report from @prisonpolicy.org
The criminal legal system doesn't have to get any bigger in 2026. Here are 34 actionable policies I'm counting on lawmakers to follow for meaningful criminal justice reform.
By Sarah Staut & Emmett Sanders
The criminal legal system doesn't have to get any bigger in 2026. Here are 34 actionable policies I'm counting on lawmakers to follow for meaningful criminal justice reform.
By Sarah Staut & Emmett Sanders
Today, the House will vote on whether or not to reinstate cash bail in D.C. – an outdated policy that hasn't been in effect there in 30+ years.
Cash bail doesn't make communities safer. It throws them deeper into poverty:
Cash bail doesn't make communities safer. It throws them deeper into poverty:
November 19, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Today, the House will vote on whether or not to reinstate cash bail in D.C. – an outdated policy that hasn't been in effect there in 30+ years.
Cash bail doesn't make communities safer. It throws them deeper into poverty:
Cash bail doesn't make communities safer. It throws them deeper into poverty: