Prison Policy Initiative
@prisonpolicy.org
Challenging mass incarceration and over-criminalization through research, advocacy, and organizing. Get email updates: https://prisonpolicy.org/subscribe/
Pinned
A lot of bad things happened this year in the criminal legal system.
But as we enter 2026, it's important to remember that we aren't helpless, and the U.S. doesn't have to continue down this road.
But as we enter 2026, it's important to remember that we aren't helpless, and the U.S. doesn't have to continue down this road.
The criminal legal system is frequently the default response to the opioid epidemic: people who use opioids are disproportionately arrested, jailed, and imprisoned.
But behind bars–and during reentry–they rarely receive necessary treatment.
But behind bars–and during reentry–they rarely receive necessary treatment.
January 16, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The criminal legal system is frequently the default response to the opioid epidemic: people who use opioids are disproportionately arrested, jailed, and imprisoned.
But behind bars–and during reentry–they rarely receive necessary treatment.
But behind bars–and during reentry–they rarely receive necessary treatment.
Prisons are notoriously dangerous places. One driving factor? They lock up so many people that they can't find enough guards to staff prisons.
It's been a problem for years – because understaffing is an untreatable symptom of mass incarceration.
It's been a problem for years – because understaffing is an untreatable symptom of mass incarceration.
We Investigated Killings Inside Mississippi Prisons. Here’s What We Found.
Over 10 years, the reasons for the killings are often the same: Severe understaffing, lax oversight and gang violence.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 16, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Prisons are notoriously dangerous places. One driving factor? They lock up so many people that they can't find enough guards to staff prisons.
It's been a problem for years – because understaffing is an untreatable symptom of mass incarceration.
It's been a problem for years – because understaffing is an untreatable symptom of mass incarceration.
This is an important step toward bringing a measure of justice to an unjust system.
When 20 million people are barred from jury service because of a criminal record, there's no such thing as a "jury of peers."
More states must end the discriminatory norm once & for all.
When 20 million people are barred from jury service because of a criminal record, there's no such thing as a "jury of peers."
More states must end the discriminatory norm once & for all.
January 15, 2026 at 4:10 PM
This is an important step toward bringing a measure of justice to an unjust system.
When 20 million people are barred from jury service because of a criminal record, there's no such thing as a "jury of peers."
More states must end the discriminatory norm once & for all.
When 20 million people are barred from jury service because of a criminal record, there's no such thing as a "jury of peers."
More states must end the discriminatory norm once & for all.
In 2019, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office used money from incarcerated people to pay for a staff vacation.
Now, 7 years later, the county board just gave that same office the green light to yet again exploit incarcerated folks to benefit staff.
www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
Now, 7 years later, the county board just gave that same office the green light to yet again exploit incarcerated folks to benefit staff.
www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
January 15, 2026 at 3:48 PM
In 2019, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office used money from incarcerated people to pay for a staff vacation.
Now, 7 years later, the county board just gave that same office the green light to yet again exploit incarcerated folks to benefit staff.
www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
Now, 7 years later, the county board just gave that same office the green light to yet again exploit incarcerated folks to benefit staff.
www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
"This cruelty will be measured in lives lost... We are witnessing the dismantling of our recovery infrastructure in real-time."
In another disastrous move, Trump is yet again gutting proven solutions that keep communities safe. What happens next? 🧵
In another disastrous move, Trump is yet again gutting proven solutions that keep communities safe. What happens next? 🧵
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services.
www.npr.org
January 14, 2026 at 5:24 PM
"This cruelty will be measured in lives lost... We are witnessing the dismantling of our recovery infrastructure in real-time."
In another disastrous move, Trump is yet again gutting proven solutions that keep communities safe. What happens next? 🧵
In another disastrous move, Trump is yet again gutting proven solutions that keep communities safe. What happens next? 🧵
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
🧵It’s a new year, but at least one thing’s still the same: The death penalty does not make our communities safer. Decades of research show that the death penalty does not deter crime or protect the most vulnerable from harm.
January 14, 2026 at 3:57 PM
🧵It’s a new year, but at least one thing’s still the same: The death penalty does not make our communities safer. Decades of research show that the death penalty does not deter crime or protect the most vulnerable from harm.
Trans folks are overrepresented in the criminal legal system – and it starts at a young age.
One survey reveals that most trans people in state prison were first arrested when they were 18 or younger.
The U.S. should be supporting trans kids, not shuffling them into the system.
One survey reveals that most trans people in state prison were first arrested when they were 18 or younger.
The U.S. should be supporting trans kids, not shuffling them into the system.
January 14, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Trans folks are overrepresented in the criminal legal system – and it starts at a young age.
One survey reveals that most trans people in state prison were first arrested when they were 18 or younger.
The U.S. should be supporting trans kids, not shuffling them into the system.
One survey reveals that most trans people in state prison were first arrested when they were 18 or younger.
The U.S. should be supporting trans kids, not shuffling them into the system.
When prisons ban mail-in books, they usually blame it on contraband, claiming that loved ones are mailing drugs into the facility. But the truth is, these bans:
❌ Hurt incarcerated folks
❌ Don't stop contraband
❌ Help line carceral pockets
❌ Hurt incarcerated folks
❌ Don't stop contraband
❌ Help line carceral pockets
Arkansas set to impose nation’s strictest ban on sending books, magazines to prisons | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
A ban on sending books and magazines to inmates in Arkansas prisons goes into effect Feb. 1, putting into place the strictest regulations in the country on sending outside publications to the…
www.nwaonline.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:26 PM
When prisons ban mail-in books, they usually blame it on contraband, claiming that loved ones are mailing drugs into the facility. But the truth is, these bans:
❌ Hurt incarcerated folks
❌ Don't stop contraband
❌ Help line carceral pockets
❌ Hurt incarcerated folks
❌ Don't stop contraband
❌ Help line carceral pockets
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
5 years ago today, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Pretrial Fairness Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars that would have been used to purchase the presumption of innocence are instead staying in our state’s most marginalized communities.
Read more: endmoneybond.org/five-years-a...
Read more: endmoneybond.org/five-years-a...
Five Years After the Passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act - Coalition to End Money Bond
Five years ago today, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Pretrial Fairness Act as part of the SAFE-T Act. For more than five years leading up to that historic moment, communities across our stat...
endmoneybond.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:04 PM
5 years ago today, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Pretrial Fairness Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars that would have been used to purchase the presumption of innocence are instead staying in our state’s most marginalized communities.
Read more: endmoneybond.org/five-years-a...
Read more: endmoneybond.org/five-years-a...
Of all the reasons people get sent to jail, forgetting an appointment has to be among the least justifiable.
Yet, each year, 1 million jail bookings involve people facing failure to appear (FTA) charges.
Shuffling people into the system for missing court does not keep us safe🧵
Yet, each year, 1 million jail bookings involve people facing failure to appear (FTA) charges.
Shuffling people into the system for missing court does not keep us safe🧵
January 13, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Of all the reasons people get sent to jail, forgetting an appointment has to be among the least justifiable.
Yet, each year, 1 million jail bookings involve people facing failure to appear (FTA) charges.
Shuffling people into the system for missing court does not keep us safe🧵
Yet, each year, 1 million jail bookings involve people facing failure to appear (FTA) charges.
Shuffling people into the system for missing court does not keep us safe🧵
Trump's deportation agenda is traumatizing communities, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
A @bloomberg.com report shows that on average, it costs more than $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
A @bloomberg.com report shows that on average, it costs more than $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
January 12, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Trump's deportation agenda is traumatizing communities, and taxpayers are footing the bill.
A @bloomberg.com report shows that on average, it costs more than $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
A @bloomberg.com report shows that on average, it costs more than $17,000 to detain and deport a single person.
More here 👇
bit.ly/3M2Fe3r
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. 32 people died in custody from suicide, medical neglect, and preventable illness. Now, the violence in our communities continues to escalate.
This is not “protection.” https://bit.ly/4qcS8ep
#MasksOffRightsOn
This is not “protection.” https://bit.ly/4qcS8ep
#MasksOffRightsOn
2025 was ICE’s deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody
The deaths came as the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement, detaining a record number of people
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 3:34 PM
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. 32 people died in custody from suicide, medical neglect, and preventable illness. Now, the violence in our communities continues to escalate.
This is not “protection.” https://bit.ly/4qcS8ep
#MasksOffRightsOn
This is not “protection.” https://bit.ly/4qcS8ep
#MasksOffRightsOn
Policing criminal law violations costs taxpayers more than $63 billion each year.
That's a lot of money that would be better spent on care – not cops.
That's a lot of money that would be better spent on care – not cops.
January 11, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Policing criminal law violations costs taxpayers more than $63 billion each year.
That's a lot of money that would be better spent on care – not cops.
That's a lot of money that would be better spent on care – not cops.
Corrections departments are increasingly trying to use "gag rules" to forbid staff from interviews with journalists without approval – what would a system centered around "justice" need to hide? 🤔
January 11, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Corrections departments are increasingly trying to use "gag rules" to forbid staff from interviews with journalists without approval – what would a system centered around "justice" need to hide? 🤔
Over the last two decades, police departments across the country have become more militarized, and no group has experienced an increase in police violence like women – particularly Black and brown women.
Is this how the U.S. "protects" women?
Is this how the U.S. "protects" women?
January 10, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Over the last two decades, police departments across the country have become more militarized, and no group has experienced an increase in police violence like women – particularly Black and brown women.
Is this how the U.S. "protects" women?
Is this how the U.S. "protects" women?
Kids locked in tiny cells for 23 hours a day. No windows, no toilets, no human contact. Just torture.
This is not from a fictional horror story. These are the reported real-life conditions inside New York juvenile detention centers:
This is not from a fictional horror story. These are the reported real-life conditions inside New York juvenile detention centers:
New York Keeps Children in Solitary Without Toilets, Suit Alleges
Office of Children and Family Services facilities are violating state regulations governing the treatment of children in their care, the lawsuit claims.
nysfocus.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Kids locked in tiny cells for 23 hours a day. No windows, no toilets, no human contact. Just torture.
This is not from a fictional horror story. These are the reported real-life conditions inside New York juvenile detention centers:
This is not from a fictional horror story. These are the reported real-life conditions inside New York juvenile detention centers:
A reminder on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day:
It's not just "a few bad apples." Police violence is a systemic problem in the U.S., and it happens on a scale far greater than other wealthy nations.
Who, exactly, does this system protect & serve?
It's not just "a few bad apples." Police violence is a systemic problem in the U.S., and it happens on a scale far greater than other wealthy nations.
Who, exactly, does this system protect & serve?
January 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
A reminder on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day:
It's not just "a few bad apples." Police violence is a systemic problem in the U.S., and it happens on a scale far greater than other wealthy nations.
Who, exactly, does this system protect & serve?
It's not just "a few bad apples." Police violence is a systemic problem in the U.S., and it happens on a scale far greater than other wealthy nations.
Who, exactly, does this system protect & serve?
One of the most powerful ways to limit ICE's reach is to rein in sheriffs and stop letting local police & jails collaborate with the federal agency.
When states take a hard stance against ICE, communities are better off and more protected from the deportation agenda:
When states take a hard stance against ICE, communities are better off and more protected from the deportation agenda:
January 9, 2026 at 3:07 PM
One of the most powerful ways to limit ICE's reach is to rein in sheriffs and stop letting local police & jails collaborate with the federal agency.
When states take a hard stance against ICE, communities are better off and more protected from the deportation agenda:
When states take a hard stance against ICE, communities are better off and more protected from the deportation agenda:
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
For the last few months, I kept a document where every time I saw reports of fed immigration agents shooting or pointing their gun at someone, I made a note. The list grew and grew. It now includes 4 deaths. Here is what I noticed keeping that list.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/07/i...
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/07/i...
Before ICE Shooting, Immigration Agents Repeatedly Used Deadly Force
The killing of a Minneapolis woman is latest by ICE and Border Patrol officers in recent months. Others have been wounded or threatened with guns.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 8, 2026 at 3:34 PM
For the last few months, I kept a document where every time I saw reports of fed immigration agents shooting or pointing their gun at someone, I made a note. The list grew and grew. It now includes 4 deaths. Here is what I noticed keeping that list.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/07/i...
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/01/07/i...
Since 2020, when police murdered George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and more than 1,100 other people, more Americans have questioned the role and practices of police in society – and hoped for meaningful reform.
So, what does the state of policing look like now, 6 years later? 🧵
So, what does the state of policing look like now, 6 years later? 🧵
January 8, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Since 2020, when police murdered George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and more than 1,100 other people, more Americans have questioned the role and practices of police in society – and hoped for meaningful reform.
So, what does the state of policing look like now, 6 years later? 🧵
So, what does the state of policing look like now, 6 years later? 🧵
Mapping Police Violence is a powerful tool that keeps careful track of police killings each year.
In 2023, 96 people were killed after police responded to reports of a mental health crisis. And in 2024, that number rose to 118.
Learn more here: policeviolencereport.org
In 2023, 96 people were killed after police responded to reports of a mental health crisis. And in 2024, that number rose to 118.
Learn more here: policeviolencereport.org
January 8, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Mapping Police Violence is a powerful tool that keeps careful track of police killings each year.
In 2023, 96 people were killed after police responded to reports of a mental health crisis. And in 2024, that number rose to 118.
Learn more here: policeviolencereport.org
In 2023, 96 people were killed after police responded to reports of a mental health crisis. And in 2024, that number rose to 118.
Learn more here: policeviolencereport.org
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
We are devastated by the news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now targeting the Minneapolis area with its lawless actions, including an ICE officer today fatally shooting someone who was reportedly acting as a legal observer.
January 7, 2026 at 11:06 PM
We are devastated by the news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now targeting the Minneapolis area with its lawless actions, including an ICE officer today fatally shooting someone who was reportedly acting as a legal observer.
Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative
"In new data from 562 jails, we find that more than 1 in 8 jail bookings (13%) are related to a failure to appear (FTA), and more than half of those are FTA only."
great/disturbing/enraging new analysis from @jkangbrown.bsky.social www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/01...
great/disturbing/enraging new analysis from @jkangbrown.bsky.social www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/01...
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 ...
www.prisonpolicy.org
January 8, 2026 at 2:16 PM
"In new data from 562 jails, we find that more than 1 in 8 jail bookings (13%) are related to a failure to appear (FTA), and more than half of those are FTA only."
great/disturbing/enraging new analysis from @jkangbrown.bsky.social www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/01...
great/disturbing/enraging new analysis from @jkangbrown.bsky.social www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/01...
Don't let copaganda fool you – police violence is not tied to their safety.
The vast majority of police killings actually start with officers responding to a suspected non-violent situation or a case where no crime has been reported.
The vast majority of police killings actually start with officers responding to a suspected non-violent situation or a case where no crime has been reported.
January 8, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Don't let copaganda fool you – police violence is not tied to their safety.
The vast majority of police killings actually start with officers responding to a suspected non-violent situation or a case where no crime has been reported.
The vast majority of police killings actually start with officers responding to a suspected non-violent situation or a case where no crime has been reported.
Today, ICE shot & killed someone, and then said the officer was using "his training."
When police point to their "training" to justify murder, you can't help but wonder – who exactly do they serve and protect?
When police point to their "training" to justify murder, you can't help but wonder – who exactly do they serve and protect?
Live updates: ICE says agent, ‘fearing for his life,’ kills woman in south Minneapolis
ICE officials say the woman was shot and killed Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis after attempting to run over agents with her car. Witnesses dispute ICE’s version of what happened. Mayor Jacob…
www.mprnews.org
January 7, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Today, ICE shot & killed someone, and then said the officer was using "his training."
When police point to their "training" to justify murder, you can't help but wonder – who exactly do they serve and protect?
When police point to their "training" to justify murder, you can't help but wonder – who exactly do they serve and protect?