Issue: Jail Growth

Jail incarceration and jail admissions have grown dramatically since the 1970s. In many parts of the country, the growth continues unabated.

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Report

Data Analysis Interagency Collaboration Pretrial and Bail December 13, 2018

Correctional Control 2018: Incarceration and Supervision by State

Prison Policy Initiative

The U.S. has a staggering 2.3 million people behind bars, but even this number doesn’t capture the true scale of our correctional system. For a complete picture of our criminal justice system, it’s more accurate to look at the 6.7 million people under correctional control, which includes not only incarceration but also probation and parole. In this report, the Prison Policy Initiative compiles data on each state’s various systems of correctional control to help advocates and policymakers prioritize targets for reform.

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Issue Brief

Data Analysis Jail Costs Racial Disparities June 14, 2018

The New Dynamics of Mass Incarceration

Vera Institute of Justice

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Report

Courts Interagency Collaboration Prosecutors March 23, 2018

Beyond the Adversarial System: Achieving the Challenge

National Legal Aid & Defender Association + Association of Prosecuting Attorneys

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Report

Data Analysis Interagency Collaboration Jail Populations June 13, 2017

Out of Sight: The Growth of Jails in Rural America

Vera Institute of Justice

America’s 3,283 jails are the “front door” to mass incarceration. But for too long, county jail systems have operated and grown outside of public view. The Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data tool, launched in 2015, illuminated the growth in local jail populations over the last 40 years. This report explores one of the Incarceration Trends project’s most startling revelations—that the main drivers of mass incarceration are small and rural counties, not major cities. Vera’s research identified two drivers of this trend: an increase in the number of people being held pretrial, and in the number of people being held for other authorities. Read the report to learn more, and explore the accompanying interactive data visualization that sheds light on the way that specific counties are using pretrial detention and rented beds.

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Data Analysis Jail Populations Pretrial and Bail December 20, 2016

NCSL Pretrial Quarterly Newsletter

National Conference of State Legislatures

The Pretrial Quarterly is an NCSL electronic newsletter for state legislators, legislative staff, and others interested in pretrial release policy. This newsletter provides quarterly updates on state pretrial action and legislation and new NCSL resources. It also links to latest research and highlights pretrial policy in the news.