Articles by Wanda Bertram
- New report shows where 198,800 incarcerated women in the U.S. are locked up and why
The report goes in-depth on women's incarceration in local jails, ICE detention, and other forms of confinement.
Oct 14, 2026 - A reporter’s guide to reporting guides around incarceration
Resources for honing reporting skills, working with incarcerated writers, and framing your coverage well.
Oct 1, 2026 - Note to President Trump: No, 2% of the population doesn’t account for all crime
Crime is more complex than the president claims. Pinning blame on a tiny subset of the population is rhetorically useful, but both crime and criminalization are widespread in the U.S.
Sep 15, 2026 - New “Key Statistics” on our website put the most requested numbers about mass incarceration at your fingertips
We've made it easier to access the topline statistics about the criminal legal system.
May 18, 2026 - New 50-state report, Punishment Beyond Prisons 2026, shows that 5.5 million people are under the control of the criminal legal system
The U.S. keeps millions of people on probation and parole every day. Rather than serving as an alternative to incarceration, supervision is often a tripwire to harsher punishments.
Apr 7, 2026 - New Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie report shows effects of Trump’s immigrant detention campaign on incarceration numbers
The increase in the number of people behind bars since last year's report is almost entirely attributable to immigration enforcement.
Mar 11, 2026 - Our favorite journalism about the criminal legal system in 2025
And some commentary and editorial writing, too.
Dec 22, 2025 - A new toolkit for journalists covering the criminal legal system
We put all of our most helpful resources and guides for journalists in one place.
Nov 25, 2025 - 34 criminal legal system reforms that can win in 2026
We offer our yearly list of impactful reforms that can - and have - succeeded in state legislatures, including links to research and model bills.
Nov 19, 2025 - Bowing to pressure from jails and companies, FCC raises phone rate caps
The agency has voted to raise rate caps to accommodate complaints made by companies and facilities, saddling low-income families with higher costs.
Oct 30, 2025 - How to get started reporting on issues with parole release in your state
We explain how to use our 35-state report Parole in Perspective to jumpstart investigations into your state's parole system.
Oct 20, 2025 - New report, Parole in Perspective, shines a light on how parole boards work and how parole decisions are made in 35 states
Despite their differences, all discretionary parole systems have serious design flaws and most are steadily releasing fewer people, a new report shows.
Oct 7, 2025 - In 2025, every U.S. state outranks most democratic countries in women’s incarceration, new report shows
The number of imprisoned women globally has grown 60% since 2000. The United States remains a major driver of this population, a new report shows.
Sep 23, 2025 - New report, Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2025, shows racial disparities in youth confinement worsening as total numbers go down
New report explains how many system-involved youth are confined, where they are held, under what conditions, and for what offenses.
Aug 25, 2025 - WEBINAR: Taking the Lede: How advocates can shape news coverage of the criminal legal system
How small organizations can make the most of their resources to build relationships with the media.
Aug 18, 2025 - New report, Hiding in Plain Sight, reveals local jails’ essential role in Trump’s mass deportation strategy and how counties can stop it
The new report explains how the Trump administration is using a longstanding loophole to circumvent sanctuary policies and obscure the full scale of its immigration actions.
Jul 30, 2025 - FCC postpones its groundbreaking 2024 rules, allowing excessive phone and video rates to continue
Incarcerated people and their loved ones will continue to be exploited by sheriffs and telecom companies for two more years, while these same interests lobby the FCC to water down its rules.
Jul 2, 2025 - Seven facts about mass incarceration that sound like April Fools’ Day hoaxes, but aren’t
Fines for suicide attempts, prisons built near toxic wastelands, the overwhelming number of people in the system…it's hard to believe, but it's true.
Apr 1, 2025 - New report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2025, shows prisons and jails continuing to lock up more people after a decade of consistent declines
The newest iteration of the Prison Policy Initiative’s flagship report explains that the incarcerated population grew by about 2% overall, with significant spikes in the incarceration of immigrants and young people.
Mar 11, 2025 - New Prison Policy Initiative report explains notoriously bad correctional healthcare
Why are terrible prison and jail healthcare systems so resilient against lawsuits and government oversight? How do healthcare providers cut corners with patient care to....
Feb 19, 2025 - New guide and webinar: Challenging myths about recidivism
Decision-makers often cite worries about recidivism as a primary reason to oppose criminal legal system reforms. These worries are caused by both the concept of the....
Feb 13, 2025 - New Prison Policy Initiative report, Bad Behavior, provides first 50-state analysis of prison disciplinary systems in the era of mass incarceration
The systems meant to maintain order and safety in prisons are ripe for abuse by corrections staff, are frequently used to dole out extreme punishments, and play a key....
Jan 28, 2025 - How journalists can investigate prison discipline policies — and why these policies may be important for other stories
We offer questions for jumpstarting your reporting, suggestions for finding data, advice for communicating with incarcerated sources, and more.
Jan 28, 2025 - The 2024 reporting on incarceration that newsrooms should emulate in 2025
We highlight some of the year's best reporting on incarceration, and offer tips for journalists interested in pursuing similar stories in their states.
Dec 11, 2024 - 34 criminal legal system reforms that can win in 2025
In a new report, we highlight reforms that are ripe for victory in the new year and provide tips for advocates to oppose lawmakers pushing for failed "tough-on-crime" lawmaking.
Dec 4, 2024 - New report, One Size Fits None, explores counterproductive and difficult conditions of probation in all 50 states
Easthampton, Mass. — A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative provides one of the most comprehensive 50-state compilations of standard conditions of probation....
Oct 15, 2024 - Candidates for office use jail and prison as “one size fits all” policy solutions. Here’s how to push back
Ahead of the November elections, we packaged up the facts you need to push for community safety, not cages.
Sep 24, 2024 - FCC votes to slash prison and jail calling rates and ban corporate kickbacks
New rules, the result of the bipartisan passage of the Martha Wright-Reed Fair and Just Communications Act, are a massive victory in the decades-long fight for prison and jail communication justice.
Jul 18, 2024 - Calling on the FCC to make the most of its upcoming rulemaking on prison and jail telecom rates
Ahead of the FCC’s vote on new prison and jail phone rate caps, The Leadership Conference sent a letter to the agency, and we signed on.
Jun 20, 2024 - What can journalists do when prisons and jails cite HIPAA to withhold information about deaths in custody?
If you're a journalist who's been stonewalled while seeking public records about deaths in custody, you are not alone. We offer tips for requesting information and strengthening your story against HIPAA-related denials.
Jun 11, 2024 - 6 facts about the mass incarceration of LGBTQ+ people
For Pride Month, we gathered a few of the most striking facts about the criminalization of queer youth and adults.
Jun 4, 2024 - Prison Policy Initiative endorses the Families Over Fees Act of 2024, which would protect incarcerated people from predatory fees
Bill would take an important step toward ending the exploitation of incarcerated people
May 24, 2024 - New report exposes how “Inmate Welfare Funds” in at least 49 prison systems use families’ money to pad prison budgets
New report details how prisons and jails have misused money in "Inmate Welfare Funds" to pay for bounce houses, ham gift cards, and even shooting range memberships.
May 6, 2024 - Journalists: Here’s how to uncover how the money in “Inmate Welfare Funds” is being spent
We offer lessons learned from developing our new report, Shadow Budgets, to encourage journalists to investigate welfare funds in their local prison or jail systems.
May 6, 2024 - Recent data offer a detailed snapshot of the cost of family contact in local jails
Some of the questions we receive most often about communication policies (and rates) in local jails can finally be answered, thanks to two new resources from Michigan and Minnesota.
Apr 11, 2024 - Tenth-Anniversary Edition of The Whole Pie Report Provides the Big Picture of Mass Incarceration — and Busts 10 of the Most Persistent Myths about Prisons, Jails, and Crime
New report shows prison and jail populations rebounding after the pandemic and warns of the return of so-called “tough-on-crime” laws
Mar 14, 2024 - New resource: Contending with carveouts: how and why to resist charge-based exclusions in reforms
Carveouts dramatically lessen the impact of criminal legal system reforms. In a new tool for advocates, we offer ways to resist carveouts when new reforms are proposed.
Jun 26, 2023 - New report: A blueprint for meaningful probation and parole reform in Connecticut — and other states
As we explained in a report earlier this month, every U.S. state punishes far more people than is remotely necessary, not just with long prison terms but with long....
May 23, 2023 - New report, Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023, reveals how many women are locked up in the U.S., where, and why
The report examines the unique challenges women in the criminal legal system face and provides the clearest look at how the pandemic impacted women's incarceration in the U.S.
Mar 1, 2023 - Since You Asked: What’s next for prison and jail phone justice now that the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act is law?
We explain what the new law accomplishes, how the FCC can — and should — enforce it, and why the fight for phone justice is not over.
Jan 19, 2023 - 11 of our most important reports, briefings, and tools in 2022
From a deep dive into the bail industry to new tools for advocates, here are the highlights of our work in 2022.
Dec 21, 2022 - In an election where every vote matters, Georgia officials should ensure registered voters in jails can cast their ballots
Sheriffs and local election officials must do everything in their power to ensure detained individuals can exercise their fundamental right to vote.
Nov 18, 2022 - How journalists can investigate the bail bond industry: Story ideas and tips
Table of Contents Are bail companies actually bringing their clients to court? How much bail owed by companies is not being collected by courts? How is the bail....
Oct 14, 2022 - New report reveals how bail bond companies exploit legal systems to profit while avoiding risk
On top of a bail system that is set up to favor companies over courts, the bail industry has lobbied for several loopholes that make their business virtually risk-free - and highly lucrative.
Oct 4, 2022 - What the end of Roe v. Wade will mean for people on probation and parole
On any given day in the U.S., 666,413 women are on probation or parole.
Jun 30, 2022 - New report, Chronic Punishment, reveals the unmet health needs of people in state prisons
A new report from the Prison Policy Initiative offers the most recent national data on incarcerated people’s health, and shows that U.S. state prisons are continuing to....
Jun 22, 2022 - Prisons and jails will separate millions of mothers from their children in 2022
58% of all women in U.S. prisons are mothers, and other important facts to know this Mother’s Day.
May 4, 2022 - New report, Beyond the Count, uses demographic data to show the social disadvantage of people locked up in state prisons
People in prisons have endured disadvantage and poverty all the way back to childhood, the Prison Policy Initiative's new report shows.
Apr 13, 2022 - New report Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2022 provides the most comprehensive look at U.S. incarceration since the start of the pandemic
The report includes 31 visualizations of criminal justice data, exposing long-standing truths about mass incarceration in the U.S.
Mar 14, 2022 - New data on formerly incarcerated people’s employment reveal labor market injustices
Newly released data doubles down on what we’ve reported before: Formerly incarcerated people face huge obstacles to finding stable employment, leading to detrimental society-wide effects. Considering the current labor market, there may be plenty of jobs available, but they don’t guarantee stability or economic mobility for this vulnerable population.
Feb 8, 2022 - Prison Policy Initiative asks FCC to reject prison phone company’s request for special treatment to peddle “subscription” phone plans
Securus wants the FCC to waive its rules, but won’t disclose important details about how the plans work.
Jan 10, 2022 - 11 of our most important reports of 2021
Some highlights from the six major reports and 40+ short reports we've published this year.
Dec 20, 2021 - The CFPB’s enforcement order against prison profiteer JPay, explained
The company was fined $6 million for exploiting people leaving prison.
Oct 28, 2021 - New data: Wisconsin jails and telecom giants profiting from high phone rates that keep families apart
As people in jail and their families struggle to stay connected during the pandemic, we've collected the data on the exploitative prices families are forced to pay in....
Sep 10, 2021 - The Biden Administration must walk back the MailGuard program banning letters from home in federal prisons
The Bureau of Prisons is considering a heartless, ineffective policy with far-reaching effects.
Jul 29, 2021 - Nine ways that states can provide better public defense
We suggest a few questions to ask to assess the strength of your state's public defense system.
Jul 27, 2021 - Prisons and jails will separate millions of mothers from their children in 2021
The most important statistics about the incarceration of mothers and pregnant women.
May 5, 2021 - With the majority of corrections officers declining the COVID-19 vaccine, incarcerated people are still at serious risk
Low rates of vaccine uptake among correctional staff make it clear that withholding the vaccine from people who are locked up -- or offering it only to a small fraction of the prison population -- is senseless.
Apr 22, 2021 - We’ve saved Iowa consumers $1 million per year on jail phone calls — but there’s more work to do to stop exploitation in Iowa & beyond
We’re fighting for fair phone rates for people in jail and their families, and we just picked up a big victory. We pressured officials in Iowa to regulate the....
Mar 10, 2021 - We list 27 “winnable, high-impact” state legislative reforms that would change the justice system and save lives in 2021
Our new “Winnable Criminal Justice Reforms” report lists 27 policy ideas for state legislators, as well as model bills and links to more information on each policy.
Jan 27, 2021 - More states need to use their “good time” systems to get people out of prison during COVID-19
Most states have statutes that allow incarcerated people to earn time off of their sentences. Why aren't more states using this tool to safely reduce prison populations during COVID-19?
Jan 12, 2021 - New report shows that mass incarceration led to huge increase in national COVID-19 caseloads
The study provides the first estimates of how prisons and jails led to more coronavirus infections, both inside and outside prisons.
Dec 15, 2020 - The promise — and peril — of Biden’s criminal justice reform platform
We discuss Biden's plans for clemency, reentry support, drug courts, and juvenile justice reform.
Nov 13, 2020 - New BJS data reveals a jail-building boom in Indian country
Across the country, local governments are building more jail space rather than working to reduce incarceration. New data shows that this trend is especially visible on tribal lands.
Oct 30, 2020 - New 50-state report from Prison Policy Initiative and Rainbow PUSH Coalition provides a roadmap to normalizing voting from jail
This morning, the Prison Policy Initiative and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition released Eligible, but Excluded, a roadmap to expanding voting....
Oct 2, 2020 - New Essie Justice Group survey exposes dangerous prison and jail conditions during COVID-19
Survey data collected from people with incarcerated loved ones confirms some of our worst fears about the treatment of people behind bars during the pandemic.
Sep 17, 2020 - Prisons and jails are rolling back free phone and video calls. They should be extending them instead
Amidst a pandemic and recession, policymakers should be fighting for extended — if not permanent — financial relief for incarcerated people and their families.
Sep 11, 2020 - Returning from prison and jail is hard during normal times — it’s even more difficult during COVID-19
We review the evidence and call for state and local governments to provide more support for success upon release from prison or jail.
Sep 2, 2020 - Compassionate release was never designed to release large numbers of people
With help from artist Kevin Pyle, we explain why very few people who apply for compassionate release are approved — even during a pandemic.
May 29, 2020 - Hundreds are still jailed for technical parole violations in NYC, which means decarceration is happening far too slowly
As cities attempt to reduce their jail populations, they should pay attention to the lesson of NYC’s slow decarceration: Even releasing "low-level offenders" is a complicated process liable to be bogged down by delays.
Apr 24, 2020 - New report, Reforms Without Results, lays out the case for including people convicted of violence in criminal justice reforms
The report includes an interactive map showing where people convicted of violence have been "carved out" of recent criminal justice reform laws.
Apr 7, 2020 - As pandemic threatens to devastate prison population, new report provides updated “big picture” view of incarceration in the U.S.
The Prison Policy Initiative's new "Whole Pie" report reveals what's at stake if prisons and jails do not take immediate steps to decarcerate.
Mar 24, 2020 - Jails and prisons are suspending visits to slow COVID-19. Here’s what advocates can do to help people inside.
Send our letter to your local jail, asking them to make video and phone calls free.
Mar 17, 2020 - Prison Policy Initiative releases detailed data on the “geography of incarceration” in New York state, opening doors for future research
The new resource uses data generated by New York’s law ending prison gerrymandering.
Feb 19, 2020 - “What percent of the U.S. is incarcerated?” (And other ways to measure mass incarceration)
Nearly one out of every 100 people in the United States is in a prison or jail.
Jan 16, 2020 - New report, Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2019, breaks down where children and teenagers are locked up in the U.S., where, and why
At a time when cutting the adult prison population by 50% seems radical to many people, states have already cut the number of confined youth by 60% since 2000.
Dec 19, 2019 - New report: State-level criminal justice reforms that can win in 2020
We list 24 high-impact policy ideas for state legislators looking to reform their criminal justice systems.
Dec 12, 2019 - The law is supposed to protect consumers from exploitation, but it’s not protecting people in prisons and jails
When the only way to get necessities in prison is to buy them from a single retailer, exploitation is the result.
Nov 14, 2019 - New report, Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019, reveals how many women are locked up in the U.S., where, and why
The report highlights the need for reforms to local jails, which now hold more women than state prisons do.
Oct 29, 2019 - How many people in your state go to local jails every year?
New data shows that local jails impact more people in your state than you may think.
Sep 18, 2019 - New report, Arrest, Release, Repeat, reveals how many people go to jail each year and how many times they go
Our analysis reveals that at least 4.9 million people cycle through county jails each year - and most have serious medical and economic needs.
Aug 26, 2019 - Momentum is building to end medical co-pays in prisons and jails
Three states have taken action in 2019 to change one of the most harmful policies in prison healthcare.
Aug 8, 2019 - Testifying before Congress about the mass incarceration of women
"Women’s experiences with the criminal justice system serve to highlight the faults of the whole system," our Legal Director explained to members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Jul 17, 2019 - Why haven’t presidential candidates proposed to end the criminalization of poverty?
The Democratic candidates are missing an opportunity to pitch sweeping criminal justice reform as an economic justice issue.
Jun 12, 2019 - New report, Does our county really need a bigger jail?, helps counties avoid needless jail growth
All too often, proposals to expand local jails receive no pushback or critical attention. A new report helps counties think twice.
May 6, 2019 - Victory for phone justice: Securus and ICSolutions abandon attempted merger
A merger between the two companies would have curtailed the ability of prisons and jails to choose a phone provider, to the detriment of incarcerated people and their families.
Apr 2, 2019 - New report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019, provides annual “big picture” view of confinement in the U.S. with 7 new infographics
With this year's updated edition of Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, we once again answer the essential questions of how many people are locked up, where, and why.
Mar 19, 2019 - More states are signing harmful “free prison tablet” contracts
Tablet computers are delivering a captive audience to profit-seeking companies, while enabling prisons to cut essential services like law libraries. We investigate.
Mar 7, 2019 - New report uncovers the cost of phone calls in over 2,000 locally-run jails across the U.S.
The movement for phone justice has won huge victories in state-run prisons, but people in jail pretrial are on the front lines of exploitation.
Feb 11, 2019 - New report ranks states on “correctional control,” showing huge state disparities in use of probation
When it comes to ranking U.S. states on the harshness of their criminal justice systems, incarceration rates only tell half of the story. 4.5 million people nationwide....
Dec 11, 2018 - New report: The eight most efficient ways to shorten long prison sentences
Clemency isn't the only way for governors and legislators to show mercy. Our report provides a roadmap with several options.
Nov 15, 2018 - New report, Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018, reveals how many women are locked up in the U.S., where, and why
The report includes a new, data-rich visualization of women in jails, highlighting a critical area for criminal justice reform.
Nov 13, 2018 - Criminal justice reform at the ballot box: Even County Auditors are worth your attention
In some counties - like Multnomah County, Oregon - auditors are joining the movement to hold jails accountable.
Oct 31, 2018 - New report, Getting Back on Course, shows that prison permanently hinders education
Our criminal justice system isn’t just sending people from school to prison – it’s locking them out of education altogether.
Oct 30, 2018 - Philadelphia Inquirer exposes Pennsylvania’s complicity in cutting off incarcerated people’s access to books
The Pennsylvania DOC introduces a telecom company to a large, captive market for e-books.
Sep 21, 2018 - New report, Nowhere to Go, breaks down the housing crisis among formerly incarcerated people
A stable home is all but required for successful reentry. How many formerly incarcerated people are locked out of housing?
Aug 14, 2018 - Victoria Law on Marketplace: How email services in prison exploit incarcerated people
As our research as shown, companies like JPay gouge people who are already overcharged and underpaid.
Aug 8, 2018 - The Idaho prison tablets “hack” is a lesson in how to cover the prison business
Stories about prison tablets are becoming more common. We offer tips to newsrooms for covering this issue fairly.
Aug 2, 2018 - How to spot the hidden costs in a “no-cost” tablet contract
There's no such thing as a free lunch - or a free tablet.
Jul 24, 2018 - New report, Out of Prison & Out of Work, calculates the first unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people
Formerly incarcerated people overwhelmingly want to work, but they face huge obstacles in the job market.
Jul 10, 2018 - New report, The Company Store, questions fairness and purpose of prison commissaries
In a first-of-its-kind data analysis, we explore the economics of prison commissaries in three states.
May 24, 2018 - Jail will separate 2.3 million mothers from their children this year
80% of the women jailed each year are mothers. We're inflicting profound damage not only on them, but their children as well.
May 13, 2018 - New reports show probation is down, but still a major driver of incarceration
New data and analysis from BJS and Columbia University this week show the number of people on probation or parole is edging in the right direction, but states continue to set people up to fail with long supervision terms, onerous restrictions, and constant scrutiny.
Apr 26, 2018 - State-level studies identify causes of the national “gender divide”
Our January report showed how incarcerated women are being left behind, but to identify specific areas for improvement, state-level research is needed.
Apr 11, 2018 - New research ends the “Is it race or class?” debate about mass incarceration
Racial biases in the criminal justice system don't only apply to poor people, according to research from Harvard, Stanford, and the Census Bureau.
Mar 19, 2018 - New Report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018, pieces together systems of confinement and provides 11 new infographics
With this year's updated edition of Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, we once again answer the essential questions of how many people are locked up, where, and why.
Mar 14, 2018 - Video: Why states should stop punishing safe drivers for offenses unrelated to driving
At under two minutes, this is the shortest and sweetest version of our argument against license suspensions for drug offenses.
Mar 6, 2018 - New report, Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie, breaks down where youth are locked up in the U.S. and why
In a series of graphics, we explain how tens of thousands of youth who could be better served in their communities still end up in confinement.
Feb 27, 2018 - Pennsylvania may finally lift the burden of needless driver’s license suspensions
The push to end driver’s license suspensions for drug offenses is picking up steam in Pennsylvania.
Jan 24, 2018 - If you’ve got a minute to think about civil liberties, here’s how to spend it.
We share our favorite recent episodes of Bill Newman's excellent podcast, each just over a minute long and covering a current threat to civil liberties.
Jan 22, 2018 - Our Young Professionals Network, in the words of one volunteer
One of our most dedicated volunteers shares the highlights of his experience.
Jan 22, 2018 - New report, The Gender Divide, identifies state gender disparities in prisons
Women’s prison populations are largely growing faster than men’s. See our 50-state analysis.
Jan 9, 2018 - Our favorite criminal justice research of 2017
Useful and under-exposed research from 2017 that contributed to our movement's understanding of key issues in criminal justice.
Dec 28, 2017 - Our favorite investigative criminal justice reporting of 2017
Investigative reporters are illuminating little-known facets of the criminal justice system. We share our favorite work from 2017.
Dec 28, 2017 - Help us tell the whole story of mass incarceration
Can you support our work this Giving Tuesday?
Nov 28, 2017
Recommended Reading:
50 state incarceration profiles
All of our recent reports about prison/jail growth, racial disparities, and more, re-organized by state.
The rapid & unregulated growth of e-messaging in prisons
It can strengthen connections, but instead has been used to sap money from incarcerated people.
Incarceration and supervision by states
Probation and parole are the leading forms of mass punishment in America.
Prison Gerrymandering Project
We are leading the movement to protect our democracy from the Census Bureau's prison miscount.
Events
- November 18-21, 2026:
Members of our Research team, will be attending the American Society of Criminology annual meeting in Chicago from November 18th through the 21st. Please reach out if you’d like to set up a meeting.
Not near you?
Invite us to your city, college or organization.