Native women are disproportionately affected by every part of the system. They account for a larger portion of the Indian country jail population than they do in other jails across the US. They’re also incarcerated at higher rates than women of any other racial or ethnic group.

🎙️Emily Widra of the @prisonpolicy.org and James Morgan of MOSES Madison talk about the inequities of the carceral system and how Medicaid cuts will reduce access to life-saving healthcare for incarcerated people in rural areas. Listen here: www.wortfm.org/when-rural-h...

The ugly truth about the "big beautiful bill:" It will come with the closure of many rural hospitals. This will have disastrous consequences for entire communities across the U.S. – especially incarcerated people who have no choice about where they receive medical care.

Older people now make up 5x as much of the prison population as they did 3 decades ago. Turning prisons into “makeshift nursing homes” is one of the nation’s most wasteful, morally bankrupt experiments to date.

Nearly half of people with multiple arrests have incomes below $10,000/year, according to 2017 data. The carceral system perpetuates poverty. It's time to support communities instead of locking them up.

At least 20 people have died in ICE custody in 2025, making this year the deadliest in decades. With increases to ICE’s funding, workforce, and detention space, the system riddled with abuse and neglect will undoubtedly be more life-threatening in 2026. www.npr.org/2025/10/23/n...

"In Idaho prisons, more than two dozen women say guards prey on them with little fear of consequences — and those who speak up are often punished." The U.S. is a leader in women's incarceration, and behind bars, women are anything but safe. 🧵

An #ElectionDay reminder: 4 million people in the U.S. have been stripped of their right to vote due to a felony conviction. Is that what democracy is supposed to look like?

Prisons & jails are already inherently harmful, and placing people in solitary confinement can be lethal to their mental health:

Today, 1 in 5 formerly incarcerated people is experiencing food insecurity. That's at least 1 million people nationwide. We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.

Harm is real – mass support for mass incarceration is not.

Across the US, 113 million adults have an immediate family member who has ever been to prison or jail. Mass incarceration has far-reaching consequences that don't stop at the prison gates.

The national incarceration rate of Native Americans is more than double that of white Americans. For Native youth, the confinement rate is approximately THREE TIMES that of white youth.

🚨NEW: Everyone in Georgia is supposed to have an equal voice, but an outdated US Census Bureau policy counts incarcerated people in the wrong place, giving a few residents a megaphone – aka prison gerrymandering The state can fix this. Here's how👇 www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2025/10...

A reminder on Halloween: The carceral system is a real-life monster, and it's full of tricks – no treats. Here are 5 facts about mass incarceration that are actually frightening 🧵

With SNAP expiring, at least one Calif community is responding not by helping people get food, but by threatening hungry people with arrest This is what we mean when we say policing is a policy choice that creates crime Here’s the math that proves it 🧵

Today, 1 in 5 formerly incarcerated people is experiencing food insecurity. That's at least 1 million people nationwide. We should be making it easier for vulnerable people to access healthy food, not harder.

🚨NEW: The FCC has voted to raise calling rates for incarcerated people – a move that bends to the will of telecomm companies, jails and prisons, while saddling poor families with higher costs. Now, prices could hike as much as 83% 🧵

You asked: Are there people running this November who are pushing back on ICE? Which states are electing supreme court judges? What do these elections mean for the midterms? We’ve got answers in a new “Ask Bolts” explainer:

Check out this new brief w/ @sentencingproject.bsky.social on how to get people w/ convictions who can vote out to the polls! W/ @blibal.bsky.social @nicoledporter.bsky.social #RobStewart Summarizes existing and emerging research that partners w/ community orgs already doing the work!

Incarceration has deadly consequences for everyone – even those who are not behind bars:

🚨NEW: Pres. Trump's 'big beautiful bill' will have devastating consequences for rural hospitals, leaving communities more vulnerable And for almost half of all incarcerated people, this means critical, lifesaving care will be even further out of reach 🧵

60% of youth in custody are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD – compared to just 11% nationally. Kids need care, not cages. #ADHDAwarenessMonth

Does spending thousands on gun range memberships or fitness trackers for jail staff really sound like it benefits the “general welfare” of incarcerated people? Prisons & jails across the US are abusing “inmate welfare funds” – and getting away with it:

ICE’s crackdown in Chicago reflects a deeper reshaping of the immigration system toward a singular focus: removing people with little or no review.

An alarming share of ICE arrests rely on collaborations with local law enforcement – even in places that are "sanctuary cities" From January to June , 45% of all ICE arrests were transfers from local jails:

20% of formerly incarcerated people experience food insecurity – 2x higher than the general population, with even higher rates among formerly incarcerated women & Black individuals

#tdih 1994 U.S. DOJ announced prison population topped 1 million for 1st time in U.S. history. Now, US has 4.2% of global pop w/20%+ of world’s prison pop. Make people in prison & system of mass incarceration visible in curriculum. @prisonpolicy.org ⬇️ 🧵 www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/pr...

Private prisons are bad, but they’re a small part of the system. Mass incarceration is driven by public policy & spending — choices made by your *elected* officials.

Incarceration has a wide-reaching and long-lasting effect on families. People with incarcerated immediate family members are less likely to report good physical and mental health and less likely to rate as “thriving” in terms of overall well-being. www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/07...

On any given day in the U.S., more than 450,000 people are waiting in jail for their trial – meaning, they are legally innocent behind bars.

Over 50% of people in state prisons in a typical year are punished at least once for misconduct – and they have no meaningful way to defend themselves once accused Does this look like a system centered around "justice"? www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/disc...

50% of people in state prison have substance use disorders, yet only a tiny fraction have access to medication-assisted treatment. Prisons should not and cannot be treated as de facto treatment facilities.

In correctional healthcare systems, care is secondary to controlling costs & avoiding lawsuits. What will it take to get people the care they need?

🚨JOURNALISTS: Frustratingly, little data exists about discretionary parole systems in the U.S. Our new report is here to help change that! If you're trying to cover issues with parole release in your state, start here 👇 www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/10...

After another busy year, we're thrilled to share our 2024-2025 Annual Report! We released 5 major reports, 24 research briefings, 2 new resources for our Advocacy Toolkit, and several briefings related to our campaign to end prison gerrymandering. More👇

This week is Prison Banned Books Week. Books have connected incarcerated people to the outside world – and they’ve always been under attack by prisons. Now, tablets are ironically further restricting access to reading materials behind bars. 🧵

Parole is a powerful release mechanism that can significantly reduce how many people are behind bars – yet across the U.S., parole boards are giving fewer people a chance. This is not a system that values "reform" and second chances.

More people have died this year in immigration detention than any other year in decades. The best way to prevent abuse and deaths in ICE custody is for Congress to stop funding the ICE detention machine.

20% of formerly incarcerated people experience food insecurity – 2x higher than the general population, with even higher rates among formerly incarcerated women & Black individuals Pausing SNAP has life-threatening consequences for vulnerable populations

Formerly incarcerated people are almost 10x more likely to be homeless than the general public. Does this look like a society that cares about “reform” and reentry?

Not so fun fact: The most banned book in US prisons is… a cookbook😐 This week is Prison Banned Books Week – the system’s attack on books is sinister, to say the least, and emerging technology, like tablets, is not helping. Here’s what you should know:

ICE has reported 20 detainee deaths in custody since Trump took office — the most in a single year in decades — reports Politico.

Thousands of people detained by ICE are actually held in local, publicly operated jails These facilities–run by elected sheriffs–are making money off of the incarceration of people who are mostly accused of no more serious offense than crossing the border without permission

We're thrilled to hear #GeorgeSantos is interested in prison reform. We put together a few pointers on where to start 🧵

Among the 35 jail births identified in the news over 10 years, jail staff ignored repeated cries for help or medical assistance in at least 24 cases. The carceral system is no place for pregnant people. www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07...

Data shows that more than two-thirds of confined youth meet criteria for neurodivergence. Kids need care – not cages.

Compared to the general population, unhoused people are held in jail for 3.5x as long, despite typically being charged with the lowest level crimes It’s safe to assume that unaffordable cash bail is to blame. No one should have to stay behind bars because they can't afford bail

Every single U.S. state incarcerates women at a higher rate than most of our closest international allies.

Some states appear eager to refill their prisons after the pandemic. The recent growth in incarceration is driven by a handful of states – just 9 states accounted for 77% of all state prison growth.