Prison Policy Initiative

06/01/2026

While lawmakers across the US flood your feed with “Happy Pride” messages, here’s a reminder for them that the LGBTQ+ community is overrepresented throughout the entire criminal legal system – and it’s time to decarcerate.

05/29/2026

The criminalization of homelessness does not make anyone safer. In fact, it does the opposite by expanding the carceral system, shuffling more people into prisons & jails, and exposing entire communities to the wide-scale harms of incarceration.

If the U.S. wants to end the housing crisis, it should invest in housing, not criminalization.

Follow to learn more.

05/28/2026

Most people think probation and parole are alternatives to incarceration…

but for millions of Americans, supervision becomes a pipeline right back into jail and prison.

Mass incarceration doesn’t always end when someone comes home.

This video was made as a collaboration between the Prison Policy Initiative and Alpha Jalloh as part of PPI's Creator-in-Residence program.

05/25/2026

Today marks 6 years since the murder of George Floyd. In that time, more Americans have questioned the role & practices of police in society.

What does the state of policing look like now?

05/23/2026

The U.S. has a mental health crisis, and the criminal legal system only makes it worse, thanks to policies that criminalize vulnerable folks and shuffle them into the system. This Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to keep incarcerated people in mind.

Incarceration is often thought of as something people live through and from which they can ultimately be released. But the reality is that time spent in prisons and jails can create a host of collateral consequences that haunt individuals even after release. As the research shows, incarceration can trigger and worsen symptoms of mental illness — and those effects can last long after someone leaves the prison gates.

05/19/2026

Most people have never heard of this form of gerrymandering.

People are removed from their communities… then counted somewhere else for political representation, even when they can’t vote there.

The body is counted.
The voice is erased.

This video was made as a collaboration between the Prison Policy Initiative and Alpha Jalloh as part of PPI's Creator-in-Residence program.

05/15/2026

Yesterday, SCOTUS upheld nationwide access to the abortion pill via mail — at least, for now. While the decision is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t mitigate the fact that reproductive health care is under attack across the U.S. For people trapped in the carceral system, the situation is particularly dire.

The U.S.’s overreliance on community supervision means that on any given day, 3.6 million people are on probation or parole. And the vast majority of women on probation & parole live in states that ban or restrict abortion AND list travel restrictions as a standard condition of their supervision. For them, traveling across state lines to access abortion care lies in the hands of getting permission from a probation officer.

Access to Mifepristone by mail is more important than ever. Abortion care should be accessible medical care for all, and women trapped in the carceral system can’t be left behind.

05/12/2026

Formerly incarcerated people are 10x more likely to be homeless, and thanks to the criminalization of homelessness, they are even more likely to get arrested again.

To stop the housing crisis, the U.S. must dismantle the revolving door between incarceration and homelessness. One way to do that is with smart policy choices.

For example, in Illinois, the Home for Good program, backed by the Illinois Justice Project, is designed to improve housing & support services for people returning from prison.

Key components include:
➡️ Providing rental assistance
➡️ Developing affordable housing
➡️ Offering wraparound services (like job training)
➡️ Supporting local orgs focused on reentry

When housing is a priority, communities are safer — and taxpayers save money.

This measure has already passed the House and is now pending in the Senate before going to the governor for his signature. Learn more about the policy & how you can help make it law by visiting https://homeforgoodillinois.com

Home for Good (HB624) passes the Illinois House of Representatives on 63-34 vote! Home for Good passed the Illinois House on April 17. Our effort now moves to the Senate.  Home for Good is smart, compassionate policy that will improve reentry strategy in Illinois and reap long-term social and econ...

05/12/2026

A reminder during National Police Week: The U.S. spends more than $200 billion on policing each year — a number that has rapidly increased over 10 years. Keep that in mind the next time somebody tries to use calls to “defund the police” as a scapegoat.

05/10/2026

Today reminds us again that people behind bars are not nameless “offenders,” but beloved family members whose presence—and absence—matters.

Happy Mother’s Day.