Prisons and Jails

Education linked to better employment prospects upon release from prison

People who get an education while serving time are less likely to return to prison and more likely to enter the job market, an analysis finds.

  • By Ben Stickle and Steven Sprick Schuster, The Conversation

Cash bail policies are under fresh scrutiny

Some places have done away with the system, while others are considering stricter guidelines.

  • By Amanda Hernández, Stateline

The parent-child bond is critical–even when prison walls separate them

In New Hampshire, a program helps incarcerated parents maintain relationships with their children. Data suggests it reduces recidivism, helps break the cycle of incarceration in families and improves resident behavior.

  • By Amanda Pirani, New Hampshire Bulletin

‘IGNITE’ing an educational fire in U.S. jails

An initiative launched in a Michigan county jail has been embraced as a national model for reducing jail violence and inmate recidivism.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Stifling prison heat used to be just a Southern problem. Not anymore.

Climate change has amplified heat-related struggles in more state prisons.

  • By Amanda Hernández, Stateline

In reversal, some states make it harder for people with felony convictions to vote

Voting rights groups have filed a flurry of legal challenges to felony disenfranchisement laws this year.

  • By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline

Solving the problem of understaffed jails and prisons

State and local governments are working to attract and retain corrections workers. But it’s not easy, and the task is complicated by high burnout rates due to understaffing.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

A Model for Reducing Female Incarceration and Breaking the Generational Cycle

A program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been changing lives for addicted women and their children. Here’s how it works.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

For Some Convicted Sex Offenders, Finishing Their Sentences Doesn’t Mean They Get To Go Home

Several states are civilly committing sex offenders when their prison terms end. Observers say nationwide data on the practice is needed to shed light on how widespread it is and whether it is effective.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

Bail Reform Faces Backlash

New York rolled back key parts of its 2019 bail reform law amid fears of rising crime. Those concerns are echoed in communities nationwide—especially in places forging ahead with their own laws—despite data that shows bail reforms don't negatively impact public safety. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

Efforts Spreading to Curb Generational Incarceration

Spaces for imprisoned parents to bond with their kids and bills to keep them geographically close to those children are gaining traction across the nation.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

Digitized ID Eases Re-entry for Formerly Incarcerated

To streamline the re-entry process for released inmates, the Maryland Re-Entry Passport program launched an online portal that stores digitized copies of personal documents.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson
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Critics Take Aim at State and Local ARPA Spending on Prisons and Jails

The American Civil Liberties Union is among those raising questions about federal Covid aid from the American Rescue Plan Act going to corrections projects.

  • By Kery Murakami

Housing Program Shows Signs of Helping Homeless While Reducing Arrests

A new study finds an initiative in Denver has the potential to break a cycle of police spending hundreds of hours arresting people repeatedly for minor infractions.

  • By Molly Bolan

5 Ways to Improve Jobs for People Incarcerated in US Prisons

COMMENTARY | To understand how best to reform and improve prison jobs and better meet the needs of people in prison, decision-makers can build on the existing evidence and listen to those who are incarcerated.

  • By Alice Galley, Urban Institute

Lawmakers in One State Weigh Payouts for Those Wrongly Convicted

A bipartisan Pennsylvania bill would award damages to individuals based on the number of years they spent incarcerated.

  • By Harrison Cann

A Pennsylvania Prison Gets a Scandinavian-style Makeover

COMMENTARY | And shows how the U.S. penal system could become more humane.

  • By Jordan Hyatt and Synøve Nygaard Andersen, The Conversation

Economic Development Efforts Thriving in Repurposed Prisons

In recent years, former correctional facilities in seven states were converted into apartments, a sports complex, a movie studio and more, initiatives that are generating jobs and boosting local economies, according to a new report.

  • By Molly Bolan

Why Government Should Do More to Drive Down the Cost of Prison Calls

COMMENTARY | Incarcerated people are charged exorbitant rates to make calls or send emails, making it difficult for them to contact loved ones. But more connection with the outside world could help in reducing recidivism.

  • By Rochelle Swartz

Conditions at Mississippi’s Most Notorious Prison Violate the Constitution, DOJ Says

“The problems at Parchman are severe, systemic, and exacerbated by serious deficiencies in staffing and supervision,” the report said.

  • By Jerry Mitchell, ProPublica

Senate Takes Step To Limit Phone Rates For Inmates

A measure passed unanimously by a committee would require the Federal Communications Commission to set “just and reasonable” prices for calls from jails and prisons. States and localities often collect revenue from the fees.

  • By Kery Murakami