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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22h

Full report here 👇 www.aclusc.org/publications...

Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22h

A new report out of South Carolina reveals that 3 out of 4 confined youth in the state are Black, despite Black children making up just 28% of its youth population. This jarring disparity exists across the country and is the result of racist policies that fail Black children.

Graph showing that in 2025, 76.1% of confined youth in South Carolina were Black vs. 17.7% White, <5% Hispanic, and <2% Other.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 23h

While Americans struggle to buy groceries, ICE is burning through nearly $14,430,000 per day on the detention of 65,000 people.

Bar graph showing the daily cost of immigration detention ($222), alternatives to ICE detention ($2), federal prisons ($129), U.S. Marshals detention ($128), pretrial detention ($13), and release ($0).

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

The U.S.'s overreliance on criminalization has undoubtedly worsened the country's mental health crisis. It's time to invest in communities — not the carceral system.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

Keep in mind that during incarceration, there is little to no care available. The system targets, exacerbates, and creates mental health issues — all while moving vulnerable people further away from the care they need.

Bar graph showing that over half of people in state prisons report mental health problems, but only 1 in 4 has received professional help in prison.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

➡️ After release: The trauma of incarceration follows people even after their sentence ends. One of the cruelest aspects of the system is the use of solitary confinement. People with multiple placements in solitary are 129% more likely to die by suicide after leaving prison.

Bar chart showing that people with multiple placements in solitary are 129% more likely to die by suicide.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

➡️ In prisons: The mortality rate from suicide in state prisons has always been higher than that of the general U.S. population, but it's gotten worse in recent years. Over the span of two decades, the number of people who died by suicide in state prisons increased by 85%.

Graph showing that suicide rates in prisons have always been higher than the general U.S. population, and the gap is widening. In 2001, it was 14 per 100,000 people vs. 10.4. In 2019, it was 26 vs. 14.2.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

➡️ In jails: Suicide is the leading cause of death for people in jails, accounting for almost 30% of deaths. A person in jail is also more than 3x as likely to die by suicide as someone in the general U.S. population.

Line chart showing that suicide rates in jails are higher than in the rest of the U.S. In 2018, approx 45 per 100,000 people in jails died by suicide, vs. approx 14 per 100,000 in the general U.S. population.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 28/09/2026

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The heartbreaking reality is that many incarcerated people contemplate and/or die by suicide — even after release. This is what the mental health crisis looks like inside the carceral system 🧵

Infographic card with a yellow ribbon and text: U.S. prisons and jails are increasingly deadly places.

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Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative

Truthout @truthout.org · 27/09/2026

I am being locked up 23 hours a day with no human interaction. I believe I am being punished for being transgender. buff.ly/PBwtahj

buff.ly

“Restrictive Housing” Is Wielded as Punishment Against Trans People in Prison

I am being locked up 23 hours a day with no human interaction. I believe I am being punished for being transgender.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 27/09/2026

Confined neurodivergent youth of color experience a distressing 120% higher odds of reporting being assaulted by staff than their white, neurotypical peers. This is not a system made to keep anyone–let alone vulnerable children–safe.

Graph showing percentage of neurodivergent vs. neurotypical youth reporting staff physical assault by race: White - 12% vs 8%, Black - 18% vs 11%, Hispanic - 13% vs 5%

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 26/09/2026

Just a reminder that expanding public benefits is good for public safety. Expanding Medicaid ➡️ fewer arrests

Chart of arrows showing that at the county level, after Medicaid expansion, arrest rates decreased by 20% for all offenses, decreased by 19% for violent offenses, decreased by 24% for low-level offenses, and decreased by 25% for drug offenses.

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Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Sheriffs & DAs have huge powers over criminal justice, e.g.: often deciding how much local assistance ICE gets. So I worked all year on whittling down the thousands (!) of these races happening in 2026 to find the ones that matter most. NEW TODAY: Learn about the 25 most pivotal November races.

boltsmag.org

The 25 Sheriff and Prosecutor Races Set to Shape Criminal Justice and ICE Collaboration - Bolts

Voters face stark choices for offices with vast powers on policing and punishment. Bolts walks you through key contests to watch across a dozen states.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 25/09/2026

This state-sanctioned neglect means that incarcerated women are left to take care of each other, passing down remedies to combat hot flashes and distributing information through bookmarks that the prisons deem "contraband."

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 25/09/2026

Keep in mind that in the free world, getting treatment for menopause is difficult. Behind bars, it's almost impossible. Getting a prescription for hormone therapy could take years, and prison staff wince at providing care.

Screenshot of text from article:
The medical branch’s website states that for menopause, its specialists offer “advanced testing and personalized treatments — both hormonal and non-hormonal — to manage symptoms.” This includes care to both the general public and incarcerated people.
Still, Harris said she had to push the prison medical staff for two years before she received a prescription for Premarin, an estrogen medication also referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), used to treat menopause symptoms. Every refill requires an additional fight; she has been waiting since 2024 for new HRT medication. She says she’s been told that if other women can endure the discomforts of menopause, she can too.
What does not help, Harris said, is that the prison gynecologists are typically older men who bristle with discomfort at the word “vagina,” making it challenging for her and others they treat to receive proper care.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 25/09/2026

There are more than 15,000 women in U.S. prisons over the age of 55, yet not a single prison policy spells out what medical care, education, or resources facilities provide to people experiencing perimenopause or menopause:

Screenshot of chart showing that only Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, and South Carolina mention "menopause" in their prison policies. Of those, only AL, AK, MS, OK, and OR have materials specifically addressing menopause.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 25/09/2026

“We have to teach each other. There is nobody else to teach us.” The U.S. has a responsibility to take care of the people it incarcerates, yet each year, thousands are forced to endure menopause behind bars with abysmal care and little to no resources 🧵

19thnews.org

In a Texas prison, Kwaneta cultivated a menopause support network from scraps of paper

The incarcerated population is getting older, but correctional facilities lag in menopause care. Kwaneta Harris is working to fill the gaps in women's prisons.

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Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative

Orion Rummler @oriion.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

From a Texas prison, she built a menopause support network from scraps of paper. Please read the story of Kwaneta Harris and the women behind bars coming together to support each other, by the unparalleled @candicenorwood.bsky.social

19thnews.org

In a Texas prison, Kwaneta cultivated a menopause support network from scraps of paper

The incarcerated population is getting older, but correctional facilities lag in menopause care. Kwaneta Harris is working to fill the gaps in women's prisons.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 24/09/2026

Doubling down on cruel punishments and wasting millions of dollars on recruiting COs is not going to fix NY's broken carceral system. The only way forward is for states to invest in decarceration.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 24/09/2026

Thanks to the U.S.'s limitless dependence on criminalization, far too many people are behind bars, forced to endure inhumane conditions. Prisons are cruel places, and working in one sucks. No salary or shiny new building could change that.

prisonpolicy.org

Why jails and prisons can’t recruit their way out of the understaffing crisis

Jails and prisons across the country have record-high vacancies, creating bad working conditions for corrections staff and nightmarish living conditions for incarcerated people. Why haven’t ...

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 24/09/2026

NY prisons and other carceral facilities have struggled to hire staff for years. Many have tried various recruitment strategies — from increased wages to building new prisons. But the tactics haven't worked because “understaffing” is an untreatable symptom of mass incarceration.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 24/09/2026

"If DOCCS claims it can’t carry out basic prison operations... and if despite a year and a half of “aggressive recruitment” the number of staff members is not increasing, the clear solution is to reduce the number of people who are incarcerated."

timesunion.com

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 23/09/2026

“You can’t shower, I got defecation all over my body...I was literally losing my mind in there" These are the horrific conditions incarcerated people face inside New York "shit rooms" when they're accused of ingesting contraband:

nysfocus.com

‘Losing My Mind’: Inside New York’s Prison ‘Shit Rooms’

New York prisons hold people suspected of ingesting contraband items in “special watch” cells with no running water for days or weeks.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 23/09/2026

A reminder this back-to-school season: Each year, instead of returning to classrooms, thousands of children are confined in facilities far away from home. For many, it’s a bad omen for a wave of adult criminalization in the not-so-distant future. Kids need care, not cages.

Infographic of a chalkboard with text: More than 1 in 3 people in state prison were first arrested before their 16th birthday.

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Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative

Vera Institute of Justice @vera.org · 23/09/2026

‼️ ICE is detaining people at historically high levels.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22/09/2026

This policy failure leaves thousands of women without care as they navigate an inevitable part of life. And to make matters worse, incarcerated women are more likely to suffer from multiple chronic health conditions — all while coping with the cruel day-to-day of prison.

Graph showing that older people in state prisons are plagued with chronic health conditions: 12% report having cancer, 12% report having kidney problems, 23% report heart disease, 23% report having diabetes, 45% report having arthritis, 62% report having hypertension.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22/09/2026

Our recent briefing conducted an analysis of prison policies across the U.S. and found that none spell out what medical care, education, or resources prisons provide people experiencing perimenopause or menopause:

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22/09/2026

Today is World Perimenopause Day. Globally, there are significant gaps in care despite the direct impact this natural part of the aging process has on millions of people each year. Behind bars, it's even worse. 🧵

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22/09/2026

This isn't just an issue in Texas, either. Between 2022 and 2025, nearly 19,000 people in federal prisons experienced heat-related illnesses. A heatwave should not be a death sentence for people in prison.

prisonpolicy.org

Prison Policy Initiative endorses the Extreme Temperatures Injustice in Prisons Act

Nearly 19,000 people in federal prisons experienced heat-related illnesses between 2022 and 2025. A new bill is looking to change that.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 22/09/2026

🚨 A long-overdue win for thousands of incarcerated people in Texas who are forced to endure the state's sweltering heat behind bars with no relief.

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Reposted by Prison Policy Initiative

Prison Flow Project @prisonflowproject.org · 22/09/2026

Heat in prison significantly impacts people who menstruate and people experiencing menopause. Ensuring protections is another part of menstrual equity.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 21/09/2026

Clearly, the U.S.'s approach to the nation's mental health crisis & homelessness is not working. It's time to focus on housing – not criminalization.

Infographic that says at least 63% of unhoused people in the US with serious mental illness will be arrested in their lifetimes.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 20/09/2026

The federal system has rapidly grown due, in large part, to ICE's mass detention and deportation agenda. In 2027, the Trump administration plans to take it a step further, booking 110,000 people on immigration-related criminal charges:

Line chart showing the number of people annually booked into U.S. Marshals custody by charge (immigration, drugs, weapons, other) from 1994-2025. Includes projections for 2026 & 2027, a sharp increase to 250,000 mainly driven by immigration.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 19/09/2026

❌ MYTH: Crime victims support long prison sentences. ✅ REALITY: Most victims of violence want violence prevention. Harm is real, but mass support for mass incarceration is not.

Graph results showing results from a 2022 national survey of 1,500 who reported crime victimization within the past 10 years. Most favor alternatives to incarceration: 75% prefer restorative justice, 80% prefer more mental-health treatment, 72% support incentives for pre-release rehabilitation, and 71% support reducing jail populations.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 19/09/2026

Arizona prisons conducted nearly 30,000 strip searches over 2 years, and just 1 was reported to result in the discovery of contraband items. Strip searches aren't about safety or combating contraband. They're a dehumanizing tool of abuse & control.

inthesetimes.com

In the Name of Security

An investigation into the everyday violence of prison strip searches, which incarcerated women say are a tool of abuse.

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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 18/09/2026

Is your county pushing for a new jail? We’re here to help. Our advocacy team offers free research help and technical support across all stages of the criminal legal system. ✉️ Learn more here, and drop us a line:

prisonpolicy.org

Contact form to get in touch with Prison Policy Initiative staff.

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