Toggle Menu Are you obsessed for good? We’re hiring. Join our team. What Everyone Needs to Know About our Criminal Justice System August 8, 2020 Issues Do criminal justice reform, the cash bail system, and extreme prison sentences interest you? If not, they should. Today, many nonviolent criminals sit in prison. America’s criminal justice system costs us around $80 billion a year to keep about 2.3 million people incarcerated. Meanwhile, other important federal and state programs remain underfunded. Here are some astonishing facts and figures about America’s criminal justice system. Our Incarceration Crisis As of 2020, more than 2.3 million people are incarcerated in America’s jails and prisons. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The United States has more than 1,700 state prisons, 109 federal prisons, 1,800 juvenile correctional facilities, more than 3,100 local jails, and 80 Indian Reservation jails. There are also military prisons, immigration detention facilities, and jails in U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. The number of people jailed has increased by 500% over the last four decades while our total U.S. population has increased by only 45%. Close to 200,000 people are serving time for drug-related offenses as of 2020, compared to only 17,000 in 1980. When adjusted for population growth, this represents a more than 1,000% increase. States spend about $60 billion per year on correctional facilities, compared to $6.7 billion in 1985. When adjusted for inflation, this represents a 400% increase in spending. Prisoner Demographics People of color make up about 40% of the nation’s population. Yet, they comprise almost 70% of the prison population. Black men are six times more likely to serve prison time than white men. Latinx men are more than twice as likely to receive a jail sentence as white men. Approximately 93% of all those serving time in prison are men. Black women are twice as likely to go to prison as white women. Black men born in 2001 had a 32% chance of serving prison time at some time in their lives, Latinx men had a 17% chance, and white men had a 6%. Ranking Incarceration Rates by States States with the highest incarceration rates include Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Arizona. States with the lowest incarceration rates include Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Minnesota. We Need Bail and Sentencing Reform One of the most heart-wrenching facts about America’s criminal justice system is that millions of pre-trial detainees have few rights. In some cases, a small minority of detainees are able to make bail within a few days and head home to await trial. However, those with few financial resources must remain in jail until their court dates. In addition, pre-trial detention increases conviction rates. America needs criminal justice reform. About the author Debbie Schramm is the President at Saxum, a digital agency obsessed for good. You can follow her on LinkedIn for insights into crisis management, public affairs, and people development. October 14, 2021 • Change, Issues How One Program is Proving Every Woman is Worth It by Hayden Benge August 14, 2020 • Issues The Market Disruptor’s Template: 5 Questions You Need to Ask by Amy Pyles August 3, 2020 • Issues Three Steps to Modernize our Education System by Jennifer Monies July 28, 2020 • Issues What Disruptive Ventures Do To Create New Realities by Todd Gregory July 25, 2020 • Issues How Creative Placemaking Develops Communities by Jeff Risley July 24, 2020 • Issues How To Succeed As a Market Disruptor by Renzi Stone July 19, 2020 • Issues How to Fund Your Placemaking Project by Debbie Schramm June 24, 2020 • Issues What Is Placemaking and Why Is It Important? by Houda Elyazgi June 21, 2020 • Issues How Educators Can Modernize Their Classroom by Jennifer Monies June 15, 2020 • Issues Why Criminal Justice Reform is an Economic and Moral Issue by Houda Elyazgi We're ready to help. Let’s start with a conversation. chevron-down-sharp Get marketing insights in your inbox. Email Communities Careers Privacy Policy Terms of Use ©2020 Saxum | All Rights Reserved We Use Cookies. We use cookies to make your experience personalized, relevant, and helpful. By using our site you acknowledge and accept the use of cookies. Ok