Dislocation and loss
People inside face the physical and emotional toll of incarceration, reinforcing a sense of dislocation and loss, of social isolation and shame.
Arizona corrections dataINSIDE / OUTSIDE
The ripple effects move outward.
The effects of mass incarceration extend from the cell to kin, to community and to the larger society.
Incarceration in the United States
From the cell to kin and community.
The ripple effects of mass incarceration are multiple; they extend inside out, from the cell to kin, to community and to the larger society.
People inside face the physical and emotional toll of incarceration, reinforcing a sense of dislocation and loss, of social isolation and shame.
Inside / Outside
The consequences do not end at release.
Barriers after prison
People who were previously locked up often face substantial barriers to finding employment and housing. In some states, voting rights remain restricted after release.
Find reentry resources
Selected national indicators
The incarcerated population.
Mass incarceration reaches far beyond the people held in prisons and jails.
Behind bars on a given day
A national estimate spanning prisons, jails and other confinement settings. It is a point-in-time count, not a count of everyone admitted during a year.
Prison Policy Initiative, 2026 ↗Family experience reaches widely
In a national survey, 45% of adults said an immediate family member had spent at least one night in jail or prison. This is lifetime experience, not the share with someone currently incarcerated.
FWD.us, Every Second ↗The circle is wider still
When grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and other extended relatives were included, 64% of surveyed adults reported incarceration in their family.
FWD.us survey report ↗These estimates come from different studies and years. The family figures measure whether incarceration has ever touched a family, while the confinement figure estimates people held on a given day.
The ripple effects
Policies, families and life after prison.
POLICYSentencing and incarceration
Changes in sentencing laws and policies have played a large part in the growth of incarceration. In September 2023, 45% of sentenced people in federal prison were serving time for a drug offense.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023 data ↗
FAMILYThe ripple effects
The ripple effects of mass incarceration are multiple; they extend from the cell to kin, to community and to the larger society.
Explore family impacts ↗
AFTER RELEASECollateral damage
People who were previously locked up can face restrictions on voting and substantial barriers to employment and housing. These consequences continue long after a sentence ends.
BJS reentry measures ↗Production photographs: Kathleen Dreier.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
The cultural tropes of the dangerous racialized “criminal” are infused with violent images of the “Other” that invoke fear and distrust. Read about the project.
Sources
Sources for the figures.
The figures above describe different populations and time periods. Follow each link for its definition and date.
Understanding the figures
BEFORE COMPARING FIGURES
- Is the source counting prisons, jails or both?
- Is it a point-in-time population or a year of admissions and releases?
- Which people and facilities are included?
- What period and follow-up window does it use?