The United States has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s prison population (ACLU, 2016). More than two million people are incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails. The prison population has quadrupled since 1980, an increase largely driven by heavier penalties for non-violent offenses. Over the same period, prison building costs have escalated while many states have cut funding for rehabilitation, education, and other programs. (Amnesty International, 2016)
Recent news about private prisons
Advocating to Abolish Private Prisons
We will be posting more links to information about Mass Incarceration, a subject the Fay Honey Knopp Institute will be addressing as we move forward.