Private Prisons

Across the United States, specialty courts—often branded as treatment courts, problem-solving courts, or accountability courts—are increasingly promoted as a humane alternative to incarceration. These courts are typically designed for people facing charges connected to substance use, mental health needs, or other social vulnerabilities. Their promise is appealing: address the “root causes” of criminalized behavior, reduce […]

Explore more on private prisons and reform → In the United States, nearly half of all incarcerated individuals are housed in rural jails and prisons, often isolated in communities with limited infrastructure and few healthcare options. For these populations, access to medical care is already a daily struggle. Now, proposed federal legislation threatens to make

A new report released in 2025 has once again drawn attention to a troubling reality: the United States continues to lead the world in the incarceration of women. According to the latest data shared by the Prison Policy Blog, every U.S. state now outranks most democratic countries in the rate at which women are imprisoned.

The United States has long been known for its massive prison population, but a new 2025 report underscores a grim reality: every single U.S. state now outranks nearly all democratic countries when it comes to incarcerating women. This revelation places America at the very center of a global crisis in women’s imprisonment, raising urgent questions