Measuring Incarceration
The MARSHALL PROJECT: Nonprofit journalism about criminal justice
Don’t overlook local jails.
As the national spotlight burns bright on criminal justice reform, policymakers and the public are closely watching the data for signs that we’ve turned the page on mass incarceration. Indeed, a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice noted that 28 states have decreased imprisonment over the last ten years. However, this analysis of state incarceration trends, like every similar one before it, is subject to an important limitation: It excludes individuals in local jails.
In California, sentencing reforms have reduced incarceration rates in state prisons, but not so much in county jails.
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