Prison Policy Initiative shares the status of incarceration in the U.S. as a pandemic poses a unique threat to people in the justice system. Slowing the spread of a virus is especially challenging in overcrowded jails and prisons, making it even more urgent to understand who is detained and why. Of people detained in local jails, 470,000 are still awaiting trial; reducing the numbers in jails can help prevent some destruction from COVID-19. Prison Policy Initiative, a grantee, also includes a set of measures that can help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on communities in contact with the criminal justice system.
