American Civil Liberties Union

Today, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. With over 2.3 million men and women living behind bars, our imprisonment rate is the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history. And yet, our criminal justice system has failed on every count: public safety, fairness and cost-effectiveness. Across the country, the criminal justice reform conversation is heating up. Each week, we feature our some of the most exciting and relevant news in overincarceration discourse that we’ve spotted from the previous week. Check back weekly for our top picks.

An enduring myth is that when an ostrich is afraid it will bury its head in the sand, thinking that if it cannot see, it cannot be seen. The truth is that an ostrich lowers its head when ready to fight. Ignoring a problem will not make it go away.

Criminal justice reform can't wait. The problem of mass incarceration cannot be shelved or swept under the rug. The problem is now too big to hide, and hiding from fairness, efficiency and equity undermines our most fundamental values. Real leadership responds to problems; it does not ignore them. Today, there are over 2.3 million men and women in prisons throughout the United States. We incarcerate more of our population than any country in the world, and the increased incarceration of offenders with drug offenses represents the most significant source of growth. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, our government spends nearly $69 billion on our correctional system alone.

Today, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. With over 2.3 million men and women living behind bars, our imprisonment rate is the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history. And yet, our criminal justice system has failed on every count: public safety, fairness and cost-effectiveness. Across the country, the criminal justice reform conversation is heating up. Each week, we feature our some of the most exciting and relevant news in overincarceration discourse that we’ve spotted from the previous week. Check back weekly for our top picks.

ACLU releases report detailing jail overcrowding in California
The ACLU and the ACLU of Southern California released a report last week detailing a pattern of severe and pervasive abuse of inmates in Los Angeles County jails. California’s severely bloated prison system has contributed to such inhumane conditions, which the Supreme Court found unconstitutional earlier this year. As California’s counties attempt to implement the state’s solution to the overcrowding – the “realignment” plan moving certain inmates to county jails - the ACLU continues to closely monitor incarceration conditions and assist counties in implementing the new law.

Today, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. With over 2.3 million men and women living behind bars, our imprisonment rate is the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history. And yet, our criminal justice system has failed on every count: public safety, fairness and cost-effectiveness. Across the country, the criminal justice reform conversation is heating up. Each week, we feature our some of the most exciting and relevant news in overincarceration discourse that we’ve spotted from the previous week. Check back weekly for our top picks.

Katrina, revisited?
A 2006 ACLU report on the horrific conditions endured by inmates at Orleans Parish Prison in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina was referenced in many blog posts this weekend responding to the revelation that New York City has no emergency evacuation plan for the more than 12,000 people at Rikers Island. The ACLU report was mentioned by the NPR blog The Two-Way, Gothamist, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Colorlines and Solitary Watch among others.