The U.S. incarceration system is in desperate need of reform. The statistics speak for themselves:

• Over 7 million Americans are under some form of governmental supervision (jail, prison, parole, or probation). 2.3 million are held in jails or prisons.¹ 7.5% of the entire American adult population either is or has been incarcerated at some point. ²
  
  
• The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, at 726 individuals incarcerated per 100,000 people. The number of prisoners in the U.S. accounts for 25% of the entire global prisoner population. ³
  
  
• The incarceration rate for white Americans is 470. For black Americans, it’s 2757.⁴ One in three black boys will eventually spend time in jail.⁵
  
  
• One in five male inmates faces forced or pressured sexual contact. One in ten male inmates has been raped.⁶ In some facilities, one in four female inmates has been sexually assaulted. ⁷
  
  
• The rate of recidivism in the United States is 67%—meaning that 67% of inmates released into the community will re-offend within a year. In urban centers, recidivism rates reach up to 78%.⁸ High recidivism rates lead to increased crime, violence, victimization, poverty, homelessness, family destabilization, and public health risks.⁹
  
  
• 75% of state prisoners do not have a high school education.¹⁰