Updated Data Visualizations Illustrate the Scale of — and Disparities Within — Mass Incarceration

Date:  05-05-2026 Prison Policy Initiative is sharing some of its new and updated charts

From Prison Policy Initiative Updated data and charts: Women’s incarceration, national prison population counts, psychological distress behind bars, and more Updated data visualizations illustrate the scale of — and disparities within — mass incarceration. by Leah Wang, April 27, 2026 Here at the at Prison Policy Initiative, almost everything we write is accompanied by clear and powerful visualizations that convey the harms of mass criminalization and incarceration. When new data are available, some of our most-referenced charts merit an update. We also occasionally pull together charts at the request of advocates working on specific projects, and share them when we think they may be of use to others. (Get in touch with us if you think our Advocacy department can be of help.) Below, we are sharing some of these new and updated charts. Where applicable, we have updated the same data in downloadable spreadsheets in our Data Toolbox. Note that we also catalog our visualizations in a handy Visuals Database, where you Seeing state, local and federal correctional populations all together can explore our charts by topic and link to each chart easily in your own work.