Vera Institute of Justice

Mass incarceration in the United States harms people, families, and entire communities

The numbers behind the United States’ overreliance on mass incarceration are staggering: we’re home to 4 percent of the world’s population, but nearly 16 percent of all incarcerated people. But the real impact of mass incarceration extends beyond prison walls: families ripped apart, neighborhoods gutted, lives destroyed. Vera is committed to ending mass incarceration—to truly keep our communities safe while treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Overpolicing and mass incarceration do not simply put too many people behind bars, they hurt entire communities. One study concluded that more than half of all Black men in their thirties in Milwaukee County had served time in state prison. Evidence finds that people in neighborhoods with high “exposure” to incarceration are more likely to have symptoms of anxiety or depression. A 2014 study concluded that boys with incarcerated fathers are less likely to have behavioral skills needed to succeed.

Every part of the mass incarceration state disproportionately targets people of color and those experiencing poverty and results in physical, financial, and mental harms

One notable story illustrating these devastating harms is that of Kalief Browder. Browder was unable to pay bail after being arrested for stealing a backpack. He then spent three years on Rikers Island, including two years in solitary confinement, without ever being convicted of a crime. Two years after finally being released, he died by suicide. Browder’s tragic story is not unique. Jails and prisons cause lasting emotional and psychological trauma to too many people.

To end mass incarceration, we need to approach it from every angle

Vera is working with researchers, activists, and policymakers to end mass incarceration—from closing mass incarceration’s front door and reforming bail to ending overpolicing, reducing justice system fines and fees, and reforming prosecution. Together, we can end mass incarceration, affirm human dignity, and build strong communities across the country, regardless of ZIP code or race.