What does the term "mass incarceration" actually refer to? Are private prisons the driving force behind rising prison populations, or is there more at work? And what is the difference between prison and jail, anyway? In this pilot episode, Nicole introduces herself and answers these questions and more by providing an overview of the defining features of mass incarceration, the criminal justice system, and the possibilities for change in the current moment.
To find out what mass incarceration looks like in your state, check out this 50 State Interactive Map from the Prison Policy Initiative, and while you're at it, browse their website for amazing infographics and reports about mass incarceration nationally, like The Whole Pie, the most up-to-date and comprehensive portrait of incarceration in the US I know of.
- KBOO