Hi ACLU Supporter –

Mass incarceration is one of the biggest crises in our country today – and it will remain that way until we dismantle the unjust, racist system that has locked up more people than any other country in the world.

Today, we're unveiling the Smart Justice 50-State Blueprints to end mass incarceration state-by-state. Find your state to get a blueprint of what smart justice could look like in your community.

The Blueprints are the product of two and a half years of collecting data, analyzing policies, and learning from people directly impacted by our nation's mass incarceration crisis. Here's some of what we found:

• The incarceration rate of Black adults in Connecticut was more than 9x that of white adults in 2017.
• In 2018, 4 in 5 people incarcerated in Alaska had a substance use disorder.
• The number of women in Washington prisons grew 764% between 1980 and 2016.
• 87% of Missourians incarcerated in local jails have not been convicted of a crime.

But this crisis goes beyond statistics. Every person living behind bars has a family, a community, a life that has been harmed by our mass incarceration system.

We need to put an end to this crisis – and states are the key to doing that. Close to 90 percent of people who are incarcerated are under state or local jurisdiction. That's why we've focused on creating a blueprint to dismantle mass incarceration in each state.

Check out the Smart Justice 50-State Blueprints to learn what policies your state should consider, and help us fight for real change.

We can't wait any longer. It's time to end mass incarceration.

Keep up the fight,

Udi Ofer
Director of the ACLU Smart Justice Campaign