Dear John, 

2.3 million—that’s how many people are currently held in American prisons and jails (1). Most are young, Black, and poor. And they’re not locked up by accident.

People are incarcerated as a result of decades of legislation and archaic policies designed to fill our prisons, specifically targeting low-income communities and communities of color. Policies such as mandatory minimum sentencing laws and cash bail have worked together to incarcerate large portions of these communities, leaving collective trauma and socioeconomic turmoil in their wake.

Here at Generation Progress, we believe in liberty and justice for all. That’s why we’ve created a series of fact sheets on how these policies work and what you can do to stop them. You’ve seen the first two—now read the rest. Together, we can shrink our criminal legal system, end mass incarceration, and make sure that America stays free. 

Short on time? You can also check out this series of Instagram reels we posted on mass incarceration—all under 30 seconds each.

Whether it’s shortening probation and parole terms, banning cash bail, or repealing mandatory minimums, there’s plenty we can do to end mass incarceration. Learn more today about how, together, we can cut the criminal legal system down to size.

Best, 

Hassen Bashir
Advocacy Associate
Generation Progress

Citations:

(1) https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html