Contact: Media@vera.org 

NEW YORK, NY — April 2, 2026 — Today, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) published the first national data tool with a primary focus on the intersection between incarceration and economic outcomes. 

Almost 2 million people are behind bars on any given day in the United States, and this mass incarceration is a primary driver of disparities in wealth and income. Despite the long-term impact on the economic well-being of millions of people in the United States, there are few data tools that track incarceration and economic outcomes across the country—and even fewer tools that make this data easily accessible.  

“Unlike economic statistics, which are routinely collected by public agencies using standardized approaches, localized incarceration data is fragmented and poorly maintained,” said Jim Parsons, director of the Incarceration and Inequality Project (IIP) at Vera. “To dismantle mass incarceration, we need to address the root causes. That’s why we have created a data tool that can be used by advocates, legislators, community groups, and journalists who are committed to policies and programs that improve the lives of those in their respective communities.”  

By bringing together data on county-level incarceration trends and economic indicators in one place, the Incarceration and Inequality Project Data Explorer gives users access to easy-to-use data and maps on incarceration trends and economic outcomes across time at the national level and for individual counties across the country. 

“This data can be used to understand incarceration and economic metrics in your county, how they’ve changed over time, whether racial disparities are present, and how they compare to similar counties in your state or nationally,” said Seleeke Flingai, senior research associate for the Incarceration and Inequality Project. “People who are socially and economically marginalized—particularly people of color living in poverty—are at greatest risk of arrest and incarceration, and the collateral consequences trap millions of people in a cycle of poverty.” 

 Noteworthy trends observed in this data:  

• Counties with low incarceration rates—in jails and prisons combined—are nearly 10 times as likely to have high college graduation rates as counties with high incarceration rates. These same low-incarceration counties are also about seven times as likely to have high median household incomes as high-incarceration counties.
• Systemic racism and bias have led to entrenched racial disparities in both incarceration and economic well-being. In more than half of all counties in 2019, Black people were more than twice as likely as white people to be incarcerated in jail. In these high-disparity counties, Black households earned on average $22,552 less than white households and were more than twice as likely to be in poverty.
• The higher a county’s jail incarceration rate in 2009, the more likely that the county’s median household income decreased over the next 10 years. Specifically, 42 percent of counties with high jail incarceration rates saw median household income decline. Conversely, only 27 percent of low jail incarceration rate counties saw decreases in median household income. 

To explore the data and learn more about your county, visit the Incarceration and Inequality Project Data Explorer 

The Incarceration and Inequality Project is guided by an advisory board of policy advocates, researchers and social service providers, including: Cecilia Chavez, Silicon Valley De-Bug; Lucius Couloute, Suffolk University; Ronald Day, Fortune Society; Noely Drummond, Center for Employment Opportunities; Julie Fisher-Rowe, Narrative Strategy Consultant; Thomas Gant, Center for Community Alternatives; Brandon Greene, Western Center on Law and Poverty; Courtney Hanson, California Coalition of Women Prisoners; Sandhya Kajeepeta, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Brian Kaneda, Californians United for a Responsible Budget; and Shon Williams, Louisiana Center for Children's Rights.  

About the data: The IIP Data Explorer combines county-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, the Census of Business Patterns, and Vera’s Incarceration Trends dataset. For further details, visit https://www.vera.org/publications/iip-methods-and-data-sources 

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 About the Vera Institute of Justice: The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal justice and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.