SJC Exchange Library

Hi everyone,

This morning, the Prison Policy Initiative released a new edition of our report Following the Money of Mass Incarceration, first published in 2017. In this detailed data visual and essay, we break down the massive costs - now totaling $445 billion - that the criminal legal system costs the U.S. government and directly-impacted people every year.

A few key findings from the report:

• Contrary to reports of police departments being "defunded," spending on policing has risen by 40% since 2017. One-third of that change is due to increases in federal spending on policing (not including ICE or CBP).

• Immigration policing and detention costs $54.3 billion per year. Combined with federal policing spending, these costs now account for 25% of all government spending on the criminal legal system.

• Justice-involved people and their families pay about $27.7 billion into the system every year, including $5.6 billion to commissary and telecom companies, $1.65 billion in bail fees, and $15.1 billion in other fines and fees.

• Even though correctional populations declined by 15% between 2017 and 2025, corrections budgets ($115.8 billion) have stayed mostly level relative to inflation.

The report includes a detailed methodology that explains our sources and offers context on the Trump administration's allocations of new funding to the system.

Please reach out if you have any questions. I hope this report is useful in your work.

Take care,

Wanda

Prison Policy Initiative