ENDING JAIL DEATHS — A NATIONAL PROJECT
The United States is experiencing a severe and worsening crisis of deaths in local jails.
35%
A Reuters study of 500 U.S. jails found a 35% increase in deaths from 2008 to 2019.
77%
Many who die in jails were held on minor charges and almost 77% of the 1,200 persons who died in local jails in 2019 were not convicted of a crime at the time of their death.
70%
Cash bail often keeps poor people in jail for months, keeping jails overcrowded and worsening the crisis. Over 70% of people in local jails are held pretrial, unable to meet bail – the majority of which fall within the poorest third of society.
68%
A lack of standards for jails means that more than 68% of people with a persistent medical condition go without care in local jails, allowing callous and incompetent sheriffs to oversee appalling conditions and inadequate healthcare.
BUILDING POWER AMONG FAMILIES OF VICTIMS
To end this crisis, we are working to bring national attention to the issue while organizing those most impacted to be leaders in campaigns for legislative and local policy reforms.
If you are a family member of someone who died in jail in need of resources, an attorney willing to support our programming, or want to tell your story, please fill out the form below to get in touch with our team:
***IMPORTANT NOTE: This form is not used for legal intake.