Using Data Visualization to Explore the Changing Geography of Jail Incarceration

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

The Vera Institute of Justice Incarceration Trends Project aims to inform the public dialogue, advance research, and help guide change by providing easily accessible information on jail and prison populations in every U.S. county. The centerpiece of the project is an interactive data tool, available at trends.vera.org, that can be used for reference and measurement by justice system stakeholders and others looking to understand how their county uses jail and prison incarceration and how it compares to others over time. The tool allows users to explore particular problems within their jurisdiction—such as excessive growth or racial or ethnic disparities, among others.

This work revealed an unexpected finding. Outsized and overused jails have long been perceived as a problem that is the province of big cities. And for good reason. For decades, big cities were indeed the places with the highest jail incarceration rates. But since the late 1990s, there has been a dramatic shift in the geography of incarceration. The use of jails is now more prevalent in rural areas, where they have continued to grow while jail populations have declined in urban areas.

Author

• Christian Henrichson, Vera Institute of Justice