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Issues

Learn about our key areas of focus to end mass incarceration and promote racial justice.
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Racial Justice

Ending mass incarceration must include combating racial inequality and disparity.

Sentencing Reform

It's time to take a second look at extreme sentences.

Voting Rights

The criminal justice system shouldn't have a say in our democracy.

Youth Justice

We must end youth incarceration and provide all youth with the support they need to thrive.
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Second Look Network

Ending mass incarceration requires taking a second look at extreme sentences. Learn more about our coalition of legal professionals providing direct representation to incarcerated individuals seeking relief from lengthy or unfair sentences.
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Second Look Network

The Network serves, connects, and empowers legal advocates across the country to bring people serving excessive and unfair prison sentences home.

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Changing laws and policies to end mass incarceration require a mass movement. Here are ways you can take action.

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Featured Campaign

50 Years and a Wake Up

America’s 50-year experiment with mass incarceration has been a profound moral and policy failure. Partner with us to end mass incarceration!
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Overview
Growth in Mass Incarceration

The United States is the world’s leader in incarceration. Get the facts and statistics on trends in U.S. incarceration.

U.S. Criminal Justice Data

View state-level data to provide a snapshot of key indicators of mass incarceration's impact in the United States

Detailed Data Tool

Compare state-level incarceration data for youth and adults with this expanded data set

Resource Library

Search important resources published by The Sentencing Project, including research publications, advocacy briefs, webinars, and more
Featured Publication

One in Five

One in five Black men born in 2001 is likely to experience imprisonment within their lifetime. Our four-part “One in Five” series examines racial inequities in America’s criminal legal system, as well as highlights promising reforms.
- Glossary of Criminal Justice Terms

Testimony

Testimony in Support of Raise the Age Legislation in Massachusetts

By Olivia Naugle

September 14, 2026

Raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds in the juvenile justice system gives youth the opportunity for developmentally appropriate accountability.

Related to: Youth Justice

In her testimony before the Economic Development Conference Committee, The Sentencing Project’s Youth Justice Campaign Strategist Olivia Naugle advocates to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in Massachusetts to include 18-year-olds.

Keeping 18-year-olds in juvenile court jurisdiction gives adolescents the opportunity for developmentally appropriate accountability and rehabilitation while reducing the lifelong collateral consequences of an adult criminal conviction.

Click here to download the full testimony.

Related Resources

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Testimony

Testimony for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Hearing on Mental Health in Juvenile Justice Facilities

Decreasing our overreliance on confinement is essential toward addressing concerns around mental health care in juvenile justice facilities.

By Joshua Rovner on June 12, 2026

Testimony

Testimony in Support of Jail-Based Voting in New York

The Democracy During Detention Act would ensure that all eligible New Yorkers held in local or state jails are able to register and vote.

April 14, 2026

Testimony

Testimony in Support of Bill to Limit Auto-Charging of Youth in Maryland

Maryland House Bill 409 seeks to limit the number of youth who can, under Maryland law, be automatically charged as if they were adults for certain offenses.

By Olivia Naugle on February 12, 2026