Issue Brief

⚖️ Criminal Justice

The U.S. has the world's highest incarceration rate. Debates center on sentencing reform, police accountability, rehabilitation programs, and the balance between public safety and civil liberties. Here are the facts.

📊 Key Facts

U.S. incarceration rate globally — 2 million people incarcerated (639 per 100,000 people)

Source: Prison Policy Initiative, 2023

$80B

Annual U.S. spending on incarceration (state + federal)

Source: Vera Institute, 2022

2018

Year the First Step Act was signed — first major federal criminal justice reform in decades, reduced mandatory minimums

Source: Congress.gov, P.L. 115-391

38%

People in federal prisons serving time for drug offenses

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023

67%

Released prisoners who are rearrested within 3 years (recidivism rate)

Source: BJS National Recidivism Study, 2018

1,096

People killed by police in the U.S. in 2023

Source: Mapping Police Violence, 2023

🏛️ Where Congress Stands

🔵 Democratic Position

Support ending mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses
Back the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (police accountability reform)
Favor abolishing or reforming qualified immunity for law enforcement
Support investing in mental health and social services as alternatives to incarceration
Favor federal marijuana decriminalization or legalization

🔴 Republican Position

Support law enforcement funding and oppose defund-the-police proposals
Some back sentencing reform (First Step Act had bipartisan support)
Generally oppose weakening qualified immunity for officers
Emphasize public safety, deterrence, and tougher enforcement for violent crime
Some support prison rehabilitation and workforce reentry programs

🗳️ Recent Congressional Votes