Prisons thrive on poverty

Poverty drives the criminal justice system in the U.S., and in turn, the prison industry.

By the numbers: In the 8 years leading up to incarceration, about half of people in prison had no income, according to a 2018 study by the Brookings Institution. Less than 10% made $25,000 or more in any one year over the same period.

• About one-third of all 30-year-old men without work either were or are in prison, the study found.
• Four years after being released, about half of formerly incarcerated people have no income — just as before.
• 83% of formerly incarcerated people are arrested at least once within the 9 years following their release from state prison, according to the the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Go deeper:

• Special report: Profiting from prison
• Ending cash bail
• The war on drugs anchors prison profits