In the United States, we incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. In 2023, the U.S., with a population of 342 million, had roughly 1.8 million people incarcerated. To put this into perspective, China with a population of 1.43 billion people held an estimated 1.69 million prisoners that same year.
Thinking Critically about Reentry
Part of a comprehensive solution to the challenge of mass incarceration is to invest in Reentry programs for those incarcerated. Research shows that incarcerated people who participate in correctional education programs have 43% lower odds of returning to prison than those who do not, and that every dollar spent on prison education saves $4 to $5 on the costs of re-incarceration
“What makes Reading Between the Lines such a remarkable and essential program is how it gives men and women leaving prison the tools to engage with the world.”
— ALEX KOTLOWITZ, SENIOR ADVISOR AND AUTHOR, "THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE"
