Why The Number of People Dying in U.S. Prisons is Unknown

12/30/2023

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released a new report assessing deaths in federal prisons. The report responds to the Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) of 2013, requiring the tracking of deaths in custody. Among the nearly 2 million people incarcerated in the U.S., federal prisoners make up less than 13% of the total U.S. prisoner population with the remainder in state prisons. The DCRA covers all people in custody, including federal and state prisons. Yet, since 2019, the federal government has not released information on deaths in state prisons, and according to a recent Government Accountability Office report, has no plans to release information on deaths.

Naomi F. Sughi December 23, 2023

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