2.2 million Americans behind bars – 1 in every 32 American adults either behind bars or on probation or parole.

Three to five million at-risk kids have one or more parents in jail or prison, and they are 6 times more likely to end up in prison themselves.

The crisis of incarceration can devastate a marriage. Statistically, only 3% of marriages survive the impact of the imprisonment of a mate.

The child of an incarcerated parent is 8 times more likely to go to prison.

500% increase since early 1970s.

In state and federal prisons alone, a 13% increase projected over the next 5 years (192,000 inmates) at a cost of 27.5 billion dollars.

African Americans – 5.6 times the incarceration rates of whites, resulting in 900,000 of 2.2 million (means that 1/6 of the black men had been incarcerated in 2001).  If the trend continues, 1/3 of the black men born today will be incarcerated in their lifetime.

Hispanic – 20% of the prison population in 2005, which is a 43% increase since 1990 (means that 1/6 of the Hispanic men and 1/45 of the Hispanic women will be incarcerated).  In California, 65% of the prison population is Hispanic.

Women – 200,000 in prisons and jails in 2005.  The number of women incarcerated has increased at double the rate of men since 1985.

Children – 1.5 million had parents in prison in 1999, an increase of over 500,000 in the ten years prior.

87% of the voting public is in favor of rehabilitative services v. punishment as the only system for prisoners.  And 79% favored such services during and after incarceration.