Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Although the United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, with over 1,900,000 people incarcerated in state and Federal prisons, local jails, juvenile correctional facilities, immigration detention facilities, and jails operated by Tribal authorities. (2) Between 1980 and 2024, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 625 percent, rising from a total of 26,326 in 1980 to 190,600 in 2024. (3) More than 77 million people in the United States have a criminal record, creating barriers to housing, jobs, healthcare, and food assistance, among many other collateral consequences. (4) Survivors of abuse and sex trafficking are often punished by the United States legal system. (5) One study found, of incarcerated women— (A) 86 percent report having experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; (B) 77 percent report partner violence; and (C) 60 percent report caregiver violence. (6) Rates of childhood and adult trauma are notably elevated among incarcerated men.