The true scope of mass incarceration cannot be realized without understanding how this system affects families and communities around the country. Studies show that an estimated 1 in 2 people in the United States have a parent, partner or sibling that has been incarcerated.

This map uses population frequencies by race. Overall, 42% of white people, 48% of hispanic people, 63% of Black people, and 63% of Native people have a parent, partner or sibling that has been incarcerated at a prison or jail. When you look at both gender and race, Black women are most likely to know an immediate family member or partner that has been incarcerated. Future visualizations will account for income, education level, and region.

If you click a facility, you can see the name, number of inmates, and facility type. If you click on one of the rendered density dots, you can see the population and race breakdown for the block group. Resources to learn more are below the map. To zoom in and out, view the legend, and to view bookmarked locations use the buttons on the top left corner. There is a search bar on the bottom right.

If you zoom out until you see the outlines of the states, you can click a state and read how people described their experience visiting their incarcerated family member or partner.