July 9, 2026
Key facts:
On this page (see attached report), the Prison Policy Initiative has curated all of the research about women in the criminal justice system that we know of. For research on other criminal justice topics, see our Research Library homepage.
While the overall incarceration rate in the United States has leveled off in recent years, women’s incarceration rates continue to grow faster than men’s. But the experiences of women — as well as trans and nonbinary people — are too often lost, because men comprise the vast majority of the incarcerated population.
You can also see a selection of our best original research on this topic on our Women and Gender
Read more from Prison Policy Initiative here.
