Hard Facts

In California:

California has added 21 state prisons in 30 years, with the prison population expanding from 23,000 to 170,000

The California Prison Map shows the location of the 61 federal, state and private prisons

California’s recidivism rate is its 70%—twice the national average

Taxpayers pay $11 billion per year to operate the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Comparatively little of California's prison budget goes toward rehabilitation

"This is What I Did on My Little Vacation" by Fernando Balladares, a song he wrote for his children about his stay in prison.

In the United States:

1 in every 31 adults in America is incarcerated or on supervised release

The New York Times puts the number of ex-offenders in the U.S. in the “tens of millions”

Each year, 700,000 Americans return home from prison

25% of the world's prisoners are in U.S. institutions

Photo of Alcatraz cell by kangotraveler.

“It costs precisely as much to house, feed and guard one prisoner for one year in a California state prison as tuition, meals and housing cost for a student enrolled for one academic year at Harvard.” --Ted Koppel

The cost per inmate per year is now $49,000

"Can't Do It Again" by 24 Carat, with vocals by Shawty.