Hey Misfits, this week we are tackling the topic of prison reform. This issue has so many layers that it warrants multiple episodes, so make sure and subscribe to you don't miss a beat.

The United States locks up more of its citizens than any other nation. According to PrisonPolicy.org, The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.

From police brutality and wrongful convictions to harsh sentences and overcrowding, the United States prison system is broken on so many levels. With the enactment of the First Step Act, signed into law in 2019, there have been steps in the right direction. But this new law will have a very small impact on mass incarceration as a whole as it only affects the federal system which holds about 181,000 imprisoned people. This is a small fraction of the US jail and prison population.

Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes featuring prison reform activist Paul Feilmann and one of the founders of Nebraskans for Prison Reform Ashleigh Jackson. Make sure and subscribe to the podcast or sign up for our newsletter to be notified when those episodes drop.

Shout out to our new pod friends Seeing Red Nebraska. Check out their website for great content regarding Nebraska politics.

Lastly, if you are interested in checking out the podcast mentioned in today's episode, check out NPR's Invisibilia, about Shon Hopwood, criminal turned lawyer. You won't be disappointed!

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