The Mass Incarceration of People With Disabilities in America

People with disabilities — especially those with mental health conditions — are disproportionately overrepresented in U.S. prisons and jails, often due to minor infractions, a report from Center for American Progress finds. The report, Disabled Behind Bars: The Mass Incarceration of People With Disabilities in America’s Jails and Prisons, found that inadequate public investment in community-based alternatives has contributed to the mass incarceration of people with cognitive disabilities as well as those with a serious mental illness.

And once in prison or jail, people with disabilities are often deprived of necessary medical care as well as needed supports, services, and accommodations, which can cause or exacerbate their illness or condition. What's more, a criminal record increases the barriers — to employment, stable housing, and other components of economic security — they already face. To prevent people with disabilities from being caught up in the criminal justice system, the report calls for more investment in community-based services; ending the criminalization of homelessness; improving police practices and training; providing accessibility, adequate accommodation, and appropriate treatment within the court system and behind bars; and supporting released inmates' reentry into society.