THE FACTS ABOUT INCARCERATION IN THE U.S.
Incarceration in the United States is one of the main forms of punishment and rehabilitation for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the largest prison population in the world, and the highest per-capita incarceration rate. In 2018 in the US, there were 698 people incarcerated per 100,000; this includes the incarceration rate for adults or people tried as adults. In 2016, 2.2 million Americans have been incarcerated, which means for every 100,000 there are 655 that are currently inmates. Prison, parole, and probation operations generate an $81 billion annual cost to U.S. taxpayers, while police and court costs, bail bond fees, and prison phone fees generate another $100 billion in costs that are paid by individuals.[8]
Additionally, 4,751,400 adults in 2013 (1 in 51) were on probation or on parole. In total, 6,899,000 adults were under correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail, or prison) in 2013 – about 2.8% of adults (1 in 35) in the U.S. resident population. In 2014, the total number of persons in the adult correctional systems had fallen to 6,851,000, approximately 52,200 fewer offenders than at the year-end of 2013 as reported by the BJS. About 1 in 36 adults (or 2.8% of adults in the US) were under some form of correctional supervision – the lowest rate since 1996. On average, the correctional population has declined by 1.0% since 2007; while this continued to stay true in 2014 the number of incarcerated adults slightly increased in 2014. In 2016, the total number of persons in U.S. adult correctional systems was an estimated 6,613,500. From 2007 to 2016, the correctional population decreased by an average of 1.2% annually. By the end of 2016, approximately 1 in 38 persons in the United States were under correctional supervision. In addition, there were 54,148 juveniles in juvenile detention in 2013
OUR MISSION
To End Mass Incarceration Through Knowledge, Truth, and Meaningful Legal Representation.
A Letter from Our Founder
Think Big. Act Bigger.
Mass incarceration is a deeply personal issue for me because I lived through it. I went from being awarded the Intel Innovators Award for Young Entrepreneurs in 2012, to being sentenced and serving three years in the Michigan Department of Corrections for breaking and entering, felonious assault and felony firearm in 2017. I never believed that in just five years that my life would take such an unexpected turn and change my world forever.
My time in prison was short in length, but not short in lessons. My experience as an inmate had a profound effect on me. Getting to know my fellow inmates and hear their stories, as well as share my own brought me to the realization that the overarching generalization of incarcerated people is unfair. Everyone has a story that’s worth being told and most stories, like my own, are not black and white. That is why I have made it my life’s mission to amplify the voices of imprisoned people and aid in the cease of mass incarceration in the United States. I have been fortunate enough to get a second chance at life in the free world, and I believe others deserve one as well.
-Virgil Hare, Founder of Indulta
Amplifying the Voice of Incarcerated Persons
We connect with incarcerated individuals across the United States and encourage them to use our platform to document their experiences with the justice system and in prison. From initial arrest, trial and sentencing to grievances experienced during imprisonment, we want each individual to feel as though they have a safe space to express themselves in a way that legal representation doesn’t always allow. As they continue to add information, they will eventually have created a log of their experience in their own words that can be used for future court cases, shared with the public and eventually lead to a change in how incarceration is handled in the United States.
THE VISION
Our goal is to offer one of the largest proprietary databases in the criminal justice space. We will acquire this data by sending electronic questionnaires to inmates at random across the United States. Volunteers will then log into the Indulta Messaging System to record the inmate responses into our database and respond to each individual accordingly. The questionnaires will be worded to collect specific data points in real time such as name, race, age, sex, type of crime, location, and more. The questions will also dig into the nuances of each inmate’s case to determine whether the inmate may have been represented by a paid attorney or a public defender, as well as underline any current grievances they may be experiencing in prison such as medical, abuse, civil, etc. Our database will be free to use by organizations and other freedom fighters who want to make a difference.
“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.”