FACTS

THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (PIC)

The United States has 5% of the world’s population but over 25% of the world’s prison population
There are over 2.2 million people incarcerated in prisons and jails across the country
There are 33 state prisons in California alone
Since 1980 California has built 23 jails and one university
6.9 million people in the United States are either incarcerated or under some form of state enforced supervision
Black people make up 12% of the Unites States population and 37% of the US prison population
Latinos make up 17% of the United States population and 22% of the US prison population
Black women are 22% of the population of incarcerated women in the United States, Latina women make up 17%
As of September 2014 the California prison system was overcrowded at 140% capacity
It costs $60,000 a year to incarcerate one person in prison

Los Angeles County has the largest jail system in the world
There is an average of 17,500 prisoners in the county jail system on any given day
The Los Angeles Jail system is ran by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the largest sheriff’s department in the country
80% of those incarcerated in the Los Angeles County Jail system are Black and Latino
Black people make 30% of the County Jail population
Latinos make up 50% of county Jail population

In 2012 the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence confirmed that there was “long standing culture of pattern violence against inmates”
In 2012 57% of force incidents were initiated by sheriff custody personnel
The sheriff’s department has a history of using a “force-first” policy to establish authority as opposed to a last resort
In 2015 there was a 40% increase in use of force in the county jail system

There are civilian oversight bodies of law enforcement agencies in over 140 cities across the nation
Several civilian oversight bodies across the country have subpoena power including: Albuquerque, Berkeley, Boise, San Francisco, and many others
San Diego County changed its county charter to grant its civilian oversight body subpoena power
Los Angeles County is largest jail system in the world with no independent civilian oversight body implemented

Suicide is leading cause of death in jails across the country
The Department of Justice has issued a consent decree over the Los Angeles Jail system because the treatment living conditions of the mental health population have been deemed “unconstitutional”
People with mental health conditions are three times as likely to experience abuse while incarcerated
Twin Towers is considered one of the three largest mental health facilities in the United States.
64% of those held in jail across the country have mental health conditions
Incarceration doubles the possibility that someone with no previous mental health history will develop a mood disorder such chronic anxiety, major depression, or bi-polar