A new report from In the Public Interest confirms that government contracts with private prisons not only fleece the taxpayer, but often create perverse financial incentives for states to lock up more people.

The Brennan Center regularly compiles the latest news concerning mass incarceration and the ongoing need for criminal justice reform. This week's top stories involved California prison reform and Senate hearings on marijuana policy.

Across the country, too many jurisdictions still depend on money bail to determine which defendants can be released pretrial. Forcing defendants to face financial loss if they flee, proponents insist, is essential to ensure that they will return to court.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. His speechwriter Clarence B. Jones recalls the improvised moments of the iconic speech.