The U.S. incarcerates by far the most people of any nation in the world per capita. About 2.1 million individuals are currently held in the nation’s jails and prisons. Many are there pre-trial — that is, they have not yet been convicted of a crime. A large percentage of those incarcerated in the U.S. suffer from mental illness.
There have been several attempts in recent years to reduce the prison population, including during the COVID pandemic when some elderly prisoners and those with health issues were granted early release to home confinement.
Chicago Beyond is a philanthropic organization launched in 2016 to fight against the inequities pervasive in Chicago’s communities. The organization invests in community-led initiatives and individuals who are fighting for all youth to achieve their fullest human potential, in Chicago and beyond. Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Nneka Jones Tapia, managing director of justice initiatives at Chicago Beyond, where she is a clinical psychologist and was a former warden at Chicago’s Cook County Jail. Here she explains her unique approach to reducing mass incarceration from inside the system.
For more information, visit Chicago Beyond at chicagobeyond.org and Chicago Beyond’s Justice Initiatives at chicagobeyond.org/justice-initiatives.
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