Rising Prison Deaths Linked to Decreased Life Expectancy in the US

The U.S. has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the developed world, with roughly 2 million imprisoned or jailed people, and keeps them there far longer, leading to a decline in life expectancy. At least 6,182 people died in state and federal prisons in 2020, a 46% jump from the previous year. Thousands of people are released from prisons and jails every year with conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and infectious diseases they developed while incarcerated. The federal government has also failed to collect or release enough information about deaths in custody that could be used to identify disease patterns and prevent fatalities and illness inside and outside of institutions.