“These candidates are missing an opportunity. The incomes of people in U.S. prisons and local jails are overwhelmingly low, and one in two American adults has had a close relative incarcerated, meaning that a candidate who understands the criminalization of poverty could propose transformative reforms and speak to a huge number of voting-age Americans. In particular, candidates are missing an opportunity to speak to Black voters, who are hit hardest by policies that punish poor people. “

Prison Policy Institute

June 12, 2019