Investigating the Growing Divide in U.S. Jail Incarceration Rates

Why have jail incarceration rates grown faster in rural U.S. counties than in urban centers?

The Vera Institute of Justice released a report in 2017 revealing that while small rural counties have lower crime rates than urban centers, they simultaneously have some of the nation’s highest jail incarceration rates. Vera, a research and advocacy organization focused on building and improving justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities, wanted to understand what is it about rural counties, apart from their “rurality,” that contributes to their disproportionately high jail rates. Data Clinic and Vera teamed up to explore factors that could explain this divide, allowing Vera to adapt their research strategy moving forward. Using open data that Vera had compiled on historical jail statistics and open data on state and county characteristics, Data Clinic built a model for jail incarceration rates that accounted for about half of the discrepancy between rural areas and other geographical metro areas. To learn what is the most important factor correlated with incarceration rates, read the whole story here.