The Prison Bust Dataset

Scholars and policy analysts alike have long been concerned with the social and economic consequences of the prison boom. However, as state corrections departments have been forced to make cutbacks and state incarceration rates have declined, we are currently in a prison bust. The Prison Bust Dataset is the first comprehensive record of U.S. prison closures from after the end of the prison boom to the present. It provides novel opportunities for understanding the causes and consequences of the prison boom. The dataset contains details of 188 verified state and federal adult correctional facility closures from 2000-2022.