This web-only report provides preliminary statistics on key items from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Annual Survey of Jails and Census of Jails. The jail statistics presented include the number of persons held in local jails by inmate demographics and conviction status, the number of jail admissions, and jail incarceration rates, from 2014 to 2024. At midyear 2024, local jails held 657,500 persons in custody, similar to the year before (664,200). In the same period, 45% of individuals incarcerated in local jails were White, 38% were Black, and 15% were Hispanic. In addition, 69% of the jail population (450,600) was awaiting court action on a current charge or being held in jail for other reasons. The remaining 31% (206,900) were convicted and either serving a sentence or awaiting sentencing on a conviction. From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, local jails reported 7.9 million admissions. While this represents a 4% increase over the 7.6 million admissions the year before, annual admissions were 31% lower than 10 years ago (11.5 million).

According to national data, law enforcement solved fewer than half of all violent crimes that came to their attention in 2023. Although there are no national data on court outcomes in violent crime cases, these statistics would likely equally demonstrate the criminal legal system’s limited ability to address violent crime. One known barrier to successful outcomes in violent crime cases is a lack of participation in the criminal legal system by victims and witnesses of these crimes. This is especially true in crimes of severe community violence, which is the focus of this study. By speaking with recent victims and witnesses of severe community violence and criminal legal system actors and community service provider professionals who work with victims and witnesses of severe community violence in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, the research team seeks to understand the lack of victim and witness participation and to inform solutions for increasing and improving victim and witness criminal legal system participation in the region. The research team identified several barriers and needs that can be addressed to promote criminal legal system participation, including better resourcing criminal legal system agencies to support and protect victims and witnesses by employing victim advocates, increasing safety protections, and by improving trust between residents and the criminal legal system. In addition to increasing criminal legal system participation by victims and witnesses of these crimes, these measures are likely to address the extensive amount of unresolved trauma the research team identified that has been caused by victims and witnesses experiencing these crimes without adequate services and support.

The strategies outlined in this guide are based on the foundational work of the 10 Unlocking Opportunity pilot colleges. The eight strategies outlined here offer community colleges practical ways to increase the post-completion value of credentials, accelerate bachelor’s attainment, and expand access to good jobs—all with the ultimate goal of advancing economic mobility and talent development in the regions that community colleges serve. The research team is energized by these innovations and are even more excited about what the research team will learn next. As the Unlocking Opportunity network expands from 10 to 65 community colleges in the coming year, the research team will continue to share findings, tools, and examples from colleges implementing these (and other emerging) approaches at scale and refining strategies with partners across the field. Most importantly, the research team hope all college leaders will act to unlock more economic opportunities for many more students. Three steps matter most. The first step is, analyzing programs and program outcomes by using labor market, transfer, and outcomes data to classify programs by post-completion value and identify gaps and opportunities. The next is identifying opportunities and setting strategies. This can begin by prioritizing a small set of large-scale reforms with the greatest potential impact in your context. Then, the last step is to set clear targets and align leadership, resources, and partnerships to meet them through focusing on program value. Actions include redesigning program offerings so that more students enter pathways that reliably lead to living-wage jobs and bachelor’s completion.

Investing in the education of all children is not only a long-standing moral imperative but also an increasingly strategic economic decision, particularly in light of the nation’s need to equip all children to contribute to its future prosperity. The empirical evidence is clear: educational investments at scale would yield substantial public returns. And while the monetary metrics are compelling, it is the vision of a more just and prosperous society—with reduced inequality, a more dynamic economy, and enhanced well-being—that truly underscores the enduring value of such investments. Pursuing an equity-centered agenda, at scale, that improves educational opportunities and outcomes for all individuals would present an opportunity to activate the potential of the growing majorities. This choice would not only address long-standing inequities but also yield substantial net benefits for the nation as a whole. The simulations for the gains to the taxpayer to improving education participation and outcomes for Black and Hispanic children, bringing them closer to the levels of White children, suggest increased net benefits ranging from $20.2 to $72.6 billion per year. For example, increasing early childhood education enrollment rates of Black and Hispanic children to the level of White children would lead to about 136,000 additional children enrolled in early childhood education per year, and to an increased net benefit to the general public of about $40.9 billion per year.

The U.S. military has a long-standing commitment to investing in accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care services for its active component, reserve components, and civilian personnel. In support of this objective, the U.S. Department of War’s Child Development Program (CDP) represents the largest employer-sponsored child care system in the country. However, in recent years, the CDP has struggled to meet the demand for child care, a trend that predates the coronavirus disease pandemic and reflects the challenges of recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce. As of 2022, active-duty members had 750,000 children under age 13, the age group eligible for care. Close to half of these children are under age 5. In March 2020, the CDP met about 81% of child care demand. By December 2022, the CDP only met 74% of child care demand. This decrease in meeting needs occurred despite a relatively stable capacity and falling enrollment. The pandemic reduced demand but did not reduce it enough to bring supply and demand back into alignment. The pandemic actually reduced the CDP’s effective capacity because of the drop in the workforce size, leaving centers with classrooms that they could not staff. Child Development Program staff are almost universally female and are predominantly military spouses (30% of direct care staff). The majority of the workforce identifies as non-white. CDP direct care staff’s pay, benefits, and working conditions are not necessarily competitive with alternatives in the labor market—including for military spouses, who now have more remote work options. Twenty percent of new entry cohorts leave their CDP jobs within three months. Fifty percent of new entrants leave after the first year. The high rates of attrition appear to be positively linked to staff members’ education levels, average wages in the local labor market, and employment in the period after the onset of the pandemic.

Micromobility options, including shared bicycles and e-scooters, are increasingly popular in Florida and other parts of the United States. These modes of transportation are ideal for short trips and serve as vital connections to public transit systems. However, the state lacks a standardized framework to analyze micromobility usage, assess safety issues, and understand how these systems interact with public transit. This report analyzes (1) micromobility usage patterns and determines the factors influencing them, (2) evaluates the relationship between micromobility and public transit with a focus on accessibility and ridership impacts, and (3) examines crash data statewide to identify patterns, underlying causes, and street characteristics that contribute to non-motorist accidents. Researchers found that micromobility usage tends to peak during certain times and in specific neighborhoods. Although these systems enhance access to public transit, their overall impact on increasing ridership is limited. Additionally, higher levels of micromobility usage were linked to a greater likelihood of crashes, particularly on streets without infrastructure like bike lanes. Researchers provide several recommendations for improving micromobility systems, including enhancing bike lane infrastructure.

The Hutchins Center Fiscal Impact Measure (FIM) shows how much local, state, and federal tax and spending policies increase or decrease overall economic growth, and provides a near-term forecast of fiscal policies’ effects on economic activity. The measure shows that fiscal policy appears to have decreased U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within the U.S., by 0.2 percentage points in the third quarter of 2025. The negative forecast for the third quarter reflects boosts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and the delayed effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on equipment spending, offset by the direct effects of tariffs and the effects of uncertainty related to tariffs and other government funding. Researchers expect fiscal policy to lower GDP growth by 1.5 percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2025, largely reflecting the temporary effects of the government shutdown. However, fiscal policy is projected to boost GDP growth by about 2.8 percentage points in the first quarter of 2026 as delayed federal spending resumes. Lastly, in the forecast period, tariffs and uncertainty lower real GDP growth, while the OBBBA boosts it. The underlying FIM—excluding the supply side effects of recent policies and the effects of the OBBBA, tariffs, and uncertainty—is moderately restrictive in 2026.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and serious injuries for adults and children in the U.S. To support its mission of saving lives, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) develops and implements educational, engineering, and enforcement programs to prevent tragedies associated with crashes. The National Occupant Protection Use Survey and the National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats are designed to provide the information needed to guide NHTSA’s efforts in meeting the challenges in reducing motor vehicle crashes. Survey results show that seat belt use has increased. The national estimate of seat belt use by adult front-seat passengers in 2022 was 91.6%, compared to 84.1% in 2009. Survey results also show that restraint use for all children under 13 was 89.8% in 2021, although not statistically different than the 2019 estimate of 87.9%.

This report presents complete period life tables for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia by sex based on age-specific death rates in 2022. Data used to prepare the 2022 state-specific life tables include: 2022 final mortality statistics; July 1, 2022, population estimates based on the Blended Base population estimates produced by the U.S. Census Bureau; and 2022 Medicare data for people ages 66–99. Among the 50 states and D.C., Hawaii had the highest life expectancy at birth, 80.0 years in 2022, and West Virginia had the lowest, 72.2 years. From 2021 to 2022, life expectancy increased for 48 states and D.C. and decreased for 2 states (Maine and Vermont). In 2022, life expectancy at age 65 ranged from 16.6 years in West Virginia to 20.5 years in Hawaii. Life expectancy at birth was higher for females in all states and D.C. The difference in life expectancy between females and males ranged from 3.6 years in Utah to 6.9 years in New Mexico.

This report describes changes in total, early, and late fetal mortality between 2023 and 2024, as well as fetal mortality by maternal race and Hispanic origin and state of residence. Comparisons are made with findings from 2022 to 2023. Data are based on reports of fetal death filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and collected via the National Vital Statistics System. In this report, only fetal deaths reported at 20 weeks of gestation or more are included. Data for 2022 and 2023 are final and data for 2024 are provisional. From 2023 to 2024, the overall fetal mortality rate declined 2%, from 5.53 to 5.41 fetal deaths at 20 weeks of gestation or more per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths. During this time, the early fetal mortality rate (20–27 weeks of gestation) was essentially unchanged (2.88 in 2024), while the late fetal mortality rate (28 weeks of gestation or more) declined 4% (2.55 in 2024). No significant changes in fetal mortality rates between 2023 and 2024 were observed among the race and Hispanic-origin groups. Fetal mortality rates decreased in 3 states (Colorado, Mississippi, and Utah), increased in 1 state (New Jersey), and were not significantly different in 46 states and the District of Columbia from 2023 to 2024. In comparison, from 2022 to 2023, the fetal mortality rate increased for early fetal deaths, for Asian non-Hispanic women, and in five state (Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Utah) and declined in one state (Tennessee).

Many people with disabilities need personal care services to support their full participation in the labor force and community. Yet personal care services are generally not covered by employer-based health insurance, Marketplace plans, or Medicare. Medicaid is the only major source of health insurance that includes coverage of personal care services and other long-term services and supports, which can be critical for persons with disabilities. The Medicaid program can also provide such services in home and community-based settings rather than institutional settings, which is key to supporting the employment of workers with disabilities. However, Medicaid income and asset eligibility thresholds mean that some persons with disabilities who are employed may not qualify. Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) programs for working people with disabilities were first established following legislation passed by Congress in the late 1990s. The legislation aimed to encourage employment among adults with disabilities by allowing them to maintain Medicaid coverage despite increased earnings. The research team finds that 218,000 people would newly enroll in Medicaid under such a program. New enrollees would come from metropolitan and rural areas of the country and would represent all races and ethnicities. Enrollment would increase in every state. The research team also estimated that new enrollees would see increases in taxable wages of $947 per year at the median and $1,720 per year on average. Wage increases represent increased hours of work, promotions, and increased opportunities for people with disabilities. Net total spending for the federal government would amount to $311 million in 2025, which represents offsetting savings of about two-thirds of the gross cost. While new federal spending would occur in Medicaid ($838 million) and Medicare ($46 million) and offsetting savings results from reductions in Supplemental Security Income ($219 million), increased revenue from income and payroll taxes ($156 million), reductions in premium tax credits ($148 million), SNAP ($28 million), and uncompensated care ($21 million). Net total spending for state governments would amount to $516 million in 2025, which includes offsetting savings of about 5%t of the gross cost since there are fewer offsets at the state level. New state funding for Medicaid ($546 million) would be offset by reductions in uncompensated care ($13 million).