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Lower crime and birth rates mean America's prisons are emptying out

By Ailsa Chang,
Jason Fuller, Sarah Handel
Published July 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM EDT

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Keith Humphreys, professor at Stanford, about the falling prison population in the U.S., and the reasons behind that trend.

Copyright 2025 NPR
Ailsa Chang
Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Audie Cornish, and Mary Louise Kelly. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.
See stories by Ailsa Chang
Jason Fuller
Sarah Handel
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
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